Sermon 8/27/06
Offended - John 6:56-69
(view lectionary notes for this text)
What does it mean to be offensive? According to the dictionary, offensive is defined as: 1) Disagreeable to the senses: as in an offensive odor or 2) Causing anger, displeasure, resentment, or affront: as in an offensive gesture or 3) Making an attack: as in The offensive troops gained ground quickly or 4) Of, relating to, or designed for attack: as in offensive weapons or 5) Of or relating to a team having possession of a ball or puck, as in the offensive line. Offensive is one of those funny words that can mean something good, as when your team has a good offense – or something bad – as when someone’s made an offensive gesture. If someone asks, “have I offended you?” they’re usually asking if they’ve done something that has upset you. And when someone starts they’re sentence with “No offense, but…” it means they suspect you won’t like what they’re going to say, but they’re going to say it anyway.
Today in our gospel lesson, we find Jesus speaking to the crowds, eventually asking: Have I offended you? Today we find our final passage in this long conversation Jesus has been having with the crowds about the bread of life. At least it seems long to us, because we’ve been focusing on this conversation since the end of July. Jesus has been talking with the crowds since they came searching for him after the feeding of the five thousand. You remember he told them that he understood that their motivation was just getting another free meal out of him, or to see another miraculous sign. But Jesus tried to convince them that he had something else to offer. Something better. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” he says. “Whoever eats of this bread will live forever.” Then Jesus goes where they can’t seem to follow. He says: “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” This causes the crowds to wonder, “how can this man give us his flesh to eat?” But Jesus continues talking in the same way to them, where we pick up today’s text: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them . . . Whoever eats me will live because of me . . . the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
At this point, even some of his disciples – not the twelve, but others who had been following Jesus – even they begin to question Jesus, to grumble, to wonder if they can follow someone who is saying things that make so little sense to them. “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” they ask. And then, Jesus asks them, “does this offend you?” Jesus goes on to say not that he’s sorry for giving offense, but that if what he’s saying now offends them, they’re going to have an eve harder time, be even more offended as time goes on. “What will you do,” he asks, when you realize that I really have come from God?” What will you do when you realize that I am really offering you what matters, but you don’t want to accept it? Well, many responded to Jesus’ questions, his challenges, by turning back, going back to whatever they were before they followed him. Jesus then asks the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” We hear in Jesus’ words a bit of the loneliness, the isolation that we eventually see as he faces death. But Peter answers, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have comet o believe and know that you are the holy one of God.”
The Greek word used in this passage for “offend” is skandalizo^ - where we get our word “scandalize” from today – and it means not only to give offence to but also to cause to stumble. You could rightly say that Jesus’ message, his teachings, were considered scandalous to some of his audience, and certainly, his words even caused some to stumble from the life path they’d been traveling until they encountered him. As much as we might usually try to refrain from offending people, Jesus was pretty good at offending those who gathered to listen to him. Actually, if you think about it, Jesus could probably have started all of his sentences, all of his teachings, with “No offense, but…” because Jesus was so often saying something that certainly caused anger, displeasure, resentment, an affront in his hearer. Think of it: “No offense, but you should really get rid of everything you have and give it to the poor.” “No offense, but it’s easier for a camel to enter the eye of the needle than for a rich person to enter heaven.” “No offense, but woe to you Pharisees.” But Jesus, frankly, wasn’t particularly interested in whether he was causing offense or not. Not to say he didn’t have great care for the people he was talking to. He had the utmost care for them. But because he cared for them, he preferred to speak truth to speaking what was pleasing. And so, instead of saying “no offense” to start his hard teachings, Jesus more often started them by saying, “Very truly I say to you” – Jesus wanted his hearers – wants us to know – that what he’s saying, hard as it is to hear – is the truth.
As we gear up towards midterm elections this fall, we’ll be bombarded with messages from politicians that will try to persuade us not that we should agree with their point of view, but that they already agree with our point of view. And I’m not criticizing – I think, despite bad raps, that there are politicians on all levels who honestly are seeking to do what’s right for their communities and country. But in the end, to be elected, a politician has to appeal to the broadest base of people, while offending as few people as possible with their platforms. That makes a very fine line for politicians to walk. How can you avoid offending two or more groups of people who have very opposite views on things? Politicians may be leaders, but we hope that their leadership involves representing what we believe.
With Jesus, things are different. He’s a leader, but a leader who sets forth what he believes, what is, and then seeks to persuade us to share his vision. But he won’t compromise his vision, the truth he brings, just to win our support. Jesus’ platform, his message, is the kingdom of God, eternal life. He won’t offer us anything else, even if it costs him follower who aren’t ready for what he’s giving, even if he offends his very target audience.
Returning, then, to our lesson today, it is Peter’s response to Jesus’ question that I find particularly interesting. When Jesus asks if the twelve will leave him too, Peter doesn’t say, “oh no Jesus, we would never leave you!” He doesn’t say, “of course not, we love you, we want to be with you, we won’t abandon you!” What he says is probably much more honest and on target: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” There is almost in Peter’s reply a sense of resignation, as if he’d really rather there was a different way, really wishes he’d found another answer he could give. But Peter essentially says that because the twelve believe Jesus to be the Holy One of God, because they believe that he has the words of eternal life, they don’t have somewhere else to go anymore. They’re bound to Jesus. If they believe him, believe what he says and teaches, what option do they have other than to stay with him, remain disciples, continue to follow him?
We, like the disciples, come to a time when we have to answer the same question – do we wish to remain disciples, or do we wish to go away and try something else, follow something or someone else? We can’t ask Jesus to tone down his message. Every time we read the scriptures the same challenging texts will be there, waiting for us. Jesus is interested in our discipleship, but not interested in making sure he doesn’t ruffle our feathers. His teaching doesn’t change to correspond to opinion polls. He doesn’t propose that we follow him in part, or choose what we like best of what he says. Instead, he answers grumblings with another challenge: does this offend you? If so, you’re in trouble, because you’ve only just begun to see what God can do.
Like Peter, we may feel somewhat resigned. What else can we do? But, like Peter, I hope our answer will be, if not enthusiastic, at least his: Where else would we go? God offers us grace, and unconditional love, and eternal life. In Christ, we are offered God come to be as close to us as possible. What else would you like to choose? Where else have you been offered living bread?
So Jesus asked them, “Do you also wish to go away?” And they answered, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Amen.
All sermons written by Rev. Beth Quick - please give credit for material used.