Under Golden (Heavy) Yokes

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(Matthew 11:6) And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.

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That statement concluded Jesus' reply to John the Baptist's inquiry. John was in Herod's prison and sinking, suffocating below the weight of his doubts. In context, Jesus' reply is rich in confounding mystery: If Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Christ, then no wonder the blind came to see, the lame walked, lepers were cleansed, and the deaf heard. But why did Jesus also leave John--His own cousin--in Herod's custody, only to be later executed as a drunken party favor (14:19)? In Jesus' supreme confidence, He praised John's wisdom and works (11:19). With even more shocking confidence, Jesus called Jehovah His Father and said that God gave Him all things--and that if anyone (like John) who follows Him will carry light yokes and find rest for their souls (11:25-30). Jesus' words are more world-spinning than alcohol.

A (Personal)

Does Jesus offend me? Do His words "throw me and my schemes into ruin"? That is the Greek meaning of offense--skandalizo. If His words don't wholly disrupt and ruin my ambitions, then I've not yet heard Him. If I've learned to wholly receive His words so I take His yoke and learn from Him (11:29), then I am truly blessed ... I'll find rest for my soul. Why? Because His ambitions for my life are always infinitely better than my ambitions, even if--in confounding mystery--He leaves me in jail.

A (Psychological)

In the world of Batterer Interventions, where perpetrators of domestic and intimate-partner violence receive therapy, some clinicians teach the "Platinum Rule." It's a twist of Jesus' words (often called Golden Rule): "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them" (7:12). The Platinum Rule (often cited as though they'd created a better, more valuable rule than what Jesus said) is "Do for others what they would like you to do for them." It's a good intervention, but unfortunately it demonstrates being offended by Jesus. Trying to improve Jesus' words this way only betrays an ignorance of the biblical context--the platinum concept is included in the context of Jesus' words. This serves as a good reminder of the care we need when Jesus speaks: because of His over-arching goodness and greatness of who He is, He always owns the last words of any issue. Blessed are those who are not offended by His words.

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Lord, I choose that word deliberately. I choose to call upon You for who You are--the Lord of all things, the Good Master, whose intentions toward me are gentle, whose kindness toward me is shockingly lowly of heart. You are truly mysterious in Your greatness and safe in Your closeness. Help me to more fully hear You and know You today ... even when I don't see the purpose behind Your provisions.