Language Studies

Difficult Sayings

John the Baptist and Jesus - What did Jesus mean by "not being offended because of Me"?
Matthew 11:6, Luke 7:23

"⁶ And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Matthew 11:6). Was Jesus being offensive here? Was Jesus worried about people being upset by him? No. The word offence in Scripture does not mean to make angry, embarrassed or to shock. Rather, it is a translation of a phrase used in Isaiah 8:14, a passage taken as messianic by many, and elsewhere to indicate that which trips us up, springs a trap, a rock/stone of stumbling against which we might strike our foot in our normal walk.

"The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." (Isaiah 8:13-14)

So Jesus was saying "blessed/happy is he does not fall or trip because of me". Jesus was telling John to hold firm and walk straight and not be tripped up by his doubts or changed expectations, even if he was to be left in prison.

St Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:22,23) that whilst they had sought wisdom and the Jews following Jesus had wanted a sign, Jesus' crucifixion was the sign yet a stumbling block of offence to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. John could not necessarily have foreseen Jesus' end but Jesus had vouchsafed his mission and nature by the signs he had done but there would be disappointment and delay and Jesus was encouraging John not to let these be a cause for doubt or denial. A friend once told a Christian gathering that his theology professor had taught them that "all theology is written in pencil". In other words, truth may be indelible but theology is just man's interpretations. Don't trust exclusively in your own understanding of Scripture if the author of Scripture himself might have a different angle on its meaning or the timing of its fulfilment.

More next week...

Subscribe …

Receive the newest article each week in your inbox by joining the "Difficult Sayings" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Subscribe!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.

Copyright Statement
'Difficult Sayings' Copyright 2024© KJ Went. 'Difficult Sayings' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each article, along with a link to https://www.studylight.org/language-studies/difficult-sayings.html  2) 'Difficult Sayings' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.

Meet the Author

KJ Went has taught biblical Hebrew, hermeneutics and Jewish background to early Christianity. The "Biblical Hebrew made easy" course can be found at www.biblicalhebrew.com.

Why not consider Greek, Aramaic, Biblical or Modern Hebrew online, it's easier than you think.

BMSoftware, founded by KJ, offer a wide range of biblical, Hebrew, Greek and multilingual software for theological use.