Matthew 13:55
“55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”
Sometimes, even with our best intentions, our actions or words can be misunderstood. Or maligned. Or wrongly judged. The word that stands out to me here is “offended.” Here the Savior was serving, loving, healing and going about doing good. And still, because He claimed his rightful divine title, the people were upset, feeling He was trying to better than them. Even when His actions clearly showed the pure purpose and desire of His heart, the people refused to see that truth and instead chose to be offended.
Some were even unhappy that He was doing good and succeeding. In Matt 21:15 it says, “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did…they were sore displeased.”
Have you felt misunderstood before? Or that you’ve tried so hard to do something good only to have it turn it so very wrong? Or people dislike you for doing good? Don’t worry. Go forward. Ignore the naysayers, armchair coaches, or sideline gossipers. Throughout your life, you can count on some judging you unfairly, unintentionally or intentionally. Move on with your life and keep doing good. Ultimately, these people or experiences will drop from your life, like chaff from wheat, and you will be left with loyal friends and sweet experiences.
How can you move forward without taking offense today?
Best,
Connie
