An Offense

Mark Batterson post:  The Point of Offense

Have you ever noticed when Judas betrayed Jesus?

I think the timing is significant. It's right after a woman anoints Jesus with the alabaster flask of ointment. It was worth 300 denarii. That is almost a year's salary! Everyone considered it a waste of money. And I think Judas, as the money keeper, was more offended than anyone else. So offended he was willing to betray Jesus. I think this offense is the final straw. The very next verse says "then" Judas went to the chief priest to betray him.
Judas makes the mistake many of us make: we use some offense as an excuse for our own disobedience. Someone else's offense becomes justification for our own mistakes. Don't go there! Proverbs 19:11 says "it is to our glory of overlook an offense." I think it is "offenses" that make us or break us. Either we use them to justify our mistakes or we overlook them and become more like Jesus.

Judas used the offense to justify the biggest mistake of his life. Jesus overlooked the offense and gave his life to justify us from the biggest mistakes of our lives! Two very different reactions to offense!