Being offended by God
The theme of being offended by God is present in various passages throughout the Bible. It often revolves around human reactions to God's actions, teachings, or plans, and the challenge of maintaining faith and trust in the midst of difficult circumstances. Here are a few examples and instances where this theme is explored:
- Job's Suffering: The book of Job addresses the theme of being offended by God extensively. Job, a righteous man, experiences immense suffering, losing his wealth, health, and family. He expresses his anguish and questions God's fairness. Job's friends also accuse him of wrongdoing. Job's experience reflects the struggle of being faithful while grappling with feelings of offense or injustice from God's actions.
- Israel's Wilderness Wanderings: The Israelites' journey through the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt is marked by moments of offense and complaint against God. They grumble about their circumstances, the lack of food, and other challenges they face. Their impatience and lack of trust in God's provision lead to conflicts and consequences.
- Jesus' Teachings: In the New Testament, Jesus' teachings sometimes challenge the expectations and sensibilities of his audience. For instance, in John 6, Jesus speaks of his flesh and blood as the source of eternal life, which offends some of his followers who find his words difficult to accept.
- Parable of the Prodigal Son: In Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son presents a situation where the older son becomes offended when his father welcomes back his wayward younger brother with open arms. The older son struggles with feelings of injustice and is reluctant to accept the father's grace.
- Disciples' Response to Hard Sayings: On several occasions, Jesus' disciples struggle with his teachings or actions. In John 6:60-66, some disciples find Jesus' words too hard to accept and choose to no longer follow him.
- Paul's Theology of the Cross: The apostle Paul's teachings often emphasize the paradox of the cross and the apparent foolishness of God's plan for salvation. He addresses the potential for offense in the message of Christ crucified.
In these instances, the theme of being offended by God highlights the tension between human understanding and God's ways, the challenge of trusting God in difficult situations, and the need to wrestle with our doubts and emotions while seeking deeper understanding. It also underscores the importance of cultivating a mature and steadfast faith that can navigate such challenges without losing trust in God's character and sovereignty.
在《圣经》中，被上帝冒犯的主题在各处都有体现。这通常涉及人类对上帝的行动、教导或计划的反应，以及在困难情况下如何保持信仰和信任的挑战。以下是一些探讨这一主题的例子和情况：
- 约伯的苦难： 《约伯记》广泛地涉及了被上帝冒犯的主题。约伯是一个义人，却经历了巨大的苦难，失去了财富、健康和家人。他表达了自己的痛苦，并质疑上帝的公平。约伯的朋友们也指责他有罪。约伯的经历反映了在面对上帝的行动时，保持信仰，同时又与上帝的行动产生冲突或感受到不公正的情感之间的挣扎。
- 以色列人的旷野漂泊： 以色列人从埃及被拯救出来后，在旷野中的旅程中，出现了被上帝冒犯的情况。他们抱怨自己的境遇，抱怨缺乏食物等种种挑战。他们的不耐烦和对上帝供应的不信任导致了冲突和后果。
- 耶稣的教导： 在新约中，耶稣的教导有时会挑战他的听众的期望和敏感性。例如，在约翰福音第6章中，耶稣谈论他的肉体和血液是永生的源头，这引起了一些追随者的反感，他们难以接受他的话语。
- 浪子的比喻： 在路加福音第15章，浪子的比喻展示了一个情境，在这个情境中，年长的儿子因为父亲热情欢迎迷失的弟弟而感到冒犯。年长的儿子面临不公的情感，不愿意接受父亲的恩典。
- 门徒对艰深言辞的回应： 在几个场合，耶稣的门徒在他的教导或行动面前感到困难。在约翰福音6:60-66中，一些门徒认为耶稣的话太难以接受，选择不再跟随他。
- 保罗关于十字架的神学： 使徒保罗的教导经常强调十字架的悖论以及上帝救赎计划的显然愚蠢。他在基督被钉死的信息中解释了被冒犯的潜力。
在这些情况下，被上帝冒犯的主题突显了人的悟性与上帝做事的方式之间的紧张关系；在困难情况下信靠上帝的挑战；以及在寻求更深层次理解的同时，需要与我们的疑虑和情感摔跤的重要性。它也强调了培养成熟和坚定的信仰的重要性，以能够在不失去对上帝秉性和主权的信任的情况下应对这些挑战。
