Offense Brings Betrayal
Adapted from the sermon “Rooting Out Offense,” preached by Pastor Donald Gray on .
Judas did not start out planning to sell Jesus. He started out offended. From Matthew 24, here is the road offense takes when you let it sit.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Nobody wakes up in the morning planning to betray somebody they love. That is not how it happens. I want to show you how it actually happens, because Jesus laid the whole road out and we read past it.
What does Jesus say offense leads to?
Turn to Matthew 24:10–11. Jesus is talking about the last days, and He says, "And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another."
Look at the order. Offended first. Betray second. Offense brings betrayal.
Then keep reading, because it does not stop there. It goes on to say they shall hate one another. So it moves from offense to betrayal to hate. Three stops on one road, and you get on that road at the first one.
How do I know offense really turns into betrayal?
Judas.
Judas was offended with Jesus. He was offended because he did not get the money. He did not get the goods. He was offended that he had to go outside to get what he wanted. That offense sat in him.
And what happened? He betrayed Jesus Christ.
He did not begin with thirty pieces of silver. He began offended, and he kept it, and the keeping of it turned into the selling of a man he had walked with for three years. That is what an unaddressed offense does with enough time.
Why does this matter in a church house?
Because the same road runs through this room.
I do not want to be offended. Say that with me — I do not want to be offended. Not because being offended is the worst thing that can happen to me, but because of what is at the other end of the road. I do not want to betray my brothers and sisters. I do not want to end up hating people I am supposed to be building with.
And notice what Jesus puts right after it: many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive. A congregation full of offended people is a congregation that is easy to deceive. Offense does not just hurt you. It softens the whole house up for something worse.
So look at whatever you are carrying right now, and ask yourself honestly which stop on that road you are standing at. If it is still the first one, you can get off it today.
Questions from this reading
- What does Matthew 24:10 say about offense?
- Jesus, speaking about the end times, says that many shall be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. The order matters: offense comes first, betrayal second, hatred third. It is a progression, not three separate problems.
- Was Judas offended with Jesus?
- Yes. Judas was offended because Jesus was not producing what he expected — he did not get the money, he did not get the goods, and he was offended that he had to go outside to get them. The betrayal grew out of an offense he decided to keep.
- How do I stop offense before it becomes betrayal?
- Do not let it sit. Offense that is addressed quickly stays an offense. Offense that is nursed becomes betrayal and then hatred, exactly as Jesus described. Deal with it while it is still only the first thing.
Watch the full sermon
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