Overcoming Offense

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

In 2 Samuel 10, King David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent two of his mightiest men to this foreign country to show their condolences and comfort King Hanun when his father died. But the leaders told Hanun, “Do you think David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” Then Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the buttocks area, and sent them away in shame.

In the Middle East during that time, the beard represented distinction, honor, and maturity. These men of David had every reason to be offended. They were humiliated and stripped of their dignity for simply doing what their king told them to do. 

Luke 17:1 says, “It is impossible that offenses should not come to you.” In this life, you are going to be offended. Somebody’s going to shame you, insult you, or embarrass you. Jesus said it’s impossible for you to escape being offended in your lifetime, so you may as well learn how to deal with it the right way.

The end of this story gives insight on how to handle offense in a godly way. After David heard what happened, he sent out messengers to meet the men “for they were greatly humiliated.” He told them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then come back.” Jericho means “sweet fragrance.” So David was saying, “I want them to go to that sweet place and stay there until their beards grow back.” When somebody offends you, just “go to Jericho.” Stay sweet and kind, and don’t get mad or seek vengeance. If you just stay in the right spirit, God is going to take care of everything. Your natural reaction will be to retaliate, but Romans 14 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, neither give place to wrath; for ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay’ says the Lord.”

Later in the story, because of how Hanun treated David’s men, David and his mighty army take vengeance on them. If you stay calm when offended, the Lord will deal with that person. He is a just God. You don’t have to defend yourself. Put the situation and the injustice into His hands. Don’t keep talking about it, and stop being angry about it. Just stay sweet and leave the vengeance part to Him, and eventually, “your beard will grow back.” Your hurts will heal. You will emerge better than you were before the attack because you have learned that trusting God to deal with offense brings peace to your life. Let go and let God handle your offense today.

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