Offensive Christ Followers

In the news: OBERLIN, Ohio — A northern Ohio artist known for envelope-pushing holiday displays is back - with Santa Claus in a wheelchair being pushed down stairs by a crazed tree. The Santa in Keith McGuckin's installation at the Oberlin Public Library has no legs because of an accident involving alcohol and some power lines. An accompanying narrative explains that the tree later goes off to a strip club with money from Santa's Salvation Army kettle.

McGuckin's holiday creations have raised eyebrows for years. His 2006 gingerbread Nazis drew so many complaints that he was forced to remove them from a hardware store window. Library director Darren McDonough said the latest display is staying. He jokes that "If a library doesn't have something that offends, it's not doing its job."
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I'm not endorsing McGukin's work, but I was struck by the statement of the director of the library. There are too many businesses and public places that remove every religious symbol and reference for "fear of offending" some minority group or individual; so it's interesting to see what someone will defend and allow, and what they censor. Interesting.

What really got me is that what Mr. McDonough said of his library could be said of the church. In fact I'll be so bold to say that as Christ-followers, if we are not offending people (especially modern-day Pharisees) then we're not following Jesus closely enough.

Just a few examples that Jesus had a reputation for being offensive:

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 6:61-65 (NIV)

On another occasion:

Jesus went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
Mark 6:1-3 (NIV)

One more:
"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him (Jesus) will not be put to shame."
Romans 9:33 (ESV)

I like the advice my friend Mark Batterson gave:
"As a pastor, you have to preach what God put in your heart and let the chips fall where they may. At the end of the day, the only true validation is whether or not we said what God wanted us to say. The sermon your congregation liked the least may be the one God liked the most. Or vice versa."

I think too often the church misses it by offending the kind of people that Jesus most catered to, and catering to the kind of people that Jesus most often offended.