Have you ever heard someone make a comment and then quickly qualify it with "No offence meant....! The qualification itself would probably give you pause for thought....."Should I be offended?"....or....."Too late, I am offended!" If it was the latter, it would probably be left unsaid. I recently thought of two examples of women in the Bible who found themselves in a position of choosing whether to take offence, or not.
Hannah was one of two women married to Elkanah in the days when polygamy was allowed (1 Samuel 1). Elkanah's other wife, Peninnah, had given him children but Hannah remained childless. Every year when they made their family visit to the temple at Shiloh, Peninnah would taunt Hannah about her childlessness and make her so upset that she couldn't eat. After the sacrificial meal, a distressed Hannah left and went to the temple to pray.
She poured out her heart to God in silent prayer with much weeping. Eli the priest heard her crying, saw her lips moving and thought her to be drunk. He spoke to her telling her to put her wine away and move on! Hannah would have had cause to be offended; she could have left in a huff, but instead she answered respectfully. “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.” (Vs 15,16) Eli, the priest then pronounced a blessing upon her that God would answer her prayer. Soon after Hannah conceived and bore a son, Samuel.
The other Bible woman who came to mind is nameless. We do know that she came from Tyre, was not a Jew, and that she had a demon-possessed daughter. Having heard all the healing that Jesus had been doing she came to Him and fell at his feet asking for a miracle for her daughter whom she'd left sick at home. As if to test her Jesus said, ""First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." (Mark 7:27) Jesus was referring to the fact that his ministry was primarily to the Jewish people. This woman, instead of feeling insulted, pressed in and said, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates." Jesus commended her for her good answer and sent her home saying that her prayer had been answered. Returning home she found her daughter well.
For these two women there was blessing to be found in not taking offence. Each one knew where to take her need - to God. Both received answers to their heartache prayers because they didn't walk away offended.
Proverbs 19:11 says "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is (their) glory to overlook an offense." Even if we have cause to be offended, it is to our credit if we don't. It also makes for peace.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for the wisdom of your word and for the practical examples for living a peace-filled life that we can read in your word, the Bible. Help me to choose to forgive, rather than to take offence. Amen
