The Scandalon

"[The Lord] shall be a sanctuary; but [unto the houses of Israel] a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence..." Isaiah 8:14

"We Preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness..." I Corinthians 1:23

There is a truly diabolic element to the relevancy movements of modern Christendom. This element is a tendency to make Jesus more amiable to people, more lovable, huggable, and full of ooey, gooey goodness. Jesus' message is whittled down to some shallow notion of love and peace (as opposed to sacrificial love and Him being our peace). Jesus' identity is watered down to the ultimate Goodman who taught us how to be goodmen if we really, really try. Even Jesus' race is changed to meet personal racial (and perhaps racist) standards. What we typically get (and subsequently believe in and worship) is the Jesus of happiness, safe ventures, and fat bank accounts.

I'd rather believe in and worship the "scandalon."

"Scandalon" is the Greek word for "stone of stumbling" or "stumblingblock." Isaiah (perhaps the greatest OT prophet) and Paul (perhaps the greatest NT apostle) saw long ago that the long-awaited Messiah would be an issue of scandal. Somehow, the anointed one's person and mission would be a bump on the road of every one's life, the bump you do not see, the one that sends you sprawling head over heels to be either broken so that he can heal you, or crushed into nothingness (Psalm 51:17 & Luke 20:17, 18). Belief in such a Messiah would not be a safe venture; it would be scandalous.

If you do not believe me, then go and preach the message Jesus actually said and lived. Tell people that He came to send a sword, not peace, and turn families against each other. Tell them He brashly insulted the religious leaders when they were in the wrong. Tell them He used a flail to completely obliterate a place of commerce and trade. Tell them He is God incarnate and man deified. Tell them He cares very little about sins, but cares a great deal about Sin. Tell them He is the Creator of the universe, come down to let His creation overpower and kill Him. Tell them He boldly declared that His way was small and that only a few would find it. Tell them He cared nothing about the rich young ruler's bank account, stock portfolio, bass boat, or charities, and cared everything about what the ruler was willing to sacrifice. Tell them He was acquainted with grief, and has sanctified suffering to be a vehicle of God's grace. Tell them he contributed not one useful thing to society: not one dollar, not one building, not one mission, not one industry. Tell them He did not come to help our lives, but to overhaul our life with His. Tell them He resurrected from the dead and lead captivity captive. Tell them of a love "as strong as the death...as cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame," (Song of Songs 8:6b)

Scandalous! Preach any of the above and you may not be invited to a "purpose-driven" church, but you will have remained faithful to your Lord and His name. May we always love and be one with the scandal of believing.

"He will be the truth and will offend them one and all

A stone that makes men stumble and a rock that makes the fall

Many will be broken so that He can make them whole.

And many will be crushed and lose their own souls."

-Michael Card, from the song "Scandalon"