Since I have been in New Zealand I have spent time with family and friends, and have met some new people too, which has been great. At different times the conversation has drifted onto the subject of God and how it is that people are saved. The thing that has struck me most about these different conversations is the really different responses to Jesus and the gospel message. It’s made me go back to the Bible to read about what Jesus says about the heart of man, and the way that some of us will receive Him and live for Him, and others of us will not.

That the ‘soil’ of our hearts is different, so that some will not understand when they hear about the Kingdom of God and it will be snatched away for example; and others will hear, and understand, and will go on to produce a harvest for God in their lives Matthew 13:18:23.

It’s been such an inspiring thing to see the way that Jesus inspires people; the way that He can instil such hope in a person, enabling them to see past their difficult circumstances to a promise and vision that He has for their lives. At the same time, it has been quite hard seeing the way that others reject Him or His gospel – the doubt that Jesus is who He says He is; the disbelief that God can be experienced in a real, alive, transforming way.

The other thing that has been hard is seeing the offence that the gospel causes. At times this offence, and even anger, has been openly apparent. It seemed to strike something deep as we talked, and this real anger flared. This was quite uncomfortable. It was as if all of sudden a big wedge divided us and it was insurmountable. This is part of following Christ that I often find tough.  It’s the desire to keep the dynamic with others on a friendly, non-challenging basis but when it comes to the message of the cross and Jesus, this is often not possible. In fact it can often get very awkward. It reminds me of the Scripture where Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to alienate a man from his father, a daughter [from] her mother …” Matthew 10:34-35.  

I went back to the Bible again after one particular challenging discussion and came across this verse, “Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who disbelieve … ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence’” 1 Peter 2:7-8.  Jesus – a rock of offence, to some. And immeasurably precious, to others.