T. David Beck: The Simple Way of Jesus

Is it Christian to insult people? That was the question I raised in yesterday's post. I want to comment on it a little further. We get a lot of help from Merriam-Webster, where 'insult' is defined as: to do or say something that is offensive to someone to do or say something that shows a lack of respect for someone Jesus openly insulted people on almost a daily basis, but he did so in sense #1. To call the Pharisees "white washed tombs full of dead men's bones" was one of seven ways Jesus offended them in Matthew 23. Speaking to the general public, Jesus offended their sense of righteousness all through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Jesus told it like it was, and some of what he had to say was offensive. To insult someone in sense #1 is not a sin. It is sometimes necessary. By the same token, just because you are offended doesn't mean someone is sinning against you. It may be what you need to hear. On the other hand, I can...

What would you do if you got to enjoy a few minutes with a famous celebrity, and he/she took to insulting you without provocation? When I was in college, my summer job was working in the pro shop of a local country club. Free golf all summer -- I was in hog heaven. At this club, we hosted an annual weekend tournament in which famous senior golfers played along with club members. For the members, this was a great thrill. However, it didn't always turn out so well. I remember standing alongside one of the tee boxes one morning when Sam Snead's foursome was about to tee off. One of the members, a respected man at the club, had worn pink slacks and a pink shirt that day. No doubt he had picked the outfit especially for his big day with Snead, one of the greatest golfers the world has ever known. On the tee box, Snead mocked the man's outfit and said, "Go ahead and hit, Pinkie." Those of us within earshot of this exchange cringed and felt sorry for the member, who...