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And they were scandalized (or offended) by him (v 57).   We live in a world that is easily offended. People scandalize each other by suing over the most trivial matters. They lie, cheat, and steal. They are proud, arrogant, and abusive. They are always just a moment away from creating an even bigger scandal.  Worse, they are shocked or horrified ... the definition of scandalize ... by the presence of a cross and the words under God. If that cross is a crucifix, the world will malign it even more and speak more maliciously about it. They feel scandalized by being reminded their sin was nailed to a cross. They feel scandalized by thinking that God died for us ... and that he would do this precisely because we are actually poor, we are actually miserable, and we are actually sinners.  The world is scandalized by its refusal to believe in Jesus.  It’s nothing new to recognize how offended we are. Scandals are as old as man. The first scandal of history is recorded in th...