Jeremiah 41:4-18 – Learn not to take offense too easily.

Johanan was one of Gedaliah’s faithful men. He was the one who warned the governor of the Ishmael plot to assassinate him. Unfortunately, the governor would not believe him and had to pay dearly with his life. After murdering Gedaliah and also the seventy pilgrims, Ishmael took the remnant from Mizpah and the remaining ten pilgrims with him to seek to go Ammon.  

Jeremiah 41:11-18 described the bravery of Johanan, who went to the rescue of those taken by Ishmael. He should have been put off by Gedalaih, whom he respected for refusing to trust him and instead accused him of lying. Johanan refused to keep score of wrong done to him. When he and the commanders of the forces heard of Gedaliah’s assassination and that Ishmael had taken the people with him, they pursued him. He didn't say "served Gedaliah right fro refusing to believe me." Instead, he went out to rescue the people. With the commanders of the forces, he pursued Ishmael and found him and his captives at the pool of Gibeon. As soon as Ishmael’s captives saw Johanan, they were glad and turned around and went to him. However, Ishmael managed to escape with eight men and went to Ammon. Johanan and the people from, Mizpah whom he had rescued then decided to stay at Geruth Chimham, which was beside Bethlehem. Fearing that the Babylonians would retaliate because of what Ishmael had done, they thought it would be safer to seek refuge in Egypt than to return to Mizpah. This was another wrong decision.   

Whether the decision to seek refuge in Egypt was right or wrong, we applaud Johanan for his bravery. He could have taken offense at the way Gedaliah had slighted him. He could have just sat there nursing his emotional hurt and refused to pick up the mess left by the governor's refusal to believe him.  But he didn’t and was not one who would keep score, particularly at this juncture. He took it upon himself and with commanders of the keeping forces went and rescue the captives of Ishmael. Johanan was not one who was self-absorbed, he looked at the larger picture and hence was able to let go of the offense and not focus on the offensive words and his hurt. From Johanan, we must learn not to take offense easily. If we do, we will not become captives of wrong words and live needlessly to bemoan the hurt. Then we will be able to think more objectively and do and act more appropriately.  Learn to let go of offenses. It will do us a world of good.