6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. – Matthew 18: 6-9
“These little ones” is referring to children. In the verses preceding this passage, Jesus takes a child in to his arms and admits to the world that if you wish to enter into His kingdom you must be like a child. Therefore, “these little ones” is also applied to Christians in general. We must become like Children to believe the impossible. Once we do, it is up to us to lead each other in right directions.
The consequences for leading each other down the wrong path is HUGE. Jesus says that it would be better for us to have a large millstone hung around their neck and drowned. This response shows us two things that are important in our daily walk of faith. Firstly, this shows God’s love for us. At first glance, this seems like a ridiculous comparison. Imagine if someone threatened to separate you from your children permanently. What would you be willing to do to the person who did that? That is what happens when a young believer is led astray. Their relationship/connection with Jesus is terminated. Imagine the love Jesus must feel for him to become so angry even at the thought of losing one loved brother or sister.
The second thing we learn is simple. We need to watch what we say and do. This is not a legalistic argument. I am not advocating for helicopter parenting or discipleship. This is a statement of fact, though. We have to pay attention to what we are doing. When we are are shooting the bull over a cup of coffee or on a zoom meeting watch what you say. When your child, spouse, or friend comes to you with a ridiculous problem that you just do not care about, listen to them. If your neighbor asks you what the best Netflix show you have watched recently understand that your answer should be God honoring.
It is not just a parents responsibility to raise a child. I truly believe it takes a community. In the same way, it is not just the pastor, Jesus, or God’s responsibility to lead others. It is a duty that all Christians have been given. Watch what you say and do. Make sure you are always leading each other back to Jesus.
Pastor Mat