27 Jul July 26th Weekly Devotional
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6
This is a serious offense. Jesus is not messing around with this one. He has just finished talking of who would be greatest in the kingdom. He calls a little child to Him and says that unless you are converted and become as little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must become humble. Children are humble. They are more humble than any other human. Arrogance will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Heaven has no place for the arrogant. This is not the pride. We are expected, it seems, to be tempted with pride. Jesus Himself was tempted by the devil after His baptism with lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. Jesus also shows us how to combat the temptation of pride. I thank my Lord and Savior for that, as I myself am very prideful.
Arrogance, though, is different. Biblical Pride is believing that you are doing what is right, what you are supposed to. The apostle Paul was prideful. He believed he was doing the will of God when he was persecuting the church. Peter was the same. He believed he was doing what was right when he jumped up and cut off the ear of Malchus. Biblical Arrogance is belief that you are never wrong. The Pharisees and the scribes were arrogant. They were hypocrites. Pride and Arrogance is not the same. There is no place in heaven for the arrogant.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him………to go ahead and drown. (My summary).
Jesus is no longer talking of a little child, an actual little child. He is talking of one of these “little ones who believe in Me”. Jesus now is talking of young (not young in age, but young in experience) disciples.
In verse 7, the NASB uses stumbling block where the NKJV uses offenses. I like the NASB here better. “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!
Jesus is speaking with exclamation. He is serious. He is not messing around. If you cause one of my young disciples to sin, you are condemned to die. You are going to be better off tying a millstone, and not a little millstone, you are going to get the HEAVY millstone, hang it around your neck, and drowned in the depth of the sea.
How does one get away from this evil one, this stumbling block? Verses 8-9, cut off your hand, or cut off your foot. Not literally. You are going to have to make an extreme change. Get a new job to get away from that evil stumbling block. It may be move from your neighborhood to get away from that evil stumbling block. It may be lose the friends you currently have, and get a total new group of friends to get away from that evil stumbling block. You will have to take drastic spiritual measures, to remove yourself from this evil stumbling block.
You may not be able to do it on your own. So then comes in the community of Jesus’ disciples, who are here for you, and you for them. You are not in this alone. We are all with One accord, in One Body and with One Spirit.
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; Romans 15:1-3
This one is not necessarily full of rainbows and sunshine, but it is a hard truth that Jesus would teach His disciples, us, so that we could practice the same according to all His teachings which He would leave us to be sure that we would observe. And, this has been on my mind the last few weeks, and thought it a good time to address it for those who the Lord would lead to it who may need it. God Bless You.
So during a busy week, don’t be a stumbling block for any of these little ones who believe in Him, but be humble, and be a strong one to help those who are in their weaknesses.
