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Luke 17: 1 Jesus said to his disciples:
“Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person
through whom they come.” (NIV)
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Sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming.* |
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Nothing forcibly
causes us to sin; we sin when we choose to give in to temptation (James
1: 14, 15). A better translation of today's verse would be, “It is impossible that no offenses should come.”
According to a reliable source, the Greek word σκάνδαλα (skandala) comes from the word for a
stick that springs a trap or sets the bait. It could also be used in reference
to a stumbling block – something you might trip over.* Interestingly, it is the same word Paul used in I Corinthians 1: 23 when he
wrote that preaching Christ crucified was a stumbling block to Jews.
So Jesus issues a warning about
the inevitability of stumbling blocks, but his message for those who set the traps
sounds more like a threat. We might think that we are in no danger of committing
such an offense – we would never lead
anyone
Jesus said it would be better to be thrown into the sea with
a weight around your neck than to cause another to sin. “So watch yourselves,”
he says. Protect yourself from becoming a danger to others and bringing a curse
down upon yourself. Know the truth so that your doctrine is true. Pray that the
Holy Spirit will direct your words and actions. And finally, heed the words of
John: “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in
him to make him stumble.” (I John 2: 10)
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The tempter sometimes speaks to us in the voice of a well-meaning friend.* |
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