Stumbling
We don't always get the answer we seek when we put questions before God.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! “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 lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire. - Matthew 18:1-9
When asked about greatness, Jesus flips the answer into a lesson in our sinful nature.
Whatever causes us to be less that whole in God's eyes, needs to be removed from our being, or we will lead ourselves into eternal death.
Stumbling. That's what Jesus calls it when we trip ourselves or others up. If we intentionally cause a child to stumble, to be led astray, Heaven help us!
But if we stumble on our own account, we should seek out the reason for our stumbling and eradicate it.
I talked to someone who came home from prison a while ago, and he told me lesson number one in staying out of trouble is to stay away from the influences that contributed to his stumbling in the past.
He had to cut off that part of him that was and still would be a problem.
Not everyone can do that.
Some of us may convince ourselves we are capable of living with and managing the causes of our problems. But we are not always strong enough.
Jesus knows we will eventually fall, so he says, cut it off and learn to live without it.
It is actually pretty good advice. It may not be easy to do, but it could be easier in the long run.
More to come...