Chapter 73
WOE TO THE STUMBLING BLOCKS
Matthew 18:6-7
Before we begin our study let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Please Lord God open our eyes, ears and heart so we can truly see, hear and receive the warning You are giving us. Please search our hearts and root out all those thoughts and attitudes that may ultimately cause Your children to stumble and fall into sin. As you do this, we pray and ask that You would please forgive us for any time when we may be have been a stumbling block or hindrance to those who are Yours.
Amen.
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading the following instruction Jesus gave to His disciples with respect to little children. To do this we go to,
[1] At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” [2] Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, [3] and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. [4] Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5] Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. [6] “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. [7] Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”
In Chapter 72 we covered verses 1-4 concerning the significance of Jesus’ instruction for us to come to Him as a little child. In this chapter, we will expand upon the following Scriptures,
Matthew 18:6-7
[6] “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. [7] Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”
Considering the seriousness of being a stumbling block, the question arises as to: “How can I be a stumbling block that would cause a little one to sin?” To address this question we will consider the following two major categories of children:
I. The natural children. – These are those who are young in their physical life, such as young children who have not yet reached the age of adulthood.
II. The spiritual children. – These are those who are young in their spiritual life, such as a new or young born-again Christian who has not yet become mature in their faith in Jesus Christ.
With the above introduction in mind, let us first address,
THE NATURAL CHILDREN
To do this we will explore the following four questions:
1. Do we teach them about God and His Word?
2. Do we discipline them?
3. Do we provide for their needs?
4. Do we pray and intercede for them?
We begin by addressing the following question.
DO WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN ABOUT GOD AND HIS WORD?
First of all, do we teach them by our,
Reading and instruction
It is important for us to remember that our Lord commanded us to teach our children about Him and His Word. To see this, we go to the Old Testament and read from,
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! [5] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. [6] And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Some might say or think that the Gospel and the things of God are too difficult for the children to understand. Before we accept this thought let us consider the following prayer Jesus said to God the Father. Jesus said this after He was rejected by His generation. His prayer is recorded in,
Matthew 11:25-26
[25] At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. [26] Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”
To emphasize the importance of teaching our children about God and His ways let us now read the following,
Psalm 78:1-7
[1] Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. [2] I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, [3] Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. [4] We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. [5] For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; [6] That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, [7] That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments.
In addition to reading and instructing our children about God and His Word, we are also to bear witness to the truth of our teaching by,
Our example
To help us better appreciate and understand the importance of our behavior and actions, let us read the following exhortation. As we read this exhortation it is noted that its instruction is just as valid for the Christian as it was for the Jew. With this in mind let us now read from,
Romans 2:17-24
[17] Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, [18] and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, [19] and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, [20] an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. [21] You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?
In considering verse 21 one might conclude that since they never robbed a bank or stole property from another person, this verse does not apply to them. However, before we move on let us examine our hearts in more depth. For example: “Have I ever cheated on my income tax returns?” Or “Do I attempt to correct a sales person when they inadvertently charged a lower than actual price for an item?” It would be bad enough if I did these types of things; but, it is far worse if did it or bragged about it in front of my children.
Let us now move on to,
Romans 2:22a
[22a] You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery?
Before we address this question of adultery, let us recall how Jesus defined adultery. To do this let us read from,
Matthew 5:27-28
[27] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ [28] But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
It would be bad enough if this was done in secret. However, it is far worse if, in front of my children, I also make some inappropriate comment.
Let us now read,
Romans 2:22b
[22] … You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
For the Christian, the application here would be if I refuse to help a born-again believer, who is a temple of God, with help that they need; or, if I overcharge them for a service or item that they purchased from me.
The above are just some examples of how our sinful behavior in front of our natural and even the spiritual children could nullify the truth of our instruction to them about God and His Word. Thus, I would be a stumbling block and be a cause for them to fall away from faith in Jesus Christ. To see this let us complete this exhortation by reading from,
Romans 2:23-24
[23] You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? [24] For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
The second question to be addressed is,
DO WE DISCIPLINE OUR CHILDREN?
To see the importance o f discipline, let us consider the following proverb,
Proverbs 3:11-12
[11] My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; [12] For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
To expand upon this, let us prayerfully read the following proverb:
Proverbs 13:24
[24] He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
Before we leave this particular topic it must be noted that our discipline must not be administered in a hateful or malicious manner. Instead, our discipline should be administered with the intent to help and encourage the child in their relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. To see this let us prayerfully consider the following command in,
Ephesians 6:4
[4] And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
The third question to be addressed is,
DO WE PROVIDE FOR OUR CHILDREN’S NEEDS?
As one considers this question, we realize this pertains to both the physical and emotional needs of our children. With this in mind we begin with,
Our children’s physical needs
To see this, let us first consider two Scriptures that illustrate this principle. To do this we begin by reading from,
2 Corinthians 12:14-15
[14] Now for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. [15] And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
In this verse we find that Paul considers himself as the spiritual father of the Corinthian born-again believers. This is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 4:14-16
[14] I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. [15] For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. [16] Therefore I urge you, imitate me.
Thus, Paul, as we read in 2 Corinthians, told the Corinthian church he was not coming to them for financial or some other physical assistance. Instead, Paul told them, as a parent, he was coming to spend whatever it took to save their souls.
The second Scripture teaches us that if we do not provide for the physical needs of our family, we are in a worse state or condition than an unbeliever. To see this let us read from,
1 Timothy 5:8
[8] But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
The second aspect of providing the needs of our children concerns itself with their,
Emotional needs
To see this let us reread the Scripture that teaches us to not provoke our children to anger. To do this we go to,
Ephesians 6:4
[4] And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Another way to see this concern is by reading the following,
Colossians 3:21
[21] Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
The fourth question for this portion of our study is,
DO WE PRAY AND INTERCEDE FOR OUR CHILDREN?
A great example and role model for us with respect to praying for our children would be Job. To see this let us read from,
Job 1:1-5
[1] There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. [2] And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. [3] Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. [4] And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. [5] So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
SUMMARY
Perhaps the best way to summarize this portion of our study is to ask the following question: “Are we doing all we can, in word and deed, to raise up and encourage our children to be true and faithful disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?”
The second portion of this study concerns itself with,
THE SPIRITUAL CHILDREN
These are new born-again believers who are still young in their new spiritual life. Thus, these new or recent born-again Christians have not yet matured in their faith in Jesus Christ. The specific question to be addressed is,
To address this question we begin by reading about the issue, during the early New Testament days, of eating foods that were offered to idols. To do this we begin by reading from,
[1] Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. [2] And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Knowledge has the tendency to make a person think he or she is superior to others, that is puffed up. Whereas, a person who loves others will tend to help, encourage or strengthen them.
2 … In other words, the more we think we know something the more we should come to realize how much we really do not know.
We now go to,
[3] But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. [4] Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. [5] For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), [6] yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. [7] However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. [8] But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … This truth is worth repeating: “If we love God then we are known by Him.”
6a … There is only one God the Father from whom are all things. In other words, all things are from God. He created them and we are here for Him.
6b … There is only one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things came into being. It is through Jesus Christ that we live.
7 … However, not everyone has this knowledge. In the days under which this letter was written some Christians, who were weak in their faith, believed if they ate food which was offered to an idol, it would defile them.
8 … We know that the food we eat can neither commend us nor defile us. We know this because Jesus taught that nothing that physically enters a man from the outside can defile him. It is only those things that come from within a man that defiles him. To refresh our memories of this truth let us read from,
[14] When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: [15] There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. [16] If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” [17] When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. [18] So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, [19] because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
In other words, Jesus declared all foods to be clean.
Let us now finish reading what Jesus said on this topic as recorded in,
[20] And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. [21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, [22] thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. [23] All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
We now return to 1 Corinthians and read from,
1 Corinthians 8:9
[9] But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
This raises the question; “If all foods are clean and do not defile a person, how could a person eating food sacrificed to an idol be a stumbling block for someone weak in faith?” The answer is recorded in,
[23] But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
To expand upon this a little bit more let us move on to,
[10] For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? [11] And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? [12] But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
“Is our Lord only concerned about the eating of meat?” To address this question we will briefly consider the following two additional areas of concern:
The first additional area of concern could be,
The drinking of wine or other alcoholic beverage
For some Christians to drink wine or another alcoholic beverage is sinful. However, the Scripture does not support this belief. To see this we go to Paul’s list of qualifications that must be met for a person to be considered for the position of a bishop or elder. The Scripture of interest is,
1 Timothy 3:3a
[3a] not given to wine, …
It is noted that the word “given” as used in the above Scripture implies becoming drunk with wine. To see this let us read from,
Ephesians 5:18
[18] And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
To see that drinking wine is not sinful, let us read what Jesus did during the wedding feast in Cana. To read what occurred we go to,
John 2:1-10
[1] On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. [2] Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. [3] And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” [4] Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” [5] His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” [6] Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. [7] Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. [8] And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. [9] When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. [10] And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
Thus, the Bible teaches us that the issue with wine or any other alcoholic drink is not about drinking it, but is about becoming drunk or becoming addicted to it.
To summarize the above areas of concern, which are the eating of meat and the drinking of wine or any other alcoholic drink, let us read the following:
Romans 14:14-23
[14] I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. [15] Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. [16] Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; [17] for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18] For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. [19] Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. [20] Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. [21] It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. [22] Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. [23] But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
The second additional area of concern could be,
The observance of special days or holidays
For some Christians to not observe special days for religious holidays or feasts, is sinful. However, as it is with meat and wine or alcoholic beverages, the New Testament Scripture does not support this belief.
To see this, let us read the following excerpt from Paul’s instruction to the Gentile (non-Jewish) born-again Christians who were being chastised for not observing the various Old Testament festivals and feasts. The Scripture of interest is in,
Colossians 2:16-17
[16] So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, [17] which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Thus, for the born-again believers in Jesus Christ, it is not necessary to observe these days for the salvation of their souls. The reason for this is because the salvation from our sins is dependent upon our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our salvation does not come from observing special activities that were intended to point us to our Lord and Savior. Consider the following,
Colossians 2:23
[23] These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
However, this liberty we now have in Jesus Christ could be a stumbling block to those who have not yet matured in their faith. Thus, to not be a stumbling block for the weaker Christian there may be times when we should observe a special day or attend a special religious ceremony. To illustrate this point, let us read about the time when the Apostle Paul, with four Jewish men, participated in a Jewish purification ceremony. To do this let us go to,
Acts 21:17-22
[17] And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. [18] On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. [19] When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. [20] And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; [21] but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. [22] What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come.
Let us notice the following verses,
20 … At this point in time of Paul’s ministry there were large numbers of Jews who became believers in Jesus Christ. However, they were still very enthusiastic and adamant about keeping and adhering to the ceremonial laws of Moses.
21 … The Apostle James, along with the Christian elders in Jerusalem, informed Paul that these new Jewish born-again believers have heard that he was teaching the Jewish people it was no longer necessary for them to obey the ceremonial laws of Moses.
To read what the elders told Paul to do so that his freedom in Christ would not be a stumbling block, we go to,
Acts 21:23-26
[23] “Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. [24] Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. [25] But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” [26] Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce the expiration of the days of purification, at which time an offering should be made for each one of them.
Let us notice the following verses,
23-24 … James along with the elders, told Paul to go with four men, who had taken a vow, for the Jewish ceremony of purification. By doing this Paul would then demonstrate, by his actions, that even though he did not believe that the ceremonies of Moses were necessary for salvation, he still respected them and did not consider unlawful.
25 … Other than the eating of food offered to idols and ingesting blood, which could be a stumbling block, James and the elders concurred with Paul’s teaching that these ceremonial laws of Moses were not necessary for their salvation.
26 … Thus, to not be a stumbling block to the Jewish believer’s faith in Jesus Christ, Paul participated in the ceremony of purification.
SUMMARY
Perhaps the best way to summarize this portion of our study with respect to the concern of becoming a stumbling block to the spiritual children would be to read the attitude the Apostle Paul had towards others. To do this we go to,
1 Corinthians 10:32-33
[32] Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, [33] just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
Thus, Paul’s admonition to us is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 11:1
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
CLOSING
In reflecting upon this entire study one comes to the realization that the whole key to not becoming a stumbling block that could cause the natural and spiritual children to sin is love. To see this let us close our study by reading the following portion of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a
[1] Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. [2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [3] And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. [4] Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; [5] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; [6] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; [7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8] Love never fails …
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen