SCRIPTURE: Romans 14
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” [Luke 17:1-2] Apparently the Lord takes His concern for the ‘little ones’ VERY seriously. Thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around the neck??? Paul elaborates on this concern in Romans 14, reminding the Jesus-followers at Rome:
• Do not judge people about disputable matters!
• Do not look down on people who practice their faith differently!
• The Lord is the judge, we are not!
• Do our utmost not to be a stumbling block for others!
• Don’t allow our ‘freedoms’ to mislead weak or immature believers!
• Do whatever we can to lead to peace and mutual edification!
• Enjoy your freedom in Christ, but do so with excessive love for others!
Unfortunately I have heard ‘mature’ believers use this idea to keep other Christians from offending them. Hand-raising in worship is offensive to some, wearing jeans to church, shopping on Sunday, to name a few. But Jesus and Paul are speaking about offending or misleading the weak, the immature, the vulnerable – in society or in the faith. Paul assumes that there will also be instruction so that they better understand the truth.
For too long churches have been worried about not offending their own members, while offending non- and new-believers all around them. Instead we would expect the members to have the maturity not to get hung up on disputable matters, and the love to strive for peace and mutual edification. It’s not about us! Jesus was giving offence to the religious people all the time, but that was because He was more concerned about the ‘little ones’, the ones that the religious people were ignoring.
Who are the non- and new- believers that I am a stumbling block for? Who knows that I am a Christian, yet hears me swearing, sees me getting drunk, hears me grumbling, knows that I am cheating or lying or … any behaviour inconsistent with being a Jesus-follower? This will turn off non- Christians and mislead new- Christians. These are the ones that Jesus is concerned for, the ones that we as a church better take seriously, or it would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around our neck.
PRAYER:
Lord, open my eyes to see the ‘little ones’ around me that I am having an impact on. Help me to impact them for good!