PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 18:1-9

What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?

“If anyone causes one of these little ones — those who believe in me — to stumble…” (Matthew 18:6)
I recently watched a YouTube channel that exposed adults luring young teens for sex.
It was disgusting to watch, to see these men who could do that to teens.
The police warn against this practice, that it can be dangerous.
But the disgust that this raises reflects the disgust of Jesus in these verses.
God is very, very angry about those who use and abuse the weak for personal pleasure.
It is in light of THIS that Jesus speaks about the millstone around the neck.
The Greek word behind ‘to stumble’ is literally ‘to be trapped’ like animals.
Let no one say that God is soft on sin, or that His forgiveness is cheap.
Jesus’s own horrible death symbolizes the horror of all sins of victimization.
Here He is speaking to His own disciples, warning them against abuse.
Following Jesus requires that we repent, that we hate abuse of any kind.
By His Spirit He is gently exposing our abusive, hurtful ways and words.
We have no excuse, having seen the horror of His own death for these ‘little ones’.
He will deal harshly with followers who abuse and misuse His beloved sheep.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to understand the gravity of sin, how hurtful it is to others. Help me to see that grace is not cheap, and repentance is not trivial.