Luke 17:1-4 1And he said to his disciples, “It is impossible for scandals not to come, but woe to through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than that he might scandalize one of these little ones.
Jesus turns his attention back to the disciples in this long teaching section that began in chapter 15. The core theme of repentance that began with the parable of the prodigal son and continued through the parables of chapter 16 now comes front and center. In case some of the disciples and Pharisees who were listening in missed the point of the stories, Jesus makes it very clear in these verses. Jesus addresses several important themes related to getting right with God.
First, he warns the disciples about temptation. Jesus uses a word from which comes scandal (skandala). This word can have different nuances but they have a negative impact on spiritual vitality. A scandal is something that gives offense and can lead to a spiritual trap or temptation. It is more than dislike or hurting one’s reputation. It can cause someone to fall into sin and depart from God’s purposes.
Everyone will face situations that entice to compromise, laziness, neglect, and following the way of the flesh. As a human, Jesus faced temptations but overcame them by trusting in his heavenly Father and looking to Scripture. As long as we live in this world, we will face many things that will draw us away from God’s will and the highway of holiness.
Jesus also gives a warning about causing temptation to come to someone else. The word but (plhn) in verse 1 strongly emphasizes what follows and that the disciples should listen carefully. The woe is described further in verse 2 with the vivid description of drowning. A millstone was used to grind grain. There were many sizes of millstones, from small ones used by a family to large ones pulled by an animal. It was a convenient metaphor for something heavy. The description is a gruesome picture of drowning into the depth of the sea. The ancient people did not know the extreme depth of the ocean off the Marianas Trench, but they knew that the sea to be deep. It only takes a foot of water to drown.
This extreme image is compared to causing a little one to sin. Being thrown into the sea is a lesser evil than causing a stumbling block for someone. To whom the little ones refers is not clear but likely means disciples (Mark 9:42). It is a serious sin to cause anyone to stumble by putting a temptation or scandal in their way. Those who have children or youth or work with them must be especially careful because they are vulnerable and easily influenced. But we can even cause adults problems by making it difficult for someone to come to Jesus. The answer is to lift up God by loving others in the way Jesus loves.
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