What does Jesus teach about stumbling and forgiveness?
Not wanting to wake my husband, I tiptoed to bed in the dark. Unbeknownst to me, our standard 84-pound poodle had rolled up the rug next to my bed. I tripped and hit the floor - hard. I don't think Max decided to drop me when he attacked the carpet. But his amusement left me with a sore back and crooked knee.
Have you ever considered that our negligent behavior can cause people to stumble on their faith? Jesus said, “Stumbling blocks are bound to come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and thrown into the sea, rather than stumbling one of these little ones ”(Luke 17: 1-2 NASB).
What is an obstacle?
Blue Letter Bible defines an obstacle as "any person or thing by which one is (trapped) in error or sin". We may not intend to cause someone to stumble in their faith, but our actions, or lack of it, can lead others to error or sin.
In Galatians, Paul confronted the apostle Peter for causing believers to stumble. His hypocrisy has also led the faithful Barnabas astray.
“When Cephas came to Antioch, I openly opposed him, because he was condemned. Because before some men came to James, he used to eat with the pagans. But when they arrived, he began to back away and separate from the pagans because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that with their hypocrisy also Barnabas was misled ”(Galatians 2: 11-13).
Like Peter, the pressure to conform or not call attention to ourselves can cause us to compromise our values of faith. We may think our actions don't matter. But our actions have an impact on others and on ourselves.
Today, we are constantly bombarded with different opinions and programs, many of which are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Bible. The pressure to conform to a world culture that is against Christ is intense.
Sometimes when I see someone publicly fighting for what is right, rather than conforming to popular opinion, I think of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the three young men who stood when everyone else knelt before an idol of gold (Daniel 3). Their resistance caused them to be thrown into a fiery furnace.
It costs us to resist the culture and defend our faith. But Jesus warned that going with the flow and being an obstacle that leads young believers to error costs more. Jesus said, "It would be better ... to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble" (Luke 17: 2).
In the furnace, Shadrac, Meshach and Abednego encountered the preincarnate Christ. Their miraculous protection attracted the attention of the pagan ruler. Not a single hair was burned! And their courage still inspires us today. Jesus rewards those who are with him, both in this life and for eternity.
Don't stumble on an offense
After telling his disciples to watch over themselves, Jesus talked about dealing with those who were wrong. Was he changing the subject? I do not think so.
“So be careful. If your brother or sister sins against you, reproach them ”(Luke 17: 3).
When a fellow believer sins against us, Jesus does not say to neglect him. He says he scolds them. Why should he say that? I believe he wants to protect us from resentment and passively becoming complicit in their sin. This also gives that brother or sister the opportunity to repent. If they are doing us wrong, they are probably wronging others as well. Blaming sin protects both. We don't want to allow sinful behavior.
Forgive them - over and over again
“And if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and come back to you seven times saying "I repent," you must forgive them "(Luke 17: 3-4).
The number seven often represents completeness. It means that we continue to forgive no matter how many times they repeat their wrong (Matthew 18: 21-22).
If someone came to me seven times in a day and said, "I repent," I wouldn't trust them. The good news is that Jesus does not say to trust them. He says to forgive them.
Forgiving means "letting go, letting be". It also means "canceling a debt". In Matthew 18: 23-35, Jesus tells the parable of a king who forgave the enormous debt of a servant against him. The forgiven servant then went out to collect minor debts from a fellow servant. When the man could not pay, the forgiven debtor threw his colleague in prison.
After being forgiven so much by his king, you would expect this man to be eager to forgive those who owed him much less. His forgiveness shocked all who saw him.
Of course, the king represents Jesus, the King of kings. We are the servant who has been forgiven much. Not forgiving a lesser sin after receiving so much grace - after all, our sin crucified the Son of God - is wicked and scary.
When the king learned of this man's unforgiveness, he handed him over to be tortured. Anyone who has harbored bitterness in their heart knows those torturers. Whenever you think of that person or the way they are wrong, you suffer.
When we refuse to forgive those who have offended us, we stumble upon their offense and others fall upon us. Forgiveness protects our hearts from bitterness. Hebrews 12:15 says bitterness can defile many. When young believers see us holding a grudge after God forgives us, we become an obstacle that can lead them to sin.
Increase our faith
The disciples responded in a very similar way to you and I: "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17: 5).
How much faith does it take to forgive a repeat offender? Not as much as you might think. Jesus tells a story to illustrate that forgiveness does not depend on the size of our faith, but on the object of our faith.
"He replied, 'If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree,' Be uprooted and planted in the sea, 'and it will obey you" (Luke 17: 6).
Perhaps he is saying that a mustard seed of faith can uproot a tree of bitterness. He continues underlining the difference between doing something because we want to and doing it because Jesus tells us.
“Suppose one of you has a servant who plows or takes care of the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he returns from the field, "Come now and sit down to eat"? Rather, he will not say: 'Prepare dinner for me, prepare yourselves and wait for me while I eat and drink; after which you can eat and drink '? Will he thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? So you too, having done all that you were told to do, should say: “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty '”(Luke 17: 6-10).
A servant carries out his responsibilities, not because he feels like it, but because it is his duty. Even when a servant returns tired and hungry from work in the field, he prepares his master's dinner before his own.
When Jesus tells us to forgive, we forgive, not because it is convenient or because we want to. We forgive because he is our master and we are his servants. We do this to please our Master.
Forgiveness is a matter of duty. We don't wait for more faith to obey. We choose to obey and He gives us the strength to let go of the wrongs we have suffered.
When we are tempted to compromise, we can remember Jesus' warning and be attentive to ourselves. Jesus said obstacles will come into the world. We can be careful not to be.