Matthew 18:5-6

Matthew 18:5-6

And whoever receives this one child upon my name: he receives me.  But whoever should cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it is an advantage to him in order that a donkey’s millstone should be hung around his neck and he should be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As we open this passage, we hear Jesus speaking about the joy of receiving a child and helping them out.  For the most part, this is easy to do.  What self-respecting person who sees a child in need will not naturally want to help?  This is what Jesus is speaking about in this passage.  God came and loved us when we were in our greatest need and unable to do anything about it.  When we show love to others who are in a position where they are unable to do for themselves, we are showing God’s love.  God is shining through us in those moments.  In those moments when we receive those people who are receiving Christ because God is shining through us.

When in your life have you had the experience of having God shine through you?  When is it easy for you to receive people and show them the love that they need?

Second Thought:

On the other hand, Jesus gives us a very clear warning.  If instead of showing God’s love we cause people to stumble, we are in trouble.  If instead of helping people draw closer to God we are actually teaching them to sin and go further from God, then we are liable to judgment.  This is why Jesus tells us that it would be better to have a millstone hung around or neck and be drowned.  From a human perspective, death is the worst thing that any of us could have happen.  But from God’s perspective, it would be better to die and pass into God’s grace than to live and lead other people away from Him.  For that will incur His wrath.  We need to be careful when going through life.  We cannot be held responsible for the times when other people choose to sin around us.  But we can be held responsible for the times when we lead them into sin.

Have you ever intentionally led someone else into sinful behavior?  Why does this warning from Jesus actually make it more important that we learn and understand God’s definition of sinful behavior?

Third Thought:

I’d like to also look at this passage with a more symbolic understanding of the word “child.”  When Jesus speaks of a child, contextually He is speaking of the young boy before Him.  But we are all God’s children.  When a person is new in the faith, we say that they are young, spiritually immature, or a babe in the faith.  Thus, while Jesus is certainly speaking about people who cannot do for themselves, symbolically Jesus is also speaking about the young in faith.  We need to be especially mindful of the new in Christ.  We need to be careful that the new in Christ are led closer to God rather than being led into sin.  God has called all of us who are in Christ to help lead the new in Christ closer to Him.

When have you had an opportunity in the past to help lead the new in Christ closer to God?  Who are the new in Christ around you who need that influence to draw closer to God?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 18:7-9