Mat 18:6-7 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord gives a serious warning to those who shake the faith that “these little ones” have in Him and in God. By “these little ones” not the children are meant, but the followers of Him with the characteristics of children. “A cause to stumble” is anything that can shake their confidence. The seriousness of the punishment makes it clear how close the little ones are to the heart of the Lord Jesus and how far removed from His heart those are who cause such little ones to stumble. To such a terrible person fits a terrible punishment which, as a side effect, makes it impossible for him to commit such a terrible act again. Then the Lord will pronounce the “woe” to the world in which there will be many stumbling blocks. These stumbling blocks are necessary because they make it clear what there is in the world. The world is here the summary of the evil aimed at causing the little ones to stumble. The man through whom the stumbling block comes is the antichrist, the man of sin. In him the sin of the world is as it were concentrated and his only goal is to lead man away from God. This ‘woe’ is pronounced over the world and over that person. They will not escape their righteous judgment. The sharp warning with a view to the stumbling blocks is also important for the disciple. He will come into contact with it. He may just be tempted to do something, “your hand”, or go somewhere, “your foot”, because the seducer presents something beautiful to him. A sinful act or a sinful way must be avoided at all costs. Therefore, the disciple must cut off his hand or foot without pardon, that is to say, say a radical ‘no’ to the stumbling block, ‘no’ to the temptation to commit a sinful act or to walk a sinful path, whatever the cost. Saying ‘yes’ will cost infinitely more. The same goes for the eye. It is vital to keep the eye in check and not to give it the opportunity to look at something that would lead to sin. In Eve’s case, the eye was the stumbling block. The devil pointed out to her the tree from which God had forbidden man to eat. The devil managed to get Eve to look at the tree in his way and to arouse her desire to eat of it. She did not pluck out her eye, but took and ate, with all the terrible consequences of it ( ). Therefore, we must remember that the loss of what is most precious to the disciple in this life is nothing compared to the horrors of eternal fire in the other world.

‏ Matthew 18:6-7

Causes to Stumble

The Lord gives a serious warning to those who shake the faith that “these little ones” have in Him and in God. By “these little ones” not the children are meant, but the followers of Him with the characteristics of children. “A cause to stumble” is anything that can shake their confidence. The seriousness of the punishment makes it clear how close the little ones are to the heart of the Lord Jesus and how far removed from His heart those are who cause such little ones to stumble. To such a terrible person fits a terrible punishment which, as a side effect, makes it impossible for him to commit such a terrible act again.

Then the Lord will pronounce the “woe” to the world in which there will be many stumbling blocks. These stumbling blocks are necessary because they make it clear what there is in the world. The world is here the summary of the evil aimed at causing the little ones to stumble. The man through whom the stumbling block comes is the antichrist, the man of sin. In him the sin of the world is as it were concentrated and his only goal is to lead man away from God. This ‘woe’ is pronounced over the world and over that person. They will not escape their righteous judgment.

The sharp warning with a view to the stumbling blocks is also important for the disciple. He will come into contact with it. He may just be tempted to do something, “your hand”, or go somewhere, “your foot”, because the seducer presents something beautiful to him. A sinful act or a sinful way must be avoided at all costs. Therefore, the disciple must cut off his hand or foot without pardon, that is to say, say a radical ‘no’ to the stumbling block, ‘no’ to the temptation to commit a sinful act or to walk a sinful path, whatever the cost. Saying ‘yes’ will cost infinitely more.

The same goes for the eye. It is vital to keep the eye in check and not to give it the opportunity to look at something that would lead to sin. In Eve’s case, the eye was the stumbling block. The devil pointed out to her the tree from which God had forbidden man to eat. The devil managed to get Eve to look at the tree in his way and to arouse her desire to eat of it. She did not pluck out her eye, but took and ate, with all the terrible consequences of it (Gen 3:1-7). Therefore, we must remember that the loss of what is most precious to the disciple in this life is nothing compared to the horrors of eternal fire in the other world.