Crippled in the Kingdom

Today’s reading is Matthew 18.

Jesus makes a surprising shift as we read into Matthew 18:8. In vss. 6-7, He was warning the disciples against causing someone else to stumble. In vs. 8, He warns about our own stumbling. In fact, He is so concerned about our own stumbling, He provides some of the most shocking teaching in all of the New Testament.

If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut them off and throw them away. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. It is better to enter the kingdom crippled than to keep your body whole and miss the kingdom.

On the one hand, we learn we are so valuable to God, He wants us to be in the kingdom no matter what it costs. We need to see our own eternal life as valuably as God does. Even our hands, feet, and eyes are not as important as the life God would give us in His kingdom. On the other hand, we must not simply take these statements out of the context in which Jesus said them. The specific sin we are in danger of committing in this context is being a stumbling block. Is there something that we value in our own lives more than we value the little ones who have turned to Jesus? Even if it is our own hand, we should cut it off and throw it away. Anything that would make us sin, that would make us a stumbling block needs to go. We should receive and welcome these little ones, but despise all temptations and stumbling blocks no matter how important they are to us.

The arrogant and prideful demand to keep their hands, feet, and eyes, despising these little ones. The humble become like children and care so much about others, they despise and cut off whatever will get in the way of the salvation of these little ones no matter how personally important to them. This is a tall order. But remember, all things are possible with God.

Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 18.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Why is it hard to picture being crippled in the kingdom of heaven?
3. Why is it difficult to value the salvation of other people over our rights, possessions, opportunity, time, etc.?
4. What advice would you give to help us value other people above our “hands, feet, and eyes”?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Stumbling Blocks

Today’s reading is Matthew 18.

Jesus calls a little child into the midst of His disciples as an object lesson. “If you want to be in the kingdom of heaven, you have to become humble like children.” In the verses to follow, the children and little ones He is talking about are not biological children, but those disciples who are humble like children: the least, the last, the lowly.

Jesus contrasts two approaches to these “little ones.” The humble will receive them; the proudful will despise them. That is, the humble welcome them into our lives, associating with them, walking with them on this journey. The proudful despise them, looking down on them, pushing them away, fearing their humiliation will rub off on us. Those who have turned and become like children will receive, not despise.

But in between these two extremes is a teaching about stumbling blocks. The point for us to see is God receives these least, last, and lowly. They are His. Therefore, we must not do anything to prompt them to stumble. Temptations to sin will come. There will be plenty of people, situations, scenarios that will tempt all of God’s little ones. The humble, however, work to avoid such behavior and treatment. The humble are not only concerned about their own walk with the Lord, but how their walk impacts others.

Let’s face it, at every stumbling block, these little ones are responsible to follow God. In judgment, God will not say to the little ones who fall, “It wasn’t your fault. Don’t worry about it. That person was a stumbling block.” The little ones must grow to overcome temptation. However, let us humble ourselves enough to recognize if we are the ones who present the temptation, if we are the ones who help one of these little ones to sin, we will be judged right alongside them. In judgment, God will not say to the stumbling block, “It wasn’t your fault. They were responsible. They should have simply overcome the temptation.”

Today, let us watch our step. And let us watch the step of the little ones around us. After all, aren’t we little ones we hope others will watch out for as well?

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. In what ways can Christians cause other Christians to stumble?
3. Has there been a time when a Christian was a stumbling block for you? How? How did you respond?
4. What advice would you give to help us avoid being stumbling blocks?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

Scandalous

Today’s reading is Luke 17.

We often think of sin as scandalous. However, the real scandal is not simply committing sin, but prompting someone else to sin. I am actually making a bit of a play on words here, but be aware that the word translated “temptations to sin” in the ESV (“stumbling blocks” or “offenses” in others) is the Greek “skandalon.” Our modern word for “scandal” comes from this word that meant to cause someone else to stumble. No doubt, in the modern sense of the word, when we are caught in egregious sin, that is a scandal. But be aware what is truly scandalous is when we play a part in tempting others–whether in how we talk, walk, dress, behave, where we go, making fun of people for their standards, chipping away at the resolve of others, not taking into account their weaknesses and conscious scruples. All these are truly scandalous. Let us avoid every hint of scandal and lead others to honor, glorify, and obey God.

Tomorrow’s reading is Luke 17.

Live to the Lord

Today’s reading is Romans 14.

No doubt, there are a lot of confusing things about what Paul says in Romans 14. No doubt, there are plenty of disagreements surrounding it. I can’t answer all those. But surely one thing is certain. However I live, however I behave, however I speak, however I act, however I conduct myself, it is to be unto the Lord. I have been saved by the Lord. I have bowed the knee in allegiance to my Savior and King, Jesus Christ. My choices today are not based on my tastes, preferences, likes, and dislikes. My choices today are made in order to honor Jesus, my King. Live to the Lord today, that way you can die to the Lord tomorrow. Whether in life or in death, you are the Lord’s.

Tomorrow’s reading is Romans 15.