Matthew 18:6-10
Mat 18:6 (KJB)
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were
better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were
drowned in the depth of the sea.
Many times the pro-life movement will use this verse as a teaching against
abortion but that is not what is in view here. When Jesus uses the term “little
children” or “little ones” it is speaking about all those who believe in Him.
(Mat 10:42 KJV) And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little
ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you,
he shall in no wise lose his reward. In the book of John the term is also
used. (John 13:33 KJV) Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye
shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now
I say to you. It means every believer will eventually be vindicated if they
have suffered persecution. Jesus is stating that those who offend which means
“to cause to stumble” will be judged and sent to the lake of fire. This is why
Jesus is stating that it is better that a millstone be hung around the neck.
Millstones were very heavy and that would mean if it was tied around someone’s
neck, there would be no way they could ever come to the surface. Then Jesus
states that they should be drowned in the depths of the sea, which means the
deepest parts. Jesus is not mincing words here because He takes it very
seriously when someone not only persecutes a Christian but even if they cause
them to stumble or cause them to drift from the path of truth.
Mat 18:7 (KJB)
Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come;
but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Offence - Stumbling Block, snare, or scandal
Then Jesus pronounces a woe upon the world for the same offences. Those offences
are such as temptations to sin, false beliefs, apostasy, and anything else which
may cause someone to stumble in their Christian walk or which prevents the true
gospel from being preached. Jesus also states that because of the sinful nature
of this world, these offences are inevitable and will happen. The woe means that
eventually the world will come under judgment as a whole because it is slated to
be burned up but then Jesus also states a woe on the person who is responsible
for causing Christians to stumble or from preventing the preaching of the
Gospel. That person will appear before the White Throne Judgment Seat of Christ
and will be judged for their hatred of the Gospel.
Mat 18:8 (KJB)
Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from
thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than
having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Jesus then makes an illustration which should definitely not be taken literally
because that would be mutilating the body God gave us. The point that Jesus is
making here is the hand and foot both represent action or behavior. He is
pinpointing that if there is some type of habit in your life which may cause you
to stumble, then you need to expunge that habit as if you were actually cutting
off your foot or hand. It is called radical surgery because it will save the
life of the person. In this case, if a sinful habit is keeping you from seeking
the Lord, then once that habit is out of your life, you will have a clearer path
to seek the Lord. It is a question of your attitude toward the things of the
Lord. If you desire to keep on with your habitual sin, then you will be cast
full bodied into the lake of fire. Jesus is stating that as one loses his hand
or foot, if you lose the bad habit you may seem to the world as maimed because
you do not want to run with them anymore. (1 Pet 4:3-4 KJV) For the time
past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when
we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries: {4} Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with
them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Losing the bad habit
without salvation in Christ will wind you up in the same place as all sinners
but if you have stopped sinning because you have become saved, then you have
passed from death to life.
Mat 18:9 (KJB)
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better
for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast
into hell fire.
The eye is the receptor and is the first cause of sin in a person’s life. A
person can easily see sinful things around them but if they continue to gaze
upon them, then those sightings will turn into desires and that is when we
engage the hands and the feet. Jesus makes the same observation that just as a
person plucks out their eye and can no longer see, then we must be blind to the
things which will cause us to stumble. When we are in the supermarket line and
there are magazines with scantily dressed people looking at us, we must turn
away and refuse to look. If one has a problem in that area, they might even want
to stay away from the shore because bathing suits aren’t suits anymore.
Basically what Jesus is teaching is that we must give up what comes between us
and our obedient Christian walk.
Mat 18:10 (KJB)
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That
in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in
heaven.
(Psa 91:11 KJV) For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee
in all thy ways. Believers have angels assigned to them to carry out the
Father’s wishes and to protect the believers. Since the believers are children
of God, those angels which are assigned to protect them have direct access to
the throne of God the Father and because of that the warning goes out that one
must be careful that they do not hate any of the Christians. That is because an
inner hatred will always lead to physical actions. We see this in countries
where Islam prevails as there adherents persecute and kill Christians.