Dear Explorer,
Read Mark 9:38-41
And
Read Luke 9:49-50
The disciples were guilty of feeling that their group was superior to others who were also following Jesus' teachings. You will be tempted to feel that certain churches or groups or denominations are “wrong”. Be careful and make sure your beliefs are grounded in truth and not pride.
Read Matthew 18:6
And
Read Mark 9:42
And
Read Luke 17:1-2
Now who are the “little ones” that Jesus is talking about?
I believe He is referring to people who have recently decided to follow Jesus or who, for some reason are still immature in their faith. He calls them little ones (which is a term of endearment) and He clearly states that they believe in Him.
What does He mean “to stumble”?
Stumbling could refer to all kinds of spiritual questions or problems. Some typical stumbles for a new follower of Jesus include doubting whether the Holy Spirit did indeed come into their lives, doubting that they will be able to hear His directions, or questioning whether they will be able to be obedient. It's also not unusual for a follower to go through periods of questioning God's character – they might wonder whether He is indeed good, fair, always right, powerful enough to meet their needs, etc.
For your information, a mill stone was a very large, heavy stone used as the platform on which grain was smashed into meal or flour. Jesus is using very graphic language for what purpose?
To make us realize the seriousness of our behavior and the impact it can have on fellow followers – especially the little ones.
Several years ago, we were in a church where the pastor chose to engage in sexual activity outside of marriage. He was, of course, removed from his pastorate and that's between him and his wife and God. But as part of the ministry team, we were amazed at the number of people who not only quit the church, but also quit wanting anything to do with God. They were so hurt that their pastor would do such a thing – and rightfully so! I saw first-hand the damage that one man's sin could do to the “little ones”. During that time, I did as much research as I could on how to help these “little ones”. One statistic I read still breaks my heart. It stated that when a person gets hurt by a church, on average, it takes 10 years before they will return or give it another try. Why so long? Because we do not expect spiritual hurts from a church. We expect it to be the last place where we would get hurt. But it happens!
I know of little ones (new followers of Jesus) who quit attending church because there were not enough seats to sit down when they entered the room – and no one offered to make room for them. I know young followers who quit attending church because someone commented about the way they were dressed. I know young followers who quit attending church because no one said hello to them.
Read Matthew 18:7
We are not responsible for other people's decisions, but Jesus says, “Woe unto you – if you are the cause of it!”
This statement by Jesus sounded very strange to the people of His day. In Jesus' day, everyone lived by “survival of the fittest”.
Have you ever played “King of the Mountain?” It's a kids' playground game. You find a large rock or a pile of something and someone yells “King of the Mountain”. Then everyone begins to fight and jostle to see who can get to the top and knock everyone else off. My brothers and I loved to play it. The goal was to be the only one at the top with everyone else lower.
In today's world, you have probably been taught to watch out for the little ones – or the weaker ones – or the younger ones. But in Jesus' day, if you were weak or small or young or sick – you just got pushed off the mountain or at least further down the slope. In many of those societies, food was scarce and the survival of the fittest was the rule.
Jesus turned the world upside down by His teachings. Jesus says It shouldn't be a “cut-throat” or “dog-eat-dog” world. He says we should be careful around those who are weak – physically, mentally or spiritually.
This was a strange new teaching and the people were fascinated by it. The Pharisees not so much. Why?
They liked catering to the rich and famous – not so much to the weak, poor, and sick.
What could you do to make your church or group more welcoming to “little ones”?
Did you know that God is more interested in your helping others to follow Jesus than He is in your learning Greek or Hebrew in order to go deeper in your Bible study! Jesus' constant focus was on reaching others for Himself and then teaching the little ones how to follow Him.
Be careful that you don't fall into the common trap of becoming a fat follower. A fat follower is one who loves Bible study – but never applies it or lives it out and certainly doesn't share it with anyone. Like the Pharisees, they crave new ideas and insight and new ways of seeing the Bible. They want music that emotionally stimulates them and makes them feel close to God. And they keep getting fatter and fatter without ever sharing with anyone. They love the fellowship – but don't want outsiders to come in.
Contrast that to a F.A.T. Follower. A F.A.T. Follower is Faithful and obedient, Available for God's Use, and Teachable. I've made my commitment to be a F.A.T. Follower. How about you?
In His service, dale
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