And [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. (Luke 17:1–2, ESV)Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Σκάνδαλον, a scandal. The English just isn’t strong enough. It uses “temptations to sin” when the Greek word is “scandal”. A scandal is a trap, a snare. It is used particularly to trap a small animal, like a bird. In ancient times a scandal trap was made to look safe. An easy place to get food for shelter. The hunter would smear a glue, called bird lime, on branches where the bird perched. When it does it is stuck by its feet or feathers and can’t get free. Or a snare would loop around a foot or neck to trap it. The scandal traps the unsuspecting. Jesus says, scandals are sure to come! He’s talking about anything that lures someone into sin or shakes faith. He is blunt. You are going to have to deal with these. I always talk about how false doctrine is always dangerous. It causes “stumbling”. It is a snare. A trap. Jesus gives us warning. They will always be there, in the church. He’s talking about a careless words, moral failures, hypocrisy, and false teaching. It especially applies to pastors. The congregation is called to be on alert. False doctrine can sound convincing, but it is a stumbling block, especially when proclaimed in false authority from the pulpit, souls are in danger. When a child hears an adult Christian lie, when a pastor covers up sin, when teaching is twisted to accommodate the culture, it causes a stumbling block for people. We need to be especially vigilant. CFW Walther, the first president of the Missouri Synod, often said the sheep are to judge the shepherd. In other words, the church has a duty and responsibility to assure that what is preached is strict accordance with God’s Word. They are responsible for the voices they follow. A sermon is a life and death issue. If a pastor errors in that setting, the sheep may perish. Jesus issues fair warning. Be on alert, the scandals will come.
Causing God’s little ones scandal is serious. And although it is about children, it isn’t only children he is speaking about. He is certainly talking about children, but also those who are weak and vulnerable. Those who have already been led down the dangerous path of false doctrine. In other words, those who are easily led astray. Think about new converts, or socially insignificant members. Even those who are shaky, still learning, or have issues with their conscience. Jesus identifies with these. Whatever you do to the least of these… you did it to me. (Matt 25).
Sometimes the scandal doesn’t come from false doctrine outright, but from a pastor who forgets the purpose of preaching. The pulpit is not given for ranting against the latest actions of the government, or for pushing personal opinions, or for entertaining the people with stories and jokes. When a sermon becomes little more than a political tirade or a personal soapbox, it ceases to deliver Law and Gospel, and the sheep are left unfed. That is a stumbling block. Christ gave His Church pastors to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name — not to thunder about Washington or St. Paul. If I preach my politics instead of Christ crucified, I lay a snare in front of the little ones. And Jesus’ warning is clear: woe to the one by whom such scandals come.
And it isn’t just pastors. And how easily scandals come! Think of the member who gossips about others, leaving the new believer confused about whether love really rules in Christ’s church. Think of the long-time Christian who treats worship casually, teaching by example that the gifts of Word and Sacrament are optional. Think of the parent who mocks the pastor’s sermon at the dinner table, undermining the faith of a child. Think of the church leader who excuses sin or teaches something contrary to God’s Word, and others follow him into error. All of these become stumbling blocks, snares to the “little ones” for whom Christ died.
Woe! (οὐαί). Small word strong consequences. It expresses deep sorrow and grief. It isn’t only a threat, but also a lament. And then he describes the least of the consequences.
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. (v2)The millstone is a large one. A “donkey-millstone”. It was enormous, pushed by animals to grind the wheat. Not some small handheld millstone. If you were thrown into the water with a huge donkey-millstone around your neck you would have no hope of being saved. And the word sin is, you guessed it, causing a scandal, a stumbling block, for the little ones. The causing of a stumbling block for the little ones is sin that is not small matter. The drowning with a donkey-millstone is the just punishment.
But Woe! isn’t when Jesus says woe! it isn’t a gleeful threat but a sorrowful cry. The prophet make this clear.
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? (Ezekiel 18:23, ESV)God’s justice demands punishment for sin. But he delights in showing mercy. Punishment is God’s “strange work” (opus alienum). Mercy is his “proper work” (opus proprium). The cross is the proof of that. He sent Jesus to suffer the punishment of sin for all people. He even punished his own son, to avoid punishing sinful people.
But the shocking this isn’t that preachers cause scandal, through hypocrisy, or false teaching, or moral failure. The greatest scandal is Jesus himself, on the cross. St. Paul says We preach Christ crucified, a scandal to the Jews and folly to the Greeks (1 Cor 1:23). It looks like failure and defeat to the whole world. But the bloody death of God on the cross is the trap, the scandal that traps the devil. Jesus walks into the scandal of the cross. He allowed himself to be mocked and beaten, condemned and cursed. He bore every useless word, every false doctrine, every pastoral failure, every stumbling block. He did it so that none of his little ones would be lost.
The cross is the ultimate millstone. It is judgment, drowning and death, not for you, but for another, in our place. He became the least, the smallest, the weakest, the most despised. He did it to redeem the least, the smallest, the weakest, the most despised. You and me, are those for whom he died. His death shows us just how precious every single one of us is.
but [Jesus] emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:7–8, ESV)He became a servant, in the eyes of the world, the least of all. He humbled himself to take on your sin and death, and rose again to bring you, the least, new life. The scandal that destroys faith is real — but the scandal that saves faith is greater. Christ crucified.
And just as scandals can harm the little ones, the love of Christ seen in a congregation does the opposite. A kind word of encouragement to another member that builds them up. A parent who takes the time to explain the sermon to a young one. A member who visits the member who temporarily can’t attend worship bringing companionship and comfort. These are examples of faith that strengthen instead of scandalizing.
Remember that you are connected to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus reverses everything through the cross. He carried it into the depths and left it buried there. What dragged us down now lifts us up. What meant our death has become our life. What was judgment has become salvation.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3–4, ESV)So, lift up your heads, you who were once little ones. The scandal of the cross is your safety. The drowning is already done; you have died with Christ. The resurrection has already happened; you have been raised with him also. You are his—redeemed, forgiven and raised to walk in newness of life. The millstone is gone. The scandal is buried. The cross has triumphed. You belong to Jesus. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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