"Stepping Stones, not Stumbling Blocks"

9.30am Sunday 12 July 2009

Readings: Mark 9:42-50; James 5:13-20TNIV

The passage that was read to us from Mark this morning is one of the most solemn and challenging in the whole of his Gospel. It comes as Jesus was making his way to Jerusalem, and most probably took place while he and his disciples were still in Capernaum. In his talks with them Jesus has been making reference to "little ones" a number of times. First there was the healing of the boy possessed by an evil spirit. Next in response to the argument that the disciples' had amongst themselves as to who was the greatest, Jesus takes a little child to teach his disciples that true greatness in God's kingdom is not found in honour and success but in humble service. Jesus concluded by saying, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me..."[1] He again infers to "little ones" four verses later as in Matthew's account of the same incident: "...if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is known to be my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly be rewarded." In the passage we read this morning Jesus uses the term "little ones" again. He issues a stern warning against causing "one of these little ones" who believes in him "to stumble." The seriousness of the matter is highlighted in the punishment that awaits those guilty of doing this, death by drowning or eternal torment in hell.

A key word in this passage is the word "stumble." Wherever this word is used in the New Testament, mostly translated as 'sin' in the NIV or as 'offend' in the AV, it is always to do with a person's relationship with God. It can be used either of putting an obstacle in the way of a person coming to faith, or of causing someone who already believes to go astray, or fall away from their faith. The sombre aspect of the passage lies in the fate of those who are responsible for this happening, and this is why it is important to understand what Jesus is talking about here. To cause someone to "stumble," to put it very bluntly, is to be in league with the devil, because it is his express purpose to cause as many as he possibly can to fall away, and thus share the same horrible fate that awaits him and his demonic host as recorded in Revelation 20. He is bent on hindering and hampering your faith and mine in whatever way and by whatever means he can. He also wants to use us to trip up others. Immediately after Peter had confessed Jesus to be the Messiah, he unwittingly became a vessel for the devil when he tried to dissuade Jesus from taking the path of the cross. Jesus' stern rebuke to Peter - "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."[2] - highlights the fact that even close friends can lead us astray. Peter learned from this experience as he later wrote in his first letter: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour," and goes on to say, "Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering."[3]

What are some of the things that are stumbling blocks to the life of faith? Jesus identifies one in the above incident, that is, to be so engrossed in human concerns that you lose touch with what is of concern to God. It is very easy for this to happen as the world in which you and I live constantly bombards us with its values and priorities through all the avenues of modern media. The message it conveys is that life revolves around the pursuit of pleasure and the acquisition of material possessions. These are the important issues in life. If these become priorities for us, then others who are looking to us to set them an example may see no harm in pursuing them either and be led astray. This is why it is important as followers of Christ to regularly immerse ourselves in the Scriptures and in worshipping God so that we can discern what has eternal value and significance. We cannot gain that perspective on life apart from his word and through worshipping him. It is this that enables us to be 'in' the world but not 'of' it, and is why Jesus said, "Seek first his (God's) kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."[4] And, "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires, for they will be satisfied."[5] Keeping in mind that as Christians we are citizens of heaven enables us to hold lightly to the things that are temporary, and treasure the things that endure- things like faith, hope and love.

Mark makes reference to other things that cause people to stumble in their faith in the parable of the sower. The seed sown on rocky places represents those who, when they hear the Gospel, immediately receive it with joy, but who, because their faith is only superficial, "quickly fall away," when "trouble or persecution comes."[6] Trouble and persecution are two things that cause people to stumble in their faith, and both are to be expected if we follow Jesus. Jesus warned us about it when he said, "In this world you will have trouble" - not might, but 'will. However, he goes on to say, "But" - and it is always reassuring when you hear that word in Scripture, especially in a context such as this when Jesus has been preparing his disciples for what is ahead - "take heart!" In other words, 'be encouraged! Don't give up! Hang in there!' "I have overcome the world."[7] Trouble can cause us to "stumble" in our faith.

Persecution is another certainty in following Christ. Notice in the parable of the sower it does not say 'if' trouble or persecution comes, but "when." Matthew affirms this in his version of these words we have in Mark. He writes: "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come..."[8] Jesus does not want us to follow him under the false illusion that it will be easy. The relentless opposition he faced while here on earth right from the time of his birth when King Herod tried to kill him, did not go away when he ascended into heaven. In the next chapter of Mark Jesus warns us of this. "Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - along with persecutions - and in the age to come eternal life."[9] We must factor into our lives as Christians this reality, however unpleasant it might seem. We cannot bury our heads in the sand like the ostrich and think this possibility will go away. Paul warned Timothy about this when he wrote, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..."[10] For some persecution leads to the ultimate sacrifice, dying for Christ. For others it comes in more subtle ways, especially in a country like New Zealand where there is a reasonable degree of religious tolerance. But it will happen, and the possibility of 'falling away' or stumbling is ever present. When it comes we must always remember that trouble and persecution can never separate us from "the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." When Paul in his letter to the Romans asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" and follows it with another question, "Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" the answer is a resounding "NO!" Nothing "in all creation" can separate us from his love.[11]

Along with trouble and persecution, unbelief can cause people to "stumble" in their faith. We find the same Greek word translated as "stumble" here in Mark 9, in the account of Jesus visiting his hometown of Nazareth. The initial amazement of those who heard Jesus teach in the synagogue quickly turned to questioning. "'Where did this man get these things? What's this wisdom that has been given to him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?' And they took offence at him."[12] Their unbelief was a stumbling block to them, just as it was to the religious leaders of Israel in Jesus day, and Jesus could not do many miracles in Nazareth. A whole generation of the Israelites failed to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief. Failure to trust and obey God's words, that the Psalmist says "are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times,"[13] can cause us to lose our faith and lead others astray. Time and time again throughout the Gospels Jesus laments people's lack of faith. Earlier in this same chapter when he came across his disciples who had failed to drive the evil spirit out of the boy he said, "You unbelieving generation," or 'faithless generation,' "How long shall I put up with you?"[14] At the same time Jesus warmly commended those who did have faith, like the Syrophoenician woman whose demon-possessed daughter Jesus healed.[15] We too may "stumble" through unbelief unless we daily nurture our trust in Christ through walking in obedience to his commands.

A further way in which we can cause stumbling is through failing to let love motivate all we do. Paul uses the example of food as a case in point. He says in Romans, "...make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister."[16] While Paul was convinced that there was no food that was unclean in itself, he would refrain from eating it out of love for his brother or sister if it would cause offence to them. He said, "If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother or sister for whom Christ died... All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble."[17] Paul was willing to forego his own freedom in Christ rather than cause a brother or sister to fall. He addresses the same issue when writing to the church in Corinth, where most of the meat people bought had been first been offered to idols. He says, "...if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."[18] People will take different stands on such issues, but we must all act according to our conscience and do so in obedience to Christ's command to love one another.

One further application of this word "stumble" or "fall away" is found in Mark's account of the Last Supper. After the meal Jesus said to his disciples, "You will all fall away, ... for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered."[19] Jesus warned them about what would happen. Peter strongly protested, and said in effect, 'Never!' The others might desert Jesus, but not him. We know the outcome. As well as the fact that he did not stay close to Jesus, pride caused Peter to stumble. Pride has caused many a person's to fall. We heard about Haman last Sunday, who ended up being hung on the gallows he had prepared for his enemy, Mordecai. King Uzziah is another. The Bible tells that he did well for a time, but "...after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall."[20] With Peter and the other disciples, they could not say that Jesus had not warned them. When they arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane he said to Peter, James and John, "Stay here and keep watch." Later when he returned and found them sleeping he said, "...Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Twice more he returned to find them sleeping. When Judas and the temple guard arrived Mark tells us, "Then everyone deserted him and fled."[21] Temptation can cause us to "stumble" and "fall away." It is something we all face, and when we yield to it, we not only harm ourselves, but also others. The Scripture's promise is born out in this incident in Gethsemane. The promise is: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."[22] Twice Jesus warned Peter, James and John in the garden to "watch" but they failed to heed his warning. Like trouble, temptation will always be with us, but if we keep in mind the faithfulness of God and that he will provide a way of escape, then we need not fall or cause others to "stumble."

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Concern for the things of this world, trouble, persecution, unbelief, disobedience, pride and temptation are all things that can cause you and I to "stumble" in our faith or cause others to "fall away." What is sobering about Jesus' teaching is the punishment that awaits those who do this. First he says, "...it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea."[23] Having seen the kind of millstone Jesus is referring to on our travels last year, there can be little doubt about the fate of the person who has one of these hung around their necks. The other image Jesus uses of the punishment that awaits those who cause these little ones to stumble is no less comforting, that of being "...thrown into hell where 'their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'"[24] This quotation is found in the very last verse of Isaiah,[25] and refers to the valley of Hinnom on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It had an evil past as it was here that King Ahaz and others who followed him sacrificed their little children in the fire to the god Molech. After Josiah put an end to this, it became an unclean place where the refuse was dumped and fires burned continuously. Jesus employs this imagery to describe what happens to those who cause another to go astray. Then he speaks of cutting off one's hand, or foot, or plucking out one's eye if it "causes you to stumble."[26] We know that sometimes a part of the body has to be amputated to protect the rest of the body from infection, such as with conditions like gangrene. However, what Jesus says here is not to be taken literally. What he means is that what we do, where we go and what we look at can all cause stumbling, so we need to take care that these do not lead us away from our true goal in life found in the words of the Lord's Prayer: to see Gods' kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Therefore anything that comes between us and perfect obedience to God's will, must be rooted out of our lives. What those things are may be different for each person. When they are rooted out it can be painful like having surgery. But Jesus is saying it is worth it so that we might experience life in all its fullness, the peace that only he can give, and true happiness. No price is too high if it will avoid causing someone who believes in him to stumble.

On the back of the latest issue of Nations, the magazine of World Outreach International, is an article entitled "Kids in Crisis." It gives some of the cold hard facts and figures concerning what is happening to children in a world that only gives lip service to human rights. "Ten million children worldwide are engaged in some facet of the sex industry. Each year at least one million children, mostly girls, are forced into prostitution. In Thailand 10-12 year old girls service men in the sex industry on an average 10-15 times a day! "Why did my parents sell me?" "I want to go back to my family." "I want to die." These (and other) grim testimonies of abused children are multiplied millions of times over every year, especially in societies where children are undervalued, or seen as a means to make a profit or to satisfy adult pleasure." In the light of Jesus' words, those who engage in such activities are playing with fire, and it challenges us to support in whatever way we can the work of those seeking to help these people, especially the children, like Patricia Green and Rahab Ministries who are working with the victims of this industry.

There are other ways in which we can cause little ones to "stumble." One is simply through neglect. William Barclay relates the story "of a little girl whose mother was dead. Her father used to come home from work ... sit down ... take off his jacket ... open his paper ... light his pipe and put his feet on the mantelpiece. The little girl would come in and ask him to play with her for a (while) for she was lonely. He told her he was tired, to let him be at peace (and) to go out to the street and play. She played on the streets. The inevitable happened - she took to the streets. The years passed on and she died. Her soul arrived in heaven. Peter saw her and said to Jesus, 'Master, here's a girl who was a bad lot. I suppose we send her straight to hell?' 'No,' said Jesus gently, 'let her in. Let her in.' And then his eyes grew stern, 'But look for a man who refused to play with his little girl and sent her out to the streets - and send him to hell.'" Barclay concludes, "God is not hard on the sinner, but he will be stern to the person who makes it easier for another to sin, and whose conduct, either thoughtless or deliberate, puts a stumbling-block in the path of (another)."[27]

This is a solemn and challenging passage. What it is saying is that in God's kingdom children are priceless! To welcome one of them is to welcome Jesus himself. To cause one to go astray is to put at risk our eternal salvation. Be careful how you live.