GOD SPEAKS

He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come! ² It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Luke 17:1-4 [NASB].

There will always be those around us who bother us. It is not possible to keep away from such people. As such we cannot hate them though they hurt us, because we are children of God. We should show the love of Christ before all. But those who cause us trouble will have to face serious hardships. Such people may come to the conclusion that death is better than these difficulties. That is why Jesus said this: It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.  Just imagine if they wanting death rather than labor mean how great those hardships are.

Some people do not even have the conscience that we are objecting to others. Some people deliberately create objections while others are creating objections unknowingly. But neither of the two can escape the onslaught.

 Let’s look at some examples from the Bible: Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. ⁴ Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Daniel 6:3-4. [NSAB]. Why did they try to find fault in Daniel? Did he misbehave towards them anyway? No. They could not bear to see his superior status. They did not like or want the king to exalt Daniel. They envied Daniel. Apart from that, they wanted to embarrass Daniel. They deliberately objected Daniel. Here, stumbling blocks came through them to Daniel. According to king’s injunction, no one should make a petition to any god or man besides king for thirty days. Here they are dealing with God’s people. But God keeps doing his work himself. Woe to him through whom they come! Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they had not harmed Daniel.

But here we can see how the situation has been manipulated. The idea that they should cause a stumbling block to Daniel has wrapped up many people. Read this verse: The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones Daniel 6:24 [NASB]. Many lives had to be lost instead of one. Unrelated family members of commissioners and satraps are torn in this situation. That’s why woe to them through whom stumbling blocks comes!

Let’s see another example from the Bible. Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. ¹¹ It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; ¹² and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. ¹³ Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.” ¹⁴ It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. ¹⁵ Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. GENESIS 12:10-15.

When famine came, Abraham went to Egypt. Pharaoh’s servants took Abraham’s wife into Pharaoh’s house. Abraham did not do anything for that. Even he did not clash with the king. This may really be an objection. He remained silent.  He put his faith in God. He did not blaspheme. The king and his servants did this without their knowledge. But we can see what happened there. The hardships started in the king’s house. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife Genesis 6:17[NASB]. We can see great plagues. They are plural in number. Does not that mean they have experienced those hardships for a long time? Did not God punishing them even though they did not know it? WOE TO HIM THROUGH WHOM THEY COME! What matters here is not whether it is done knowingly or unknowingly.

But God is always on the side of His people. God did not allow Pharaoh to touch the wife of Abraham. We have seen how God delivered Abraham and his wife Sarai. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? ¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go.” Genesis 6:18 [NASB]

Therefore, if any objects or causes stumbling blocks to those who believe in Christ may have to suffer hardships in their life. They even may come to the conclusion that death is better than these difficulties. Woe to him through whom such stumbling blocks come, whether there are created deliberately or unknowingly.