LUKE 17 – DUTY, THANKFULNESS AND THE KINGDOM
1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.
A. Forgiveness, faith and duty.
- (1-2) The danger of stumbling another.
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.”
a. Then He said to the disciples: Jesus, through the account of Lazarus and the rich man, has made it clear that eternity is for real, and no one from beyond will come back to warn us. It is all the more imperative how we live and show Jesus to others on this side of eternity, because right now counts forever.
b. It is impossible: It is inevitable that people be offended, but woe to the person through whom those offenses come. It is important to understand what Jesus meant when He spoke of offenses.
i. The ancient Greek word used here for offenses is skandalon, and it comes from the word for a bent-stick – the stick that springs the trap or sets the bait. It also was used for a stumbling block, something that people trip over.
ii. In the Bible sometimes a skandalon is good – such as the way that people “trip” over Jesus, and are offended at the gospel (Romans 9:33, 1 Corinthians 1:23, Galatians 5:11).
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