Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Jesus Christ » History of » Teaches his disciples concerning offenses, meekness, and humility (in peraea)
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that occasions which cause people to be led astray [from God] will come, but it is too bad for that person who is responsible for it happening. It would be good [i.e., better] for him to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a huge, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle], rather than having him cause one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] to be led astray [from God]. Pay attention to yourselves! "If your brother sins, rebuke him [i.e., show him where he is wrong in hope of effecting a change]; and if he repents [i.e., changes his heart and life], forgive him. read more.
And if he sins against you seven times a day and [then] comes to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you should forgive him." Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith." And the Lord said, "If you had faith as [small as] a mustard tree seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and replanted in the ocean,' and it would obey you. "But which of you, whose slave is plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come and sit right down to eat'? Would you not say to him instead, 'Prepare the food for my meal [first] and get ready to serve me until I have had enough to eat and drink and [then] afterward you can eat and drink [yourself]'? Would he thank his slave for doing the things that he was ordered to do? So, you too, after you have done everything you were told to, should say, 'We are unworthy slaves. We have done [only] what we were supposed to do.'"
And if he sins against you seven times a day and [then] comes to you seven times and says, 'I repent,' you should forgive him." Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith." And the Lord said, "If you had faith as [small as] a mustard tree seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and replanted in the ocean,' and it would obey you. "But which of you, whose slave is plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, 'Come and sit right down to eat'? Would you not say to him instead, 'Prepare the food for my meal [first] and get ready to serve me until I have had enough to eat and drink and [then] afterward you can eat and drink [yourself]'? Would he thank his slave for doing the things that he was ordered to do? So, you too, after you have done everything you were told to, should say, 'We are unworthy slaves. We have done [only] what we were supposed to do.'"
Offense » Those that offend people who believe in Christ
At that very time His disciples came to Jesus, asking, "Who then is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?" So, He called to Him a little child and placed him in front of them, and said, "Truly I tell you, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven unless you turn [your life around] and become like little children [i.e., having child-like humility]. read more.
Therefore, the person who will humble himself, as this little child, is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven. And the person who welcomes one little child like this, in my name [i.e., because he belongs to me], welcomes me [also]. But that person who causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and dumped into a deep ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a heavy circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle].
Therefore, the person who will humble himself, as this little child, is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven. And the person who welcomes one little child like this, in my name [i.e., because he belongs to me], welcomes me [also]. But that person who causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and dumped into a deep ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a heavy circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle].
[Then] John [the apostle] said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out evil spirits by using your name, so we told him to stop doing it, because he was not following [You] with us." But Jesus said, "Do not try to stop him, for there is not anyone who performs a supernatural deed using my name who will be able to quickly say something bad about me. For the person who is not against us is for us. read more.
Truly I tell you, whoever will give you [even] a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his [temporal or eternal] reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord. See Matt. 18:6] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and thrown into the ocean [Note: This was a heavy, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it, and moved by an animal walking in a circle].
Truly I tell you, whoever will give you [even] a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his [temporal or eternal] reward. And whoever causes one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord. See Matt. 18:6] who believes in me to be led astray [from God], he would have been better off to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and thrown into the ocean [Note: This was a heavy, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it, and moved by an animal walking in a circle].
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that occasions which cause people to be led astray [from God] will come, but it is too bad for that person who is responsible for it happening. It would be good [i.e., better] for him to have had a huge millstone tied around his neck and be thrown into the ocean [Note: This "millstone" was a huge, circular stone rolled over grain to crush it and was moved by an animal walking in a circle], rather than having him cause one of these little ones [i.e., humble followers of the Lord] to be led astray [from God].