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INTRODUCTION: We went to visit our son, Luke, in Vermont. We did some hikes and the one thing that you cannot do is to follow someone just because they are in front of you. I was behind a group of young people and they turned to the right and I immediately noticed the trail blaze was blue and our trail blaze was white. That’s NOT the right way!
Pay attention to the blaze colors. We were hiking down from Pinnacle Summit and the trail turned right, Jeri said, “I would have stayed straight”. You have to follow your trail color and stay on the path unless you want to make your hike a lot longer!
Our trail is the word of God. Stick to the path knowing that the path ends with standing before God and that’s one of life’s certainties.
READ: Mark 9:42f
CHALLENGE: Understand Life’s Certainties
Vv. 42-50 – “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] [b] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
How can we live right if we don’t live in light of the end of life? Including end goal of your actions? In other words, if you were continue down this road, where would it end up? If it’s nowhere good, get off that road! You have to consider where you’re heading.
A certainty in life is that none of us are here forever, then what?
YOU’RE ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR OWN ACTION
- Don’t Cause People to Stumble
Specifically mentioned are the young. Perhaps this would be new believers. Regardless, it’s noted that these are those with their faith in Jesus Christ. The possibility exists that one’s actions or words could cause a person to trip up in life.
The word, “stumble”, is used repeatedly in this passage so we need to understand it. It’s the Greek word, “skandalos”. It referred to a trap, snare, or a stick in a trap that springs when touched. Many of us have trapped animals and you’re typically not setting a trap as a favor to the critter. You either want to get rid of it or capture it or destroy it.
Trapping an animal requires bait. I remember that we lost a cat to someone’s trap. I was aggravated because they baited the trap and our cat would have never left the yard if they had not put something super tasty smelling in there. It came home wearing the trap and there was so much damage, we had to put it down.
To cause someone to stumble would be like baiting a trap. Your actions or words are the bait that ensnares them in something. The word also means “to cause to stumble morally, to cause to falter or err”. You would be causing someone to walk away from the faith or be lured into sin or believe in a false doctrine.
If your game is to get someone to quit following Jesus, or to lure them into sin, or to have them swallow lies, you’re causing them to stumble.
Jesus said that you’d be better off dead than to do that. You would be better off with a mill stone hung around your neck and to be tossed into the sea. These mill stones were huge. A donkey would pull it around and it had a hole in it for pouring the grain to be ground. The thought is that you’d be wearing it over your head and thrown into the sea.
I would not want even a little millstone tied to my neck as I was tossed off a boat into Lake Erie. That sounds awful. But as terrible as it is, you’d be better off if that happened to you, than if you caused someone to stumble. Because what God will do to you is far worse!
We learn here that causing people to sin comes with consequences.
Illustration:
To behave in a way that causes someone to sin is a disaster! So how might you cause someone to lose faith or to stumble into sin?
So often sins are selfish behaviors. It’s deeper than selfishness, but it’s a desire to gratify some lust of my flesh or to gain pleasure by doing the wrong thing. And often this impacts others. I can’t think of sins that don’t hurt others. Some obvious choices would be trafficking women, dealing in drugs, seduction, pornography, and asking people to lie for you. Go pick out your mill stone!
Let’s consider being angry and breaking things. You have an emotion and feel a certain way. Now you want to give into that emotion and rage a bit. Now let’s say that there are people around and perhaps a beloved family member who is hurt by your anger. Perhaps they don’t want to follow Jesus Christ because of that. Or a child picks up on your patterns. It’s more than just a problem for you, you’re actually causing them to stumble into sin by setting a terrible example.
What if we were to cause someone to quit on their God given ability. People say a lot of things and perhaps unnecessary things. We can say unkind things that discourage people from using their talents in church.
Coaxing people into immorality or even drinking is dangerous for you and for them. Be careful of the example you set. Sometimes stumbling happens because people were watching you. I’d much rather be a person who sets a great example for how you should be around your family or serve.
I think of the example my father and mother set. They stayed married. My parents served in church. We serve because they served. My dad was not perfect at all. However, his boys stuck to the faith.
If I were to cause someone to stumble, including my children, I’m responsible for that. I’m responsible for how I influence other people. And perhaps you can look at what others are doing and gauge that as to your impact. Are people serving God more or less because of your example.
I want to be clear. We are talking about clear sin here as opposed to someone took offense because that’s what people do. People have no power to send you into hellish fires fortunately. Only God can! If people controlled lightning we’d all be charcoal briquettes by now.
What does God think? Illust.
He certainly wasn’t causing her to stumble. I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head who has caused me to stumble. Plenty have frustrated me but that’s a different thing.
On the other hand, I have had had to give serious weight to how my behaviors impact the kingdom of God and that has made me cautious. I never want to set a bad example which would be catastrophic not just to my family but also to those who look up to spiritual leaders.
May our actions and words bring glory to God.
- Guard Against Stumbling
You could cause someone else to fall into sin. You can cause yourself to fall into sin. Please know that this is hyperbole; it’s not to be taken literally. We’re not supposed to cut off body parts or poke our eyes out. The point is that in theory, if your flesh is causing you to stumble, take measures.
What is sin? A sin is defined as anything that is contrary to the will of God.
- What About Your Hand
If your hand causes you to stumble. What might your hand do? It could steal. It might do something violent. It might act out in anger.
And what do we learn about hell from this passage? We learn that the fire never dies. There is always fuel to it. “Gehenna, translated as hell, derives from the valley of Ben Hinnom outside of Jerusalem, where idolaters had once offered child sacrifices. I was later used as a garbage dump, and the burning waste became a vivid image for the place of final punishment”
We know of the story of Lazarus and the rich man that he was in a place of torment. And his thirst never ever stopped. He begged for just a drop of water and never got one because he never gave Lazarus even a crumb.
Fire is a destructive force and a great depiction of evil and the ultimate end game of what evil is. It’s destructive. Hell by nature causes pain and destroys. Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Can you experience hell on earth? Not in the same way but you can certainly experience the destructive nature of evil.
James 3:6 – The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
You look at what is said about the tongue and the tongue is a fire and set on fire by hell itself. Destructive. Words can be corrupt and the original spark is from hell which wants to destroy.
What destructive behaviors do we need to run from? Gossip and what else? Evil is like rust and it always takes more than it gives. It’s never worth it.
God is the answer to hell. Following God is the path out. When you don’t have God, there may be a thirst for evil that can never be stopped. We need the Lord.
- What about your feet?
If your foot causes you to stumble, it’s better to enter heaven lame than enter hell with both feet. Choices, right?
Proverbs 1 talks about feet that are quick to get into mischief. Proverbs 1:15-16 – “my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood”.
Their feet rush in to take what does not belong to them but it will lead to their demise. You never want to run with a pack that it bent on doing the wrong thing. So better to walk with a limp in heaven, than to run straight to hell.
Who do you hang with? Better to be in heaven than to party with the cool kids.
- What About Your Eyes?
If your eye causes you to stumble, it’s better to go into heaven with one eye than into hell with twenty twenty vision.
It’s reminiscent of Matthew 5:27-30 – “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
The eye can cause you to lust and lust can lead to other problems. It’s clearly not what we want.
And what do we learn about hell from here – the worm never dies. And this is the worm that does not die. It just keeps eating and taking.
“Eternal worms and unquenchable fire, emitting a noxious stench and impenetrable column of smoke, refer to everlasting torment. It also means that these sinners will serve as an enduring warning to others of the dangers of sin”.
It’s the perfect picture for evil, it takes. I wish they used deer for an illustration. The deer just destroyed two red maples. Turned two leafy trees into stakes. There was not much left of them. The deer are amazingly destructive animals. There is so much to munch on but they want my trees!
That’s hell! It’s destructive.
I’m a big fan of making observations and learning what I can in a passage. These are the words of Jesus. Christianity was never designed to give us a pass on how we live.
Observation #1 – Sin is Taken Seriously
You have to admit this. If Jesus takes something seriously, we should take it seriously too. If Jesus thinks sin is awful, we should think that sin is awful. If Jesus thinks it’s a big deal, who am I to say it’s not a big deal.
You’re better off! You’re better off with less friends than be with friends who lead you on the broad path to destruction.
You’re better off with a lesser job, than a better one where have to lie to peopleYou’re better off with no social media than to look at pornography.
Whatever sin you’re dabbling in, you’re better off not!
If drinking is a problem, pour all the alcohol down the drain.
Observation #2 – There are two options, heaven or hell. And your lifestyle and what you do counts.
It’s not about words, it’s about behavior. Religion easily lends itself to saying words. Prayers. Confessions. Verses. Songs. Etc. There are lots of nice spiritual sounding things to say. Are our behaviors spiritual? That’s the question.
Observation #3 – It’s wise to Avoid Temptation
There is much wisdom in avoiding temptation and tempting situations. I like what Joseph did when he encountered temptation – he ran.
Better off not going to the cool kids party than going and getting caught up in nonsense.
Observation #4 – It’s Not for Me to Scale Sin
They say a sin is a sin. I agree and disagree. Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
However, some sins have bigger consequences. But some of the sins we trivialize are a big deal to God. Lying would be one that seems like it’s not that big of a deal but then it’s in lists of things that would prevent people from going into heaven. You think about how the devil is the father of lies.
Drunkenness is taken far more seriously in the Bible than is in American culture.
I need to make sure that I’m not picking and choosing what sins I’m looking at in someone else’s life. Sometimes we’re willing to point out things in another person’s life forgetting that we have plenty to work on ourselves. We have 20/20 vision when it comes to seeing the lives of other people but lost our coke bottle glasses when it comes to our own sins.
Observation #5 – Heaven is where you want to wind up
We are saved by grace but perhaps it’s wise to live as if our life depended on it. I would live for God and never convince myself that I could do whatever I wanted in the arena of sin and believe that I have a ticket punched into heaven.
I want to be serious about living right. Easy believe-ism is not a thing in the Bible.
Observation #6 – There is Ultimate Accountability
It’s interesting that there’s not a lot of middle ground here. If you cause people to lose faith, you must not have bought deeply into faith. If you’re the reason why people would, you’ll wind up in hell.
So we can understand that hell is a real place. It’s not imaginary, it’s never ending suffering. It’s the end of the line. There is no way out.
I need to make sure that I’m living in light of the end. God will weigh my deeds and that’s why our focus has to be on righteousness.
I would not focus on evil or the evil that people do. I’d focus on doing the right thing. I wouldn’t focus on what people say. There are plenty of hell words. Live for heaven and that’s your concern. Just do the right thing. So much works itself out right there. Just do the right thing.
CONCL.