Matt. 18:6-11

6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Intro:  Offenses Must Come

Vs. 7

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”

What is an offense?

Offend (σκανδαλίζει). …giving offence, provoking. Hence the [RV]…. [better translates], causeth to stumble. The… noun is σκάδαλον, a later form of σκανδάληθρον, the stick in a trap on which the bait is placed, and which springs up and shuts the trap at the touch of an animal. Hence, generally, a snare, a stumbling-block.[1]

Why must they come?  Freedom of choice

Why did God allow sin If He’s All-powerful & All-loving?  Freedom necessary for true relationship  /  God knew we would sin  /  BUT we are accountable still … If we could NOT choose God would be accountable for making us that way

Sinning Yourself

Vs. 8-9

“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire”

See also Matt. 5:29-30 – “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”

Are we to literally remove offensive body parts?

            Only if the desire to sin goes away with it…

It is wise to make any sacrifice to save the true life. We admit this in bodily disease. The shattered limb must be amputated to preserve the patient’s life.[2]

The heart defiles a person (Cf. Matt 15: 17-20 – “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man”)

- It’s what’s inside that matters

- BUT the two usually correlate closely

- BUT most adults get crafty & cunning at hiding their dirt

Hand, Foot (outer action) vs. Eye (internal)

1 John 2:16 – “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Matt 5:22-25 – “Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.”

Causing Others to Sin

Vs. 6

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea”

Can anybody explain what a millstone is?  (Hand type, Houshold type, Industrial type)

Drowned. …this penalty was commonly exacted. Among the Romans, Greeks, and Syrians… The punishment seems to have been reserved for the greatest criminals; and the size of the stone would prevent any chance of the body rising again to the surface and being buried by friends—a consideration which, in the minds of heathens, greatly increased the horror of this kind of death.[3]

It were better; literally, it is profitable. The crime specified is so heinous that a man had better incur the most certain death, if by this means he may avoid the sin and save the soul of his possible victim.[4]

Offending the humble (Greatest in God’s Kingdom) is heinous behavior!

            Suggests God’s punishment is more severe than being drown & body unrecoverable

Sinning Against God

Vs. 10-11

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost”

Do guardian angels really exist?

1.      Guardian angels really are a biblical concept

“In Scripture angels are linked to

·        God’s people as a nation (Dan 10:13; 12:1)…

·        With individual churches (Rev. 1:20)…

·        The life of the individual believer (cf. Heb 1:14), [Jesus] words do imply that every disciple benefits from an angelic representative who brings their situation before the Father.

·        The text… stops short of calling [them] “guardian angels.” It should be observed that these angels are in heaven, not upon the earth…” [5]

1. Causing the faithful to fall brings God’s wrath.
1. Guardian angels always have Gods attention
2. You thwart Gods plan to save

“Here the connection seems to be, “Since the whole object and errand of the Son of man into the world is to save the lost, take heed lest, by causing offenses, ye lose the saved.” That this is the idea intended we may gather from Mt 18:14.” [6]

Matt. 18: 14 – “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish”

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[1]Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2002), 1:41.

[2]The Pulpit Commentary: St. Matthew Vol. II, ed. H. D. M. Spence-Jones (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004), 225.

[3]The Pulpit Commentary: St. Matthew Vol. II, ed. H. D. M. Spence-Jones (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004), 209.

[4]The Pulpit Commentary: St. Matthew Vol. II, ed. H. D. M. Spence-Jones (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004), 209.

[5]Larry Chouinard, Matthew, The College Press NIV commentary (Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1997), Mt 18:10.

[6]Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, A. R. Fausset et al., A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, On Spine: Critical and Explanatory Commentary. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), Mt 18:11.