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Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably
occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would
be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be
thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones
to sin.” Luke 17:1–2
Having a millstone placed around your neck and thrown into the sea
is very descriptive. Jesus is using very evocative language. A
millstone was a large round stone with a hole in the center. If it
were placed around someone’s neck and they were thrown into the
sea, they would obviously sink to the bottom and die. Thus, Jesus
is clearly stating that this awful fate is actually better than the
fate of those who cause “one of these little ones to sin.”
First of all, it should be clarified that no one can actually cause
us to sin. Sin is our own free choice, and we, and we alone, will
be held accountable for our own sin. One thing that Jesus is
pointing out here is that even though every person must take
responsibility for their own actions and their own sins, we must
also take responsibility for the ways that we act as tempters of
others. We are all sinners. Therefore, by our sin, we will all
tempt others to sin also. Sometimes we will tempt people to sin by
provoking them to anger. At other times we will tempt others to sin
by setting a poor example. And on the contrary, we also have the
ability to “tempt” people to virtue. Or more properly speaking, to
inspire and encourage them.
With that said, Jesus explains that the fate of those who act as
tempters of others, especially the “little ones,” will suffer
consequences graver than an untimely death. The little ones of
which Jesus speaks should be understood as those who are weak in
faith, overly sensitive, particularly vulnerable at that time in
their life, and susceptible to outside influence. This could be a
child, or it could be someone who is currently teetering on the
edge of despair, confusion, anger, or any serious sin. When you
encounter people like this, how do you treat them? Jesus has a deep
heart of compassion for these people and wants us to have the same
depth of compassion. But sometimes we fail. We may be negligent in
our duty to reach out to them. Even this negligence could be a form
of causing “one of these little ones to sin.” Of course, it is even
far worse if we were to actively agitate them, harshly judge them,
provoke their anger, draw them into some sin of weakness and false
consolation by our temptation, etc. The simple truth is that Jesus
loves those who are weak, vulnerable and sinful, and He wants us to
love them with His heart. When we fail to do so, Jesus will hold us
accountable for their further fall from grace.
Reflect, today, upon the person or persons in your life that appear
especially vulnerable, sinful, confused and lost at this time. Who
is it that struggles with anger, or an addiction or some sinful
lifestyle? Ponder your attitude toward them. Are you judgmental,
condemning, belittling and the like? Do you tempt them to fall
further into any sins of weakness they commit in a vulnerable
state, thus leading them into further sin? Or, when you encounter
someone who is greatly struggling, do you turn to them with the
deepest compassion and mercy, forgiving any ways that they may sin
against you, and work hard only to be there for them in their need,
no matter how hard it is on you? Commit yourself to a profound love
of all of God’s “little ones” and seek to serve them with the heart
of Christ so that one day they will eternally rejoice with you in
Heaven.
My most compassionate Lord, You love the sinner and deeply
desire that they turn to You in their need. Please give me Your
heart of compassion so that I will be free to love them as You love
them. May I never become an instrument of temptation for them to
fall further away from You but, instead, become an instrument of
Your unfailing mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
Featured image above: Jesus and the Little Child by James Tissot,
via Wikimedia Commons
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