And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Jesus, who often speaks in parables of sons and sheep, coins and debt, lays out a fairly plain account of temptation, sin and forgiveness in Luke 17th chapter. I think it has to do with Jesus' nature as a story teller. Think about this: these directions come after all the parables. Jesus has told stories to get people to understand, to connect them to his teachings. And if by some chance they still don't get it, he comes right out and says, "Don't tempt your sister or brother."
In his explicit instructions, he tells the hearers that they would be better off dead than causing "little ones" to sin. Not very comforting words. Have you ever seen a millstone used to grind grain? It is a huge stone wheel, about the size of a motorcycle, but at least twice the weight. The sheer improbability of lifting this thing, fastening to your neck, and sending you hurling into sea baffles the mind. It takes two, sometimes three donkeys to get the millstone grinding grain. Is Jesus that serious? Are we to protect our brothers and sisters from temptation?
Not only that, we are to forgive. For times when it is hard to forgive, think of Jesus' forgiveness in our lives. For times when it is hard to love, think of God's love for us. For times when it is hard to avoid temptation, think of Jesus guided by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness. God has done so much for us, isn't it time to love our neighbors, flee temptation, and be free from sin?
Prayer: As Jesus speaks to us, help us to listen, to understand, and seek understanding for our lives as your disciples. Amen.
G. Thomas Martin
