Scandalous Grace Series

In response to the ridicule of the Pharisees and their propensity to greed and service to mammon, Jesus turns aside to his disciples with some very important and challenging comments. He begins by noting that they and we should…

Recognize Reality (1-3a)

Luke 17:1 ESV

And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come…

In many ways Jesus is simply stating the obvious. He is noting that temptations or stumbling blocks are a part of life. Whether they come from within, from others, or from the world around us, we can expect to face stumbling blocks.

What are stumbling blocks?

In Greek, that word is skandalon from which we get the word scandalous. The suggestion is that there are certain things that come into our lives that can cause us to trip. Our choice then is to stumble over them or, having an awareness of them, to step around them.

It seems like in the context that Jesus is getting at here, stumbling blocks are things that might lead us to sin. One of the challenges is that in these first couple of verses of chapter 17, the Greek word for “sin” is not there - even though several translations include sin.

The implication is then that a stumbling block is something that might cause us to make decisions that are less-than honoring to God.

We could limit this to moral sins - and those stumbling blocks certainly abound. But some of these stumbling blocks might lead a person to hatred toward another person or people group or even political party. Stumbling blocks may prompt gossip or greed. Stumbling blocks may even come in the form of things that might not be as wise - spending too much on something, going into debt unnecessarily, etc.

But when you think about it, there are several ways that we encounter these stumbling blocks. One is…

Experientially

We experience stumbling blocks

reading or watching the news - here we are minding our own business getting caught up on the news of the day, but then an article or clip may prompt a curiosity that leads to dangerous places or the spin of an article may prompt me to hate or demonstrate disdain for someone else.

checking email - There are any number of things that could lead to compromising websites, scams, or negative attitudes.

similarly, browsing the internet - we can experience a variety of stumbling blocks.

reading books - These can come in a variety of types of books. A reputable book by a solid Christian can introduce a stumbling block to our faith if he or she is misguided on a certain doctrine. Some genres of books might lead us to escape from reality or wish that life were different.

driving - this almost goes without saying. We can let other drivers or traffic in general become a stumbling block by allowing them to affect our attitudes.

going to school - whether it’s learning something that seems to run counter to your faith or being exposed to influences that might lead you to sin.

going to work -

These scandalous stumbling blocks are everywhere.

Now, the challenge is that with stumbling blocks everywhere, should we just then turn inward and isolate? No, I don’t think that is what Jesus is getting at. I think he’s simply alerting us to the presence of stumbling blocks.

But these blocks are not only experienced, they can sometimes be encountered…

Expressively

Luke 17:1–2 ESV

And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 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.

In other words, we can be the cause that leads someone else to stumble - whether intentionally (which seems to be the reason for the woe) or incidentally or accidentally.

In someways, it seems like Jesus may be rebuking the Pharisees here. Their love for money and self-justifying actions (do what I say, not what I do) and even lack of charity (as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus) can be means by which people stumble.

Jesus warns those who may cause others to stumble with some harsh words. The implication here is that it would be better for someone who might lead someone to sin or stumble to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around their necks than it would for them to cause a “little one” or a humble person or even a child to sin.

But how can this happen? How can we become a stumbling block to others?

lifestyle

When we model hypocrisy like the Pharisees did. This might also be a case where we live with certain freedoms that might be points of difficulty for others. The Apostle Paul discussed this some with the Corinthians: