Don't Fall

Introduction

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Dream falling. . .

Friend dangling off Yonah - driven by greatness can lead to disaster

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Our drive to be seen as great quietly reshapes how we treat sin and how we treat one another—often endangering fragile faith, including our own.

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True greatness in Jesus’ family is revealed by how we protect fragile faith—by receiving the humble and ruthlessly removing stumbling blocks.

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Matt. 18:5-9

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Move 1

Matthew 18:5–6 ESV

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever (causes) σκανδαλίσῃ one of these little ones who believe in me (to sin), it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Revelation

Jesus has been using an image of a toddler to represent his follower. In this passage the image of the toddler is fully transferred. That is why Jesus says, “one such child” because he is no longer referring to the literal toddler he has in their midst, but to the idea the child represents: the humble Christ follower who recognizes he his fully dependent upon God.

There are two contrasting attitudes in this passage, reception of the humble, God-dependent Christ follower and trying to get such a person to fall away, reject Christ, become independent.

The phrase “cause to sin” in the ESV is the one word in Greek σκανδαλίσῃ. This is a word that refers to more than just sinning, but a complete rejection of Jesus. The literal renedering would be, “Whoever trips” or “traps” one of these little one. . . The idea is not so much “cause to sin” as it is “cause to reject.” This is where the falling image comes into play. Falling is not just sin in this passage but a rejection.

To be clear, the theology of the Bible is “once saved, always saved.” Or better said than that, “Those who truly believe will persevere to the end.” But the focus of what Jesus is saying is not that it’s possible for true believers to reject Christ. Rather, Jesus is focusing on the attitude of “reception” or “tripping.” Notice that there’s no middle ground.

Reception is the attitude and action of the believer (“he also received me” Jesus says). You would think the natural opposite of that would be rejection, but Jesus takes it one step further in the contrast. The world, here, is not just passively rejecting followers of Christ, but actively trying to cause them to fall.

Jesus does not give the actual punishment here in this verse of the person who actively tries to cause one of his little ones to fall. But he does give something “better” than the actual punishment.

And again, sometimes we like to approach Scripture as if the choir is singing, and everything is reverent and black and white. But the image Jesus gives is purposefully ridiculous. The image is a giant millstone, not a little one. Then notice Jesus says, “fastened around the neck.” He’s picturing this millstone like a necklace. Maybe it opened on a hinge and closed back. Maybe it was knotted around the neck. Either way the image is supposed to stick out. Then the person attempts to cause the fall is drowned in the depth of the sea. This entire event, remember, is not what actually happens has the punishment for the one who produces stumbling blocks, but is better than the actual punishment for that person.

Relevance

You remember what it was like when your child was beginning to walk for the first time? The other night we had Kameran (who played piano for us) his wife and child over. His son, Michael, is about 1 and a half, and has just learned to walk. We have a threshold that separates our kitchen from our dining room. Most people don’t even look down at it, but step over it without thinking. But for one-year-old Michael, that threshold was like a mountain. He stopped, but his hands down on the floor. And when he was on all fours, he carefully put one foot over, then brought the other foot over before standing up and walking around again.

As a parent, our child’s first steps are an exciting thing. Usually when our toddlers are taking first steps, you can hear parents say encouraging things like, “Good job” “you can do it.” And often parents take their child’s hand and help them walk along.

But could you imagine someone going up to a toddler about to take his first steps and pushing him to the ground, then laughing in mockery? Saying something like, “ha, ha ha, you can’t walk.” The horror is not so much that the child fell, but that someone wanted him to fall.

Bridge

But as horrible as that sounds, that just how the world operates.

Move 2

Matthew 18:7 ESV

7 “Woe to the world for σκανδάλων temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Revelation

Jesus gives a double woe here. And again, the woe is not merely for “temptation” it’ the same word that is used in the previous passage. Some call it stumbling stones, or cause for stumbling. The woe, the deep sorrow, the prophetic curse is pronounced on the world because it is actively trying to get Christ’s followers to ultimately reject him.

My translation says, “it is necessary that temptation come.” That is probably best understood as, “it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come.” Why is it inevitable? Because the world actively rejects God. It is a stumbling block factory. The world has to convince itself to reject God and so, it will inevitably convince others.

Relevance

“Woe” is a pronouncement of a curse. That such a person will receive judgement. Why is it so severe? Perhaps the factor image is too passive. The world is not just a factory of stumbling blocks.

When we were in our cabin in KY, we were in the “clifty wilderness.” We went on a natural bridge. It was funny there was railing going up to the bridge and afterwords, but on the bridge itself, there was no such railing. One slip, (which was more likely given the snow on the ground) and off one would fall, tumbling down a mountain. At our cabin there was a fence on one side and a sign that said “steep cliff”

You see, the world is not just producing stumbling blocks, its setting them up alongside cliffs and luring Christ followers in to push them over. When the world realizes you won’t participate in their vanity fair (Pilgrim’s Progress image), it will do everything it can to push you off a cliff. Or rather, to convince you to jump. This is why Jesus gives this double woe.

So be alert. Jesus gives us these warning signs for a reason. Don’t grow lax. Don’t give up the fight. The road to the cliffside is paved with a mixture complacency, convenience, and fear of man. Don’t ignore Christ’s signs to turn back when you find yourself on such a path.

Move 3

Matthew 18:8–9 ESV

8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

Revelation

Jesus intensifies the image here recognizing that the pressure to fall is not just from the outside (the world) but also on the inside. Jesus uses a purposefully startling image of self-amputation.

But we also know that our body parts don’t have a mind of their own. So we must take the image for what it is. Perhaps we can say that the hand represents what we do, the foot represents the places we go, the eye represents the things we pay attention to.

Even still, that brings us closer to the root of the problem, our heart. What we do, where we go, and what catches our attention do not cause sin, but reveals what is already in our heart.

The point of the startling and gruesome image is clear: Anything that threatens allegiance to Christ must be treated as an enemy—even if it feels like part of you.

But refusing to amputate is evidence that the loyalty to Christ is not genuine. And the danger is eternal fire and the hell of fire. Which prophet preached the most on hell? It was Jesus. He first set a contrast between the person who accepts the disciples and the one who rejects. Now, we have a contrast between life and eternal fire in v. 8.

“Eternal life” begins now if you are in Christ. But you can live that life stunted. Stunted, ironically, by the current feet you have. We must be willing to cut off stumbling block loyalties no matter how close or ingrained they are, not only for the sake of ourselves, but also for the sake of others.

Relevance

And what is it in the context that might just feel as though it is an amputation? Perhaps our urge to feel and be great.

The urge for greatness will cause us to puff ourselves up. We ignore the seriousness of sin in our lives. We linger on our stumbling block loyalties. We give in to temptation. Then we either cover it up or act like it’s no big deal. We implicitly deny how desperately we need Christ’s mercy.

The urge for greatness will also cause us to step on one another. You see the correct attitude in v. 5 “whoever receives.” The urge for greatness covers up our own sin but is excited to expose the sin of others. “Can you believe so and so did this?” Or “I have a prayer request. . .the other day so and so did that.” Our urge for greatness can keep up from amputating our stumbling blocks and throwing out stumbling blocks in front of others so we get ahead. Our urge for greatness can cause us to be so horrible and ridiculous as to push down the toddler and say, “At least I can actually walk.”

Application

For my final paper in seminary it was for a biblical counseling class and I decided to write it on dealing with a prodigal child who goes away and cuts off all contact. For my research I read a book called “Come Back, Barbara” by pastor Jack Miller about his prodigal daughter. In it he shared about the urge that the parent has to think, act, and feel as if they can do no wrong in front of their child.

You see, when children are young, they believe their parents are the greatest thing ever. Most children sincerely believe, aside from cases of perhaps trauma and abandonment, their parents can do no wrong. A lot of times parents revel in this. They want to continue this even well after their children have realized their parent make mistakes.

Once children eat the proverbial fruit and realize their parents are messed up people in need of grace too, sometimes parents like to sow fig leaves to make it seem as though that aren’t in need of grace. What does that produce in the child? Resentment, rebellion, and ultimately rejection. Why? Because the child realizes that not only does the parent make mistakes, the parent is willing to live as if he does not and wants you (the child) to treat him as if he does not. The parent is willing to make his child live a lie just so he feels great and important.

The book reflected Jack Miller (the pastor) going to his daughter and apologizing for anything wrong he did. This honesty and sincere apology surprised the daughter. Then the pastor reflected on another family he knew of. He talked about a father who always asked God for forgiveness for sins in their family worship. This father had the habit of starting with the biggest sinner in his prayer. For the longest time, he started the prayer with his oldest rebellious son, who resented this. But after having a conversation with his pastor, Jack Miller, he decided to always begin this prayer with himself, and confessing his sins.

We all deal with this urge to be seen as great. To be seen as perfect, flawless. There’s no greater place that exists than in a church. We gather together and put on our smiles and pretend that there’s nothing desperately sick inside our hearts. We want other to see that we are great, and if we’re not careful, will trip other people then step on them to ensure that we are seen as great.

Imagine, you discover you have gangrene in you foot. The doctor tells you that you have to amputate or it will spread. Instead of amputating, you just dress it up and pretend like it’s no problem at all. You always wear the comfiest socks and most expensive shoes, but nothing will make the gangrene go away.

This is the stumbling blocks we have. There they are ready to trip us up and fling us into the eternal fire. Jesus says we must be willing to amputate.

What would you say marks our lives? Humble repentance? Tearing down idols in our hearts? Or complacently telling ourselves the stumbling block is no big deal. Or covering it up in self-righteousnessess.

If a visitor came in today and I asked them which of the following would best describe this church: repentance, complacency, or self-righteousness?

I’m afraid the answer might be complacency. We like our routine. We like our seat. We like the comfort we have with one another. Here we are going into another year, familiar with the same song and dance, familiar with the gospel, familiar with the songs, familiar with the sermons. But little do we know we could very well be walking down the path that leads to a cliff.

Instead may our attitude be humble repentance. May we be more willing to lift one another up than to push one another down. May we be alert to the stumbling blocks out there and cut off the stumbling blocks inside here. All of this showing we cannot treat the gospel as if it were some story. But instead, it is our life. We have a desperate need for God’s mercy and grace, not merely a long time ago, but right now in our lives everyday. We need God’s mercy in our lives when we receive other brother and sisters. We need God’s mercy when we watch out for the ways of the world. And we need God’s mercy when we begin to cut off desires that attempt to take Christ’s throne in our lives.

What marks our church? Our we more concerned with our reputation or our amputation?