Stumbling Blocks.

     But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
     Woe unto the world because of offenses: for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.
     Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
     And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
     Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
     For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
                                 Matthew 18:6-11 KJV

     This is an often overlooked passage of scripture, but yet upon reading it, one is struck by the seriousness of these words of Jesus. We have a tremendous responsibility toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We dare not be careless or negligent in this matter, as we are indeed our brother's keeper.
     In the greater context of this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples a lesson on humility. In response to their question of who is the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus teaches them that one must be humble, like a child, to be truly great (Matt 18:1-5). 
     The world runs on pride. Decisions are made based upon selfish interests. People in general do not really look out for the concerns and needs of those around them. This goes against what Jesus tells us when He says, "Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones." The Apostle Paul asked "But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother (Romans 14:10)?" This is the same thing; despising a brother, not caring about his feelings, concerns or needs, in relation to our own.
     What is at issue here is the salvation, and spiritual well being of an individual. We have a solemn responsibility to take care that we do not do something that would cause another to stumble in their faith. The eyes of others are on us, and the things that we say and do, the things that we promote, and the way we live from day to day are noticed by others, and influence them for good, or bad.
     Jesus urges us to take great pains with our lives so that we will not be the cause of stumbling for someone else. He uses the example of cutting off a hand or foot, or gouging out an eye, to show us that we must be radical, going to great extremes to ensure that our lives are above reproach before Him, and also before the world around us. This is a hard teaching for many today. We have our lifestyles to maintain, our "Christian liberty" to enjoy, and do not like the idea of having to look out for a "weaker" brother. Look at the example of Paul however. He would give up eating meat forever, if it would somehow cause another to stumble (1 Cor 8:13).
     There are several passages of scripture that lay out this principle for us. They are as follows,

      Romans 14:1-23

     Romans 15:1-7

     1 Corinthians 8:1-13

     1 Corinthians 10:23-33

     The point is, we as Christians are not to live for ourselves. We are to seek the well being of others. If this means that I might have to give up a little "Christian liberty", for the sake of someone who might not have that same liberty that I have, so be it. A lot of people are easily offended at the idea that a brother or sister might be stumbled by an activity that is seen by another as innocent. Many believe that their actions are between them and God alone, and no one else has the right to say anything about it. This is wrong however, according to what both Jesus, and the Apostle Paul teach in the scriptures. If your liberty leads someone into sin, it is wrong for you to flaunt that liberty around that person.
     One example is that of clothing; what is modest, as opposed to immodest in dress. Many women dress in a way that seems ok to them, but it might be a little too revealing for someone else. Now if it causes someone to wrestle with lustful thoughts, there is a problem. If that brother gives way to the thoughts he wrestles with, he has now sinned.
     The common reaction of many is that of contempt for the man wrestling with his thought life. They might say that they have a right to dress how they like; that it is between them and God, and their conscience does not convict them. They go on to blame the other person for his apparent lack of self control. This is wrong according to what the Bible teaches. If the way someone dresses is leading someone else into temptation or even sin, then that person has the responsibility to dress so as not to offend someone else. It does not matter if the other person is weaker, or lacks self control, or not. The fact is, the actions of one person, are leading to the spiritual downfall of another.
     This principle can be applied to actions and situations of all kinds. We have a God given responsibility to look out for one another. If we determine that our actions might be a cause of offense to another, then whether we feel we are right or not, we must deny self, for the sake of a weaker brother.
     Like I said, this is a hard teaching that many do not like. It involves humility, self denial, giving up things that we may have perfect liberty to be involved in, for the sake of someone who may not share the same convictions that we hold, or who is weaker, or struggles in certain areas of his or her life. We must determine that we will not place a stumbling block, or obstacle in a brother's way (Romans 14:13). This is walking in Christian love.