Luke 18:9-14 comments: the self-righteous

18:9 ¶  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13  And

the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The obvious point here is who is more accepted with God; the self-righteous person who acts like God is lucky to have that person on His team or the humble man or woman who realizes the sorry state they are in before God?

When Jesus gave His popularly called ‘Sermon on the Mount’ to His disciples He said;

Matthew 5:3 ¶  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Isaiah wrote in passages given by inspiration of God;

Isaiah 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Only the person who realizes they are spiritually and morally bankrupt without God is justified before Him. The strutting peacock who comes to church in his or her finest with Bible tucked under their arm acting like they are a part of some kind of superior social club is lacking in that regard. We have to realize that we are abject sinners whose condition is miserable without Christ, and whose future is a gallery of horrors without God’s salvation, in order to turn from our sins, our dead works, to Christ. What I am saying is that even if they come to church people will not come to Christ as long as they view themselves as the proverbial, “all that and a bag of chips,” or, “the cream of the crop.” Cultural Christianity draws the self-righteous and occasionally one of them gets saved.

Romans 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How many people, one can only wonder, do not come to church because they feel that air of superiority, of self-righteousness, directed against them? How many Christian congregations are composed of a majority of people who are smug and self-satisfied, who would dislocate their arms trying to pat themselves on the back in an orgy of self-congratulation?

Along with trusting in God and accepting His will for your life this is a hard thing for people of faith, a temptation that damages their testimony.

1Peter 5:5b  …Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

If a person depends upon their own righteousness to justify them before God they themselves are not a blessing but a blemish on the house of God. In one of Paul’s long sentences he wrote;

Philippians 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Ask yourself, which are you, the Pharisee or the publican (tax-collector)?

Luke 18:1-8 comments: the unjust judge

18:1 ¶  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

In this passage we find instruction to be persistent in prayer. Paul will later tell Christians;

Romans 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

And…

1Thessalonians 5:17  Pray without ceasing.

This isn’t the first message on this subject that Jesus has given. Read Luke 11:1-13. By using this wicked judge as God in type it is as if Jesus is saying, “If this mean-spirited, godless judge will respond to the persistent pleas of a widow why would you not expect that a holy, gracious, and loving God will respond to persistent, heartfelt prayer?”

God’s ways are sure but they can take a long time, as far as we are concerned. Yet, when His judgment comes, it will come quickly.

Revelation 6:9 ¶  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Jesus asks a rhetorical question that, of course, as with all questions He knows the answer to but it calls us to consider how many will be trusting Him and looking to God for justice when He returns. With the church removed from the world there may be no one giving thanks or seeking His justice left on the earth.

Luke 17:20-37 comments: the kingdom of God is within you

17:20 ¶  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31  In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32  Remember Lot’s wife. 33  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 34  I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35  Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36  Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37  And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

The kingdom of God does not appear on this earth in this present dispensation as a nation with massive parliament or congress buildings or executive mansions, armies, and multitudes of government bureaucrats. It occurs in the heart of each believer and those believers are united as the church of God, Christ’s body on earth.

God’s Spirit indwells each believer.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Proof of that indwelling is the fruit that is produced.

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

The body of believers is the church, Christ’s body on earth, to be doing things on earth as His ambassadors….

2Corinthians 5:16 ¶  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Ephesians 6:20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Colossians 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

…until He returns to take control of the world of men physically.

Revelations 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

We are not improving the world or making the world a better place because it is dominated by sin and man’s extreme arrogance and presumption, something from which we have been delivered if we are truly Christ’s.

Galatians 1:3  Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

There are many and have been many false Christians, tares among the wheat, but God will deal with that at the end of human history. Just read Matthew 13 about them with the birds of the air being types of Satan, and the woman polluting the three measures of meal in type false religion.

What is to be the expression of our faith, of our religion? Is it political, social, or a practice of power? No, none of those.

James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Jesus says here in this passage that you cannot see the Kingdom of God. It is not found in a cathedral, an enclave, a church building or compound, school, or camp. It is found within the spiritual heart of each believer.

We look fervently for Christ’s return. In fact, we are told to do so.

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Then, Jesus goes on to provide a summary, a synopsis, of things that will happen at the end of human history, including the translation of the believers, the church, from the world, something which has been promised. First, Enoch’s translation as a type of our own.

Genesis 5:24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

See three mentions of the translation, popularly called The Rapture, here.

Hebrews 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Then, the promise, spoke of three times.

Proverbs 25:7  For better it is that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

Revelation 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

Revelation 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

And the promise confirmed even to when in the course of prophetic events it is to take place…

1Corinthians 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1Thessalonians 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Verse 24 in this passage reminds me of verses in the Old and New Testaments.

Daniel 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Zechariah 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Matthew 24:1 ¶  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

    4 ¶  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25  Behold, I have told you before. 26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers;believe it not. 27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The Kingdom of God is not a physical thing of this world now.

John 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Romans 14:17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

But, Christ’s return to deal with the darkness of this world will be very physical. Verse 37 and this entire passage is a stark reminder of events at the end of human-centered history.

Revelation 19: 11 ¶  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

There is another principle expressed here underscored in verse 32. We are not to look back. Our future with Christ is what is important. Read Luke 9:59-62 again.

Luke 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

I believe, though, in verses 30 to 33 before speaking of the translation of the church, Christ is literally referring to the final Holocaust of the Jews perpetuated by the Beast of Revelation, who is popularly called The Antichrist, although that title is not in Revelation. See Revelation, chapter 12, as Satan drives the remaining, believing Jews, into the wilderness.

Luke 17:11-19 comments: ten lepers

17:11 ¶  And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

This would seem simple enough. Maybe one in ten will be thankful to Christ for His mercy. There are many preaching sermons that have been made out of this passage. There is the idea, as presented by Matthew Henry in his commentary, that leprosy was considered a punishment for some sin so that since Christ, who came to take away sin and wrath for sin, chose to heal these men. See the rules regarding leprosy and its healing in Leviticus 13 and 14.

But, what is the point of this episode as recorded for us? Samaritans were considered non-Jews. I am going to repeat what I said earlier about them.

Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel after Israel and Judah split during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, as recorded in 1Kings, chapter 12. Then, see 1Kings 16:29. The Assyrians conquered Israel and removed the Jews from there to other territories, replacing them with others as was their custom in conquest. Jewish priests were brought in to teach them the religion of the Jews and a distinctly different sort of Judaism grew up with distinct customs and norms that underscored the divisions between the Jews and the Samaritans.

2Kings 17:6  In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes…24  And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof…26  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land…28  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

The Samaritan religion is called Samaritanism and is based on the Samaritan Torah. They believed they most closely followed the true religion of the Jews that existed before the Babylonian captivity. They worshipped at the ruins of their temple in Mount Gerizim. The mount is mentioned in Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges. The temple was destroyed by the Jews in around 100BC. The Jews did not regard the Samaritans very favorably.

In fact, the Samaritans were hated. They worshipped in a different place. They had a different history than the Jews and the Jews regarded them as inferiors, spiritually, politically, and every other way. They were not just somebody else but they were somebody else the Jews expected nothing good out of and looked down their noses at.

Galilee also has some important characteristics for this episode in Jesus’ ministry. Isaiah 9:1 refers to Galilee of the nations and Matthew 4:15 refers to Galilee of the Gentiles, word substitution defining nations as equivalent to Gentiles. Galilee was inhabited pretty much by Gentiles. Nations is usually a reference to non-Jewish political, tribal, and ethnic groups. In 1Kings 9:11 Solomon gave King Hiram of Tyre 20 cities in the land of Galilee so you would naturally have an influx of Gentiles there. In 2Kings 15:29 the Assyrians removed the population in their practice of replacing conquered peoples. They would settle them someplace else and move another group into their homelands as per 2Kings 17:24. Galilee was originally in Naphtali’s domain according to Joshua 21:32.

If we consider the significance of numbers in the Bible ten is prominent. The steward of Abram’s (Abraham) house was Eliezer.

Genesis 15:2  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?

If Abram is a type of God the Father and Eliezer is in type the Holy Ghost, he is sent out to obtain a bride for Isaac, his father’s beloved son, a type of Christ, with the willing bride, Rebekah, a type of the church. Read Genesis 24. He takes ten camels with him, perhaps signifying the Gentiles.

Genesis 24:10 ¶  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

Nevertheless, be careful when giving a certain number spiritual significance as the great danger of such things is then seeing that significance everywhere, even where it is not. But, here, in this passage we have ten lepers from an area of predominantly Gentiles and people who are considered a type of counterfeit Jew, hated and despised by the Jews. This is one of those threads of evidence that portends that Christ has not restricted His message to the Jews only but to others outside the fold of God’s chosen people. Jesus warned the Jews of His day on earth;

Luke 13:28  There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29  And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

Only one in ten who have experienced Christ firsthand will give glory to God and be thankful. This reminds me of the people who come forward in a church service or raise their hands and pray the 1-2-3-repeat-after-me “salvation” prayer so popular among evangelicals and fundamentalists in America. Nine out of ten will never darken the door of a church again until they are carried in and out of it by the pallbearers at their funeral, if then.

Luke 17:1-10 comments: a willingness to forgive the repentant

17:1 ¶  Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged

about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent,

forgive him. 4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. 7  But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8  And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

An offence is something that causes someone to stumble in confusion or their faith, that harms their faith.

As the Jewish rejection of Christ caused their confusion;

1Peter 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Which is an allusion to the passage in Isaiah;

Isaiah 8:13  Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14  And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15  And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

So, see that an offence can cause one to stumble, to fall, to be broken, and snared, and captured. This is what happens with unbelief, one falls into the snare set by the king of terrors himself.

2Timothy 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Someone who belongs to God, who is mature in His care, and loves His word should never experience such a thing.

Psalm 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

In the Early Modern English of the era of the King James translators to offend could mean, not just to displease or insult someone, but to injure one’s conscience, to deceive them, to commit a wrong, to cause damage to, and an offence was a crime, a sin, or a trespass, an injury done to someone.

Offences against God and humans will come, they will happen. It is the nature of things in this dispensation. But, woe to that man or woman through whom they come, who permits themselves willingly to be a vehicle for sin against God and their fellow men and women.

Little ones can be a reference, of course, to children.

Matthew 18:1 ¶  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6  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.

    7 ¶  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 8  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. 9  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. 10  Take heed that ye despise not 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. 11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13  And if so be

that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

But, in this context, in this particular sermon given by Christ, He seems to be saying that offences must come but it is a sad day for the person through whom they come. Do not give cause or reason for a new believer, a little one in the faith, to stumble and fall, and to forgive graciously and abundantly if your brother or sister repents of their deed against you. Do not feel a sense of self-righteousness by your getting out of your comfort zone and doing what Christ has commanded in the realm of forgiveness but accept it as the least you can do considering what He has endured and what He has done for you.

Luke 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

Peter and Christ had this interaction;

Matthew 18:21 ¶  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a

certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that

he had, and payment to be made. 26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me,

and I will pay thee all. 30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32  Then his lord, after that he had called

him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Next to trusting God in the painful circumstances of life for which we are given no explanation, like Job, forgiving is the hardest thing for a Christian to do. Some of the great causes of mental illness are a refusing to forgive and a refusing to be forgiven. Refusing to forgive as Christ commanded can be the source of great offence to the faith of not only another but yourself. Discouragement is a powerful tool of Satan.

2Corinthians 2:10  To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

I suspect there are many out there who cannot find it within themselves to forgive one who has caused offence to you or to forgive yourself; perhaps even just for failure in this life to meet the expectations of your youth. But, forgiving is a fundamental of the Christian faith, of far more importance than your political or historical beliefs. Keep in mind that it is called for when the other party is repentant and is not only sorry for their sin against you but has turned from it, the meaning of repentance. Sometimes it takes time to forgive because we need to see that repentance is real. These are the facts of living.

Paul gave a warning about offending weak brothers and sisters. Read Romans 14. With regard to forgiveness, there may be a person in your life; a parent, a spouse, a friend, who regrets what they did to you and, if that is so, it is incumbent upon you to forgive them. You, too, have regrets for what you’ve done. You are sorry for your sin against God. Receive His forgiveness. Do not remember what God has forgotten.

Another take on this passage is that it represents a few of the sayings of Christ for which we would have to cross-reference to uncover the more complete doctrine the sayings are referring to. For instance, there is verse 2 opened up by the passage in Matthew 18:1-14. There is verse 4 further explained by Matthew 18:21-35. Verses 5 and 6 are further illuminated by Matthew 17:14-21 if you take this tack on the passage.  But, I don’t think it is correct to do that particularly. I believe that this passage represents a coherent message given by Christ in its entirety to be understood by the context in which it is written, cross-referencing for contrast and understanding.