Key Thought

Jesus is telling us to be sensitive to the vulnerability of others, especially those who are weak, forgotten, and neglected among us. Of course, he didn't just preach it; he lived it. Extreme measures are to be used to keep from causing one of these "little ones" to stumble and fall. For Jesus and his followers, it is a very serious and horrific matter to cause the sinful downfall of another.
His language is extreme. His warning is heartfelt. The "little ones" among us are extremely valuable to him and should be to us. It would be better to be drowned in the sea than to face Jesus having caused another to fall. Jesus cares deeply about the lost and died to redeem us. He surely doesn't want us contributing to others' losing their way.

Today's Prayer

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Father, use me redemptively to help bring others back to you and to be careful about my influence. I don't want to lead others astray by my actions or by my teaching. Give me an undivided heart, a clear witness reflecting your character, and a deeper concern for those my actions may impact. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

At that time the followers came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a little child to come to him. Jesus stood the child before the followers. Then Jesus said, "I tell you the truth. You must change and become like little children {in your hearts}. If you don't do this, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest (most important) person in the kingdom of heaven is the person that makes himself humble like this child. "If a person accepts a little child like this in my name, then that person accepts me. "If one of these little children believes in me, and another person causes that child to sin, then it will be very bad for that person. It would be better for that person to have a millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. I feel sorry for the people in the world because of the things that make people sin. Those things must happen. But it will be very bad for the person that causes those things to happen. "If your hand or your foot makes you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose part of your body but have life forever. That is much better than to have two hands and two feet but be thrown into the fire (hell) that burns forever. If your eye makes you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better for you to have only one eye but have life forever. That is much better than to have two eyes but be thrown into the fire of hell. "Be careful. Don't think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that these children have angels in heaven. And those angels are always with my Father in heaven. "If a man has 100 sheep, but one of the sheep becomes lost, then the man will leave the other 99 sheep on the hill. He will go to look for the lost sheep. Right? And if the man finds the lost sheep, the man is happier about that one sheep than about the 99 sheep that were never lost. I tell you the truth. In the same way, your Father in heaven does not want any of theselittle children to be lost.

— Matthew 18:1-14 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.