|
.
STUMBLING-BLOCKS.
Christ said: "But if a man is a
cause of stumbling to one of these little ones who have faith in me, it would be
better for him to have a millstone hung round his neck and be drowned in the
depths of the sea. Alas for the world that such
causes of stumbling arise! Come they must, but woe betide the man through whom they come!"
(Matt 18:6,7 NEB).
"Let us therefore cease judging one
another, but rather make this simple judgement: that no obstacle or stumbling-block (1)
be placed in a brother's way." (Rom 14:13 NEB).
"Now I exhort you, brothers, to keep your
eye on those who cause divisions and occasions for
stumbling contrary to the teaching that you have learned, and avoid them."
(Rom 16:17).
THE PARABLE OF THE "WEEDS" AND THE
"WHEAT" (2)
"'The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world; the good seed stands for the children of the Kingdom,
the darnel (3)
for the children of the evil one. The enemy who sowed the darnel is the devil.
The harvest is the end of time. The reapers are angels.
As the darnel, then, is gathered up and burnt, so at
the end of time the Son of Man will send out his angels, who will gather out of
his Kingdom whatever makes men stumble, and all whose deeds are evil, and these
will be thrown into the blazing furnace, the place of wailing and
grinding of teeth. And then the righteous will shine as brightly as the sun in
the Kingdom of their Father.'" (From Matt 13:37 43 NEB).
(1) |
STUMBLING-BLOCK: An obstacle; a cause of perplexity or error. |
|
(2) |
See Matt 13:24-30 NEB. |
|
(3) |
DARNEL: Weeds. |
|