A Millstone Rather than Offend Little Ones - Luke 17:2

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come”, and in chapter seventeen and verse two of his book Luke wrote how Jesus said a man would be better to have, “a millstone hanged about his neck” than to “offend one of these little ones” where we read:

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.

The verse reads, “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck,” Luke began with the words, “it were better for him” or “it would be more useful, advantageous and profitable for the person who causes offenses” “that a millstone” which means “that a large stone used for grinding mill” “were hanged about his neck” or “be lined around, compassed and around an offender's physical neck”. Luke shared how Jesus said it would be more advantageous for a person who “causes offenses” to have a large “mill stone hung around their physical neck” than for the following to occur.

The verse goes on to say, “and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” Luke continued with the words, “and he cast into the sea” or “and the offender thrown into the large body of what known as a sea”, “than that he should offend” which means “either that the one who is a stumbles, hinders or causes to fall away” “one of these little ones” or “a single or certain one of the small and younger people to whom Jesus referred”. Luke shared how Jesus said the person who “offends” would be better off to have a “mill stone” hung around their physical neck and thrown into a large body of water than to “hinder and stumble” a small child.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how strongly Jesus taught concerning people who “offend” others. Jesus said it would be “better” for a person who “offends” “little ones” to have a large stone hung around their physical neck and to be tossed into a large body of water. Let it be known, God does not like people to suffer “offenses”, and although they are inevitable, those who follow Jesus Christ as their personal “Savior and Lord” should never be the perpetrators of them, and they will be empowered to endure them when they occur. God loves people, and His desire is to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus. Let all who read these words take heed and seek to never be ones who offend.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".