The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores, And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there. Then he said, I pray you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house. For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, No, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead”, and in chapter seventeen and verse one of his book Luke shared how Jesus said, “it is impossible but that offenses will come” where we read:
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offenses will come:
but woe unto him, through whom they come!
The verse reads, “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offenses will come:” Luke began with the words, “then said he” or “now and moreover Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto the disciples” which means “to his, Jesus', pupils, students and attendants”, “it is impossible” or “it is not supposable, inadmissible, unallowable and improper” “but that offenses will come” which means “except that stumbling blocks, occasions to fall, snares and traps will arise and appear”. Luke shared how Jesus told His “disciples” that “stumbling blocks and occasions to fall” are inevitable.
The verse continues, “but woe unto him, through whom they come!” Luke added the words, “but woe unto him” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover alas as a primary exclamation of grief toward the person whether male or female”, “through whom they come” which means “by means of the person the offenses arise and appear”. Luke shared how Jesus gave a grave warning to the people who cause the “offenses” to arise.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we discover the emphatic passion in which Jesus declared the unavoidable “stumbling blocks” that will arise in His “disciple's” lives. Because people have given their hearts and lives to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they shall face opposition not only in the physical world, but in the spiritual world as well. God is able to provide strength and endurance to those who put their faith in Him, and even if “adversity” comes, Jesus will give them power to endure. It is important that those listening to Jesus not be the source of those “offenses”, and should there be errors, sins and mistakes in this area, let all who hear the words of Jesus humble themselves before Him to be forgiven.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, a man would be better to have, “a millstone hanged about his neck” than to “offend one of these little ones” 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".
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