HAVING established the teaching of Jesus in the previous two verses we can now follow Jesus in these next verses and take to heart how important it is to be careful that we do not cause others to stumble in their Christian lives.

Jesus reminds us that it is common and endemic in the world that people are caused to stumble by the actions and example of others. Jesus tells us that this is to be expected because we live in a fallen world, where every human being is fallen and has a corrupt heart. This is the very nature of original sin which we have all inherited from Adam. It is a very powerful argument to establish the historicity of Adam and Eve because what we are told concerning them is the only viable explanation why human beings are so corrupt at heart, and why evil abounds in the world. On the theory of evolution there is no explanation for the universal sinfulness of human beings. In fact on the theory of evolution we would expect people to evolve in goodness i.e. evolving to become better and better. It is true we evolve positively in the accumulation of knowledge and scientific advance, but morally and spiritually, far from improving, evil seems always to be increasing.

Jesus supports this fact here in verse 7. He tells us that such things must come. Evil is endemic in human nature. It is natural to commit sin and so commend sin. But even if this is so this does not mean that such evil is good but rather should be, and is, condemned and judged by God. “Woe to the man through whom they come”.

Jesus then presses upon every believer how important it is that we should do everything we can in our living to cut out anything and everything that may be a cause of another person being led astray, and to stumble.

We need to ask ourselves why Jesus is so pressing about this matter? and if we do we shall find our minds impressed by the truth of the awful end and disaster which is coming on all who cause offense to others and lead them into sin. Jesus speaks of the reality of hell and eternal punishment. Jesus speaks of hell as eternal fire, and the fire of hell.

Such teaching has disappeared from Christian teaching these days. The fact is that the church seems to have agreed to deny the fact of hell, and teaches rather that God who is love could never send anyone to hell. But this will not do. Jesus does speak of the reality of hell, as well as speaking of God's love, quite unequivocally, and speaks of the awful pain and misery of hell. Fire is something that causes excruciating pain and suffering. This is bad enough in earthly terms, but on earth death causes the pain to cease. The body feels no more at death. However Jesus speaks of eternal fire. The fire of hell, that is the pain of hell, is eternal. It will never, never end. In this life everything has an end. In the life to come, whether for good or ill, there will be no end. If it goes on without end, and cannot be changed, how important that in this life we gain eternal life and not eternal death in the eternal fire of hell.

This is why Jesus speaks of cutting off limbs, and crippling our earthly life. This is very painful and awful to contemplate, but if so doing we prevent ourselves from eternal fire, then this present suffering is nothing to eternal suffering, and this little pain in comparison to eternal fire is worthwhile.

We may not mutilate our bodies in such a vigorous way, but we need to mortify our corrupt affections as Paul teaches. To give up some action, some sin, even some harmless and good thing, if it is harmful to our spiritual life, or brings harm to others, however hard or painful, is much better than ending up in the fires of hell. Paul speaks in Romans 8 of the sufferings of this present world being nothing in the light of the glory which will be revealed in us when we enter the heavenly glory. We need to hold before our minds these two things. On the one hand the horror of eternal fire, and on the other the glory of eternal life and the glory which shall be ours there.

This is particularly true and important concerning actions we do which cause others to stumble. Jesus tells us in Luke's Gospel of the rich man who ended up in hell. We read of him in hell seeking that his brothers should be persuaded not to live like he, the rich man, had lived during his life. It seems that the rich man was having a change of heart and caring for his brothers. It is much more likely rather that he did not want his brothers in hell simply because their accusations against him and his example which caused them to stumble, would make his existence in hell so much more painful.