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What’s your impact?
Accountability… a great topic for a CPA? I must admit that I’m more comfortable working with nice clean numbers than dealing with messy interpersonal relationships. Therefore it is easier for me to be accountable for a financial analysis than for my role in relationships. But in this scripture passage, Jesus gets my attention with strong words of warning that get past my avoidance response.
At this point in Luke, Jesus’ words come as a particular warning to the Pharisees, who were opposing him intensely, looking for reasons to accuse him, to discredit him, and to keep others from following him and listening to his teachings. They were unrepentant, striving to retain the power and control they had usurped over the years, and missing entirely the loving and life-saving message that Jesus was bringing from God. Their self-righteousness was more important to them than the true Kingdom of Heaven! Jesus’ words graphically describe the severity of the punishment in store for those who, like the Pharisees, are stumbling blocks, keeping others from finding faith in God.
This passage is also a message for us about how God views Christians’ behavioral impact on others. Jesus’ words tell us God takes seriously our sin and the effects our sin may have on our brothers and sisters. Although I tend to think of sin as an individual and mostly private matter, God does not see my sin in isolation, but in the context of how it influences others. When I ponder God’s point of view, it changes the significance of my acts. I am responsible for not causing my brother to sin – as well as providing support and encouragement.
The world teaches us that we are not our brothers keeper. The word of God teaches the opposite; love your neighbor as you love yourself. Today’s verses adds an accountability dimension to the loving your neighbor. You have to love someone for you to be sensitive about/to/of their destiny and the impact your influence has on their actions. (this influence may cause them to or not to sin).
Most people in authority can huff and puff but when Jesus uses the word ‘Woe’, I’m compelled to stop and listen.
Thanks, Bobbi, I needed this today. Enough said!
Bobby thanks for the thought about accountablity. I to think we have kept ourselves isolated and thinking what I do isn’t your bussiness or doesn’t affect you. However, when I am in relationship with other believers I grow. That usually involves being open enough to share/ confess my sins to that friend or group. They then ask me how I am doing and hold my “feet to the fire’ keep me accountable. .What I do affects the group.
Bobbi, you are a special lady to put up with JV, and he knows it.
Hey, the application of this verse, I believe, starts personally and in the home. I try to make sure I am not the one causing my own family to fall.
Thank you for these words of wisdom. God really used them to reinforce what He was trying to show me.
We have a woman in the neighborhood who has a large German shepherd dog. She walks the dog and lets him go to the bathroom on other peoples property and doesn’t pick it up. I am not talking about near the road I am talking about right up to your doorway.
In my self-righteousness I have thought of many things to say to her, including putting up a no trespassing sign. Just goes to show you how far you can go in sinning. I am looking at the world’s point of view. As Brian shared, “How much do we have to hate someone to want to see them in hell?” God says we are to love our neighbor and do good unto them. Right now I am praying for my neighbor – not that she keep her dog off my property but that God will show me how He wants me to reach out to her. He has brought her into my life for a reason.
Forgive me Father for my self-righteousness and show me what it is you would have me to do to reach out to her.
Lord, live through me and all of us today that we may see beyond ourselves. Most of my life is spent focusing on my life. Jesus, live your life through me that God may be glorified and those I encounter may see, understand and accept God’s love. Help us all to let go of our own eyes, hearts & minds that we may accept those of Jesus and let Him live through each of us.
This is a hard passage. To think that if I cause someone to sin it is better for me to be dead?? What does this look like? How do I cause a little one to sin and God see it so seriously that I deserve death. Who is the little one? I guess the only sane way to live is to live in the spirit and in an attitude of love toward all. Or iis it simply as Bobbi put it…if I cause someone to be a non believer then I am dead.
Bobbi, I love your husband. It’s OK. I’m old enough to be his Mom. I love you too, although I don’t think we have met. That’s probably because I too would rather deal with numbers than relationships. I put on a good front so not too many people know that. Could it be that I have let little ones (little in size or little in faith?) come into sin simply because I didn’t want to get involved. Hm-m-m, that’s troubling. Woe to me?
After watching you struggle with this I think you did a great job!