But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea

 

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire." 

 

- Matthew 18:1-9 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus and the disciples were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful.  When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes."  And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon?  From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?"  Peter said to Him, "From strangers."  Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free.  Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first.  And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

 

 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."  My study Bible comments that this question is an indication of a selfish interest in worldly power.  Christ points to a little child as the model of true discipleship, and emphasizes in so doing the virtues which are required for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  My study Bible lists them as humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  In many Orthodox icons of this event, St. Ignatius of Antioch is depicted as the child.  In certain legends of saints, it is he who was the boy who gave the loaves and fishes (John 6:9).  

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of offenses!  For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!  If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  This is not the first time Jesus uses a metaphor of mutilation to illustrate decisive action in order to avoid sin; see also Matthew 5:29.  By these extremely vivid illustrations we should understand Christ's style of speaking in ways that will grasp the imagination of the listener to make His point.  He uses such images in order to convey to the disciples -- and to us -- the extreme seriousness of sin (in this case, offenses against the little ones in the Church who will be in their charge) and its consequences.  This metaphor of amputation can also be understood as a reference to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  

How powerfully do we take Christ's words about amputation?  Clearly we have to understand this as a metaphor for the fullness of who we are -- body, soul, and spirit -- and to understand that in the fullness of personal identity, sin is a potentially disfiguring and poisonous element that has the capacity to destroy the fullness of life in Christ and the Kingdom which He brings into this world.  Moreover, He refers clearly to the eternal life beyond this world, for His warning about "hell fire" is something we must take deeply seriously.  Let us keep in mind that He is speaking directly to His disciples, so these people to whom He's giving these dire warnings are the ones who have followed Him in faith, who are to be the pillars of His Church.  All of this simply emphasizes the power of what He is conveying to them about abuse and offenses.  In our consideration of what Jesus is saying, we must keep in mind the power of righteousness and its importance in this context.  That is, a righteousness that means "right-relatedness," the ways in which we live in relationship to God and to neighbor.  In this case, He is speaking directly to the disciples who seek eagerly to understand what important places may be in store for them in Christ's Kingdom which they may expect is imminent.  As Jesus has at this point warned them twice about His coming Passion and Resurrection, they have no doubt begun considering what this means, and this question goes to their places in this expected kingdom.  Popular expectations among the people were that the Messiah was to usher in a kingdom like King David's, and so the question reflects some of this understanding.  But Jesus' emphasis is on their responsibility which will come to them as those having important positions of authority in His Church -- and this He links directly with their treatment of the "little ones," those who will depend upon them for leadership in faith and the care of whose souls will be entrusted to them.  In this context, we understand Christ's words as a dire warning about abuses of power, taking advantage of those in their care.  His followers and faithful will be sheep in the care of His appointed shepherds, and if they in turn  lead astray then, "it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."  In some sense, Jesus is warning all of us when He says, "For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!"  He is conveying the seriousness of a righteous life, and the understanding that faith is not simply a set of values or principles to which one ascribes, but the fullness of living that life of faith and producing the fruits of faith in how we make choices and the ways in which we seek to relate to others.  Here, of course, He speaks directly to those who will be responsible for all the flock of His Church.  But when He speaks of mutilation as preferable to living with sinful and selfish habits, there is no doubt He speaks of the destruction of the whole of the self by not seeking to be aware of our own behaviors and to correct them.  In this metaphor, we can understand how a hand can reach out where it doesn't belong, to harm or take advantage of another, to take what does not belong to oneself, or to abuse.  A foot can go where it doesn't belong, trespassing across boundaries of all kinds, trampling upon others with less power or authority.  An eye will covet what is not proper to a person, or look with lust upon another in ways that are purely selfish and harmful to community, especially upon a dependent "little one" who looks up to authority for guidance.  All of these things are proper to consider in Jesus' dire warning about real offenses and their consequences.  Most important, it seems to me, is the warning that our own selfish practices have the effect of destroying the fullness of who we are.  If we really were to consider that our own behavior which exploits or abuses others in some way is simply most harmful to ourselves, then how might we consider changing our conduct -- even cutting off bad habits in the same way a gangrenous foot, or fully infected eye might need amputation lest we are in danger of death of the whole body?  This is the way that Jesus speaks of offenses, and it is especially directed at those to whom he will entrust leadership in His Church, and care of the "little ones."  So let us each, in our own lives, take this admonition about righteousness, and "right-relatedness," as seriously as Jesus would have us do by these illustrations.  If we but understood the harm we do to ourselves, the destruction of our own lives by abuse and offense, how would we change our behaviors?  Let us take Him as seriously as He means for us to understand Him.  He begins today's reading by speaking about the essential nature of humility as a required virtue for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, indicating a deep need for us to change worldly perspectives radically in order to understand what it is to be a part of the life He offers.  In extending His discussion to notions of abuse and misuse of power, He illustrates what that means.  There is no better time than now to begin to take His advice most seriously, for we still live in a world that values what it can grab, and positions of authority as power to do so.  Unless we understand what it is to serve, and to open our eyes and hearts to His way, we will not find in the world the ways that Christ teaches us to live as part of His kingdom.