"But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
Jesus is talking about people who interfere with anyone, including 'these little ones who believe in me' and causing them to stumble. Stumble how? What happens when you stumble? Your capacity to continue on the path is impeded, even blocked. The context (one of these little ones who BELIEVES in me) implies stumbling in faith, or in their path of life, in their connection to God and Christ.
One of the horrific aspects of peophilia and incest, etc, is that it very often perpetuates itself. So, very often, such violations do cause the person or child to lose their way, to stumble. Fortunately, the power of forgiveness actually liberates. Forgiveness is not tolerance. It is liberating yourself from the evil of others.
And on the topic of stumbling, how do you think God feels? Do you think God's heart is LESS sensitive that yours, or mine? What if one of his innocent children is abused and tortured in such a way that that person completely loses his connection with God and wanders, lost, confused, into drugs, into crime, lost in Satan's grasp?
Finally, that person becomes another abuser, locked into the hell created by those who acted against him? Does God relish in the suffering that lost child has made for himself, and others?
No one who loves his or her child would relish in their suffering. God weeps for each and every lost child. Relentlessly. Personally, I believe Jesus would have been unable to get the complete victory if for one split second, he was more concerned about retribution or even justice than he was concerned about liberating each and every soul, because he loves them so much.
Grace is not justice. Grace is love. If it were a matter of justice, we'd all be in hell.
I'm not attempting to belittle or dismiss the valour and courage of the subject of this post. I just think that there is more to it and more to the scripture than simply a warning from Jesus about hurting the children.
Unfortunately, it's a misquote.
"But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
Jesus is talking about people who interfere with anyone, including 'these little ones who believe in me' and causing them to stumble. Stumble how? What happens when you stumble? Your capacity to continue on the path is impeded, even blocked. The context (one of these little ones who BELIEVES in me) implies stumbling in faith, or in their path of life, in their connection to God and Christ.
One of the horrific aspects of peophilia and incest, etc, is that it very often perpetuates itself. So, very often, such violations do cause the person or child to lose their way, to stumble. Fortunately, the power of forgiveness actually liberates. Forgiveness is not tolerance. It is liberating yourself from the evil of others.
And on the topic of stumbling, how do you think God feels? Do you think God's heart is LESS sensitive that yours, or mine? What if one of his innocent children is abused and tortured in such a way that that person completely loses his connection with God and wanders, lost, confused, into drugs, into crime, lost in Satan's grasp?
Finally, that person becomes another abuser, locked into the hell created by those who acted against him? Does God relish in the suffering that lost child has made for himself, and others?
No one who loves his or her child would relish in their suffering. God weeps for each and every lost child. Relentlessly. Personally, I believe Jesus would have been unable to get the complete victory if for one split second, he was more concerned about retribution or even justice than he was concerned about liberating each and every soul, because he loves them so much.
Grace is not justice. Grace is love. If it were a matter of justice, we'd all be in hell.
I'm not attempting to belittle or dismiss the valour and courage of the subject of this post. I just think that there is more to it and more to the scripture than simply a warning from Jesus about hurting the children.
You've basically got it. I have another comment here with my own thoughts on the context of the verses.