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 “And
he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions
of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they
come. It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his
neck. and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he
should cause one of these little ones to stumble.” (Lk. 17:
1,2)
Few
courts of men ever meted out such a dreadful punishment as
Christ describes in this passage. And yet, severe as it is. He
says that even this fate would be better than causing a
little one to stumble. We can only imagine the frightful
punishment awaiting these offenders. This inferred punishment
but indicates the enormity of such a crime. It is obvious that
Christ intends for men to be deeply impressed with the
seriousness of this sin and its consequence.
Few
are more susceptible to the sin of causing little ones to
stumble than we parents. What children are and what they become
can be largely attributed to the influence of their parents —
whether it be by design or by default. Little ones stand to be
helped or hindered; led to God or away from Him by Mother and
Daddy more than by anyone else. For this reason parents must
have an abiding awareness of the God-given obligation to bring
up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and
to train them up in the way they should go. (Eph. 6:4; Prov.
22:6)
While
few parents would deliberately come between their children and
God, many do so unwittingly by their example. Even children can
see the absence of spiritual
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values in parents who do not pray and
read the Bible. They understand that God cannot be very
important to a Mother and Daddy who won’t worship him.
Stumbling block examples are not limited to the parents who
curse, cheat, lie and drink before their children. High
principles and good morals that are not Divinely motivated do
not produce spiritual values and are no substitute for doing God’s
will.
Precious
young souls are hindered from knowing Christ and His teachings
by parents who will not teach them at home nor allow others to
teach them in Bible classes. Such parents are not unlike the
scribes and Pharisees who shut up the kingdom of heaven against
men; neither entering themselves nor allowing others to enter
(Mt. 22:13). What a heritage for our little ones! —
stumbling-blocks! And what can their children expect but more of
the same. Satan could have no better ally than a parent who
hinders his child from learning about Jesus and his truth.
It
has been wisely noted. “as the twig is bent, the tree is
inclined” (Pope). God looks to parents to bend the “twig”
heavenward. Little ones are trusting us to lead them, by precept
and example, in the right paths. With David, we should urge them
to “keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways,
to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments,
and his testimonies..” (1 King. 2:3). Better the millstone
than to hinder these little ones! Dan Shipley, Box 237, Burnet,
Texas
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