Tripping hazards
by Pastor Reid Matthias
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If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea (Mark 9:42).
Read Mark 9:42–50
My sinful, cynical nature rears up against this passage because it speaks so strongly to me and this present age of celebrity. As I work with these ‘little ones’ – sometimes they are kids, other times adults young and innocent in the faith – my temptation can be to be the ‘cool old guy’ or the pastor who gets the accolades. What is at risk is putting myself in the place of the Saviour who the little ones really need. I can very much be the stumbling block because of what I write with my hands, the places where I’ve been or the ways in which I’m viewed. Because of my fallibility, I can skew how people see Jesus.
Not me, but Thee, as they say.
If you have a chance to keep reading around this chapter of Mark, notice how many times Jesus interacts with children or speaks about them. He even goes so far as to describe to the adults, ‘Truly I tell, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it’ (Mark 10:15).
I find the Lord’s perspective entirely refreshing. With child-like hearts, minds and eyes, we see the Saviour pointing to God instead of our own hands, feet and eyes, which causes us to stumble in faith. We are given the opportunity to entirely direct our attention on Jesus, who will not stumble, nor will he let us fall.
What kinds of things cause you to stumble in your faith? How do others see this? Most importantly, I pray that you know Jesus’ forgiveness in these things.
Precious Lord, grant me the wisdom to do and speak the things that bring glory to you, not me. When I stumble, please lift me up again to walk with you. Amen.
Reid Matthias is the school pastor at St Andrews Lutheran College in Tallebudgera, Queensland. Reid is married to Christine, who is part of the Grow Ministries team. Together, they have raised three incredible daughters, Elsa, Josephine and Greta. Dedicated to the written word, Reid has recently published his fourth novel, Blank Spaces, maintains the blog ireid.blogspot.com and regularly contributes to The Lutheran magazine.
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