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Luke 17:1–2
“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.’”
Not everyone can be an Apostle of Jesus, for that office was reserved for those who were eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Christ (Acts 1:12–26). Anyone, however, can become a disciple of Jesus by following Him. A disciple is someone who is a learner, and we can all learn from Jesus through His Word.
Christ has much to say about what discipleship entails, and Luke’s account of His final journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51–19:27) collects much of our Lord’s instruction for His disciples. Today’s passage gives us important teaching from Jesus that conveys His care for His people, assures us that those who trouble us will not go unpunished, and provides guidance for life in the church.
Jesus begins by pointing out the reality that “temptations to sin are sure to come” before we enter glory (Luke 17:1). Scripture contains many warnings about temptations, which indicate their certainty in this life, and Christ’s prayer that God “lead us not into temptation” (Matt. 6:13) assumes that temptations are a regular part of our journey through this fallen world.
Our Savior will use this teaching on the reality of temptation to exhort us to pay attention and not be caught off guard when we are tempted to sin (Luke 17:3). Before He does that, however, He pronounces a woe on the one through whom temptations come (v. 1). Jesus’ statement recognizes the reality of external temptations or enticements to sin that we face when other people try to lure us into wrongdoing. Many temptations arise from within as we find our sinful hearts producing all manner of evil thoughts and inclinations apart from any external influence (James 1:14–15), but not all temptations come from within. Individuals and cultures can present to us specific sins that we might not have thought of on our own or provide specific ways for our unlawful desires to come to fruition.
Christ has particularly harsh words for those who are agents of temptation, saying that it would be better for them to have a millstone hung around their necks and be cast into the sea than to tempt His “little ones” to sin (Luke 17:2). The millstone is a heavy stone used to grind grain into flour, so one would certainly drown in the scenario Jesus describes. In other words, we would be better off dead than to be an avenue of temptation to Jesus’ “little ones,” a loving designation for Christians that conveys Christ’s special care for us.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
The woe that Jesus pronounces on those who tempt His people encourages us to be holy in our conduct. When we sin, we can end up tempting other believers to follow us in the same course, making us worthy of having a millstone hung around our necks. Christ will, of course, forgive anyone who repents for bringing temptation (1 John 1:8–9), but let us seek never to introduce others to sin.
for further study
- Genesis 3:14–15
- Numbers 25
- Matthew 18:7
- Mark 9:42
the bible in a year
- Psalms 116–119:48
- 1 Corinthians 3