Morning Musing: Are You a Stumbling Block to Others?

If we are a disciple of Jesus, that means follow Him. This also means we need to behave the way Jesus does. Someone recently said that the Bible is instruction for how to live in this world, not the next world. I think one reason Jesus came to our world in human form was to show us exactly how we are to behave. Well, in today’s reading I learned that Jesus has a strong disapproval of stumbling blocks.

A stumbling block is a temptation meant to trip us into disobedience.

Someone was trying to trip Jesus Himself into sinning. Check this out:

Peter took him [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Matthew 16:22-23)

Interesting that Peter decided to rebuke Jesus. Yikes!

I love Jesus’ boldness. His next step was pure authority.

Jesus reprimands Satan. He uses his name. He’s reprimanding Satan because he was tempting Jesus through Peter’s words. Simultaneously, Jesus reprimands Peter. Peter completely disobeyed Jesus. He tempted Him. It says in the Bible we are not to tempt the Lord our God. (Luke 4:12). I don’t think Peter knew at the moment he was being used as a stumbling block to tempt Jesus, but he quickly learned from Jesus Himself that’s exactly what was happening.

Both Satan and Peter needed immediate correction. In Jesus’ authoritative way, He let them know they had completely overstepped their boundary with Him.

Jesus was bold and direct. I believe both Satan and Peter knew they had overstepped. Jesus would not only not sin, but He rebuked being tempted too.

I can only imagine how Peter felt. Probably shocked and then ashamed.

Sometimes Satan is working in us to be stumbling blocks (temptations, hindrances, and offensive) to others with the goal of causing them to disobey Jesus. Sometimes others are doing this to us. We may or may not know, like Peter, that’s what’s happening.

We need to be aware this can and does happen to Christ-followers.

If we aren’t careful, we become the devil’s pawns rather than God’s mighty warriors. If we aren’t careful, our sinful nature takes over, and we will do the hurtful work of the devil rather than the healing work of Jesus. If we aren’t careful, we become the stumbling blocks that hinder and offend others.

Friends, we need to do as Jesus did.

We need to recognize the stumbling blocks and immediately address them. But it doesn’t stop there. Once we rebuke Satan (and maybe humans), then we need to gently instruct just like Jesus did:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, NLT).

Friends, it’s difficult to rebuke Satan. It takes courage. But if we are to be Jesus’ followers, we must. We must acknowledge the stumbling blocks we are putting in others’ lives, and we must accept others do this to us too. Even our fellow Christian friends can become the stumbling blocks. It’s not just unbelievers.

Holding each other accountable to this is hard, but like Jesus, we can and we should. We need to have in mind the concerns of Jesus, not merely our own human concerns. And that means, we have a responsibility to acknowledge stumbling blocks. Call them out. Address them. Get rid of them. When someone calls them out in us, let us receive this feedback as a blessing.

Today, let’s focus on our own behavior. Ask ourselves, “Am I a stumbling block to others? Am I hindering someone with my words, my actions? Am I offensive? Am I trying to stir the pot to cause someone to react negatively? Am I only concerned with my own ways? Am I overstepping my boundaries with Jesus?”

Friends, we have an important calling in our lives if we have said yes to Jesus. Let’s act like we are His disciples. Let’s be like Jesus. Let us not be stumbling blocks.