Stumbling-Stones, Or Stepping-Stones?

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! ² It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. ³ Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. ⁴ And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” Luke 17:1-4

“Things may be stumbling-stones or stepping-stones to us. They may be hindrances or helps—trials or blessings. What they prove to be depends not so much on their nature as upon our attitude toward them. It is not our opportunities that count, but the use that we make of them. It is not how much money we possess, but the wisdom we display in its expenditure. It is not how many obstacles we meet in life, but the manner in which we meet them.” (C.W. Naylor, “Heart Talks”, p. 189)

One of the things I have not mentioned about Reverend Naylor is the affliction he found himself facing later in his life. After thirteen years in the ministry, he experienced some sort of internal injury that left him bedridden for the remainder of his life. He was in constant pain. He talks about his affliction and the depression he first encountered – and his friends and family encountered on his behalf. He talks about the difficulty that this reality had on the faith of his friends and family. And then, in the face of his battle, the friends and family who were at his side began to be encouraged by  the manner he faced his troubles. He writes, “The affliction itself was the same; the change was in them; for that which was once a source of discouragement would have continued so had they continued to look at it as they had formerly done.”

Life will give us all kinds of stumbling stones – the challenge is to see each one as a stepping-stone for our faith. Yes, these epiphanies will not always be immediate, but the longer we endure, the more we trust G-d’s wisdom and plan, the more intimately we rely on the guidance of the light of Christ in our lives, the more each struggle will become a strength. When life gives you a stumbling-stone – ask yourself, “How can I use this as a stepping-stone?” As Naylor says, “It is not how many obstacles we meet in life, but the manner in which we meet them.”

Pastor Dave

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.  I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” Genesis 17:1-7

“The Lord spoke to Moses: Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred fifty, and two hundred fifty of aromatic cane,  and five hundred of cassia—measured by the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil; and you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand…” Exodus 30:22-28

As the saga of Abraham unfolded, the great patriarch came to value his relationship with G-d so much that he acted in ways which damaged his closest relationships. Can you imagine having Abraham as your Father? Not me. I would not have wanted to have been one of Abraham’s sons.

In our text above, G-d approached a mortal to make a promise.  The instructions regarding the sacred anointing oil in Exodus 30:22-28 concerned how people should approach the dwelling place of G-d–with the utmost reverence, OR ELSE.  There was a chasm, a grand separation between humans and G-d in much of the Old Testament. Abraham did manifest active trust in G-d when he was still Abram.  And Genesis describes a very close relationship between God and Abraham; they were on speaking terms, face-to-face, according to the texts.

We, too, should approach G-d with deep awe and love. When we come to worship, we should be prepared to reverence the name of the Trinity by crossing ourselves. We should bow in reverence when the bread and wine are elevated during the Great Thanksgiving. After all, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has not only approached us but incarnated and became one of us. And we have a commandment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, to respect the image of G-d in them.

In all of the resolutions we make this new year, my prayer is that we act accordingly, trusting in G-d, giving the reverence that G-d is due, and recognizing the limits of our abilities and knowledge. And may we value being merciful more than being correct in our minds.

Pastor Dave