millstone

Wisdom 1:1-7; Ps 139 Guide me, Lord along the everlasting way; Luke 17:1-6

JEsus said to the disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin."


IT is said that JEsus is a realist. He always has an eye for reality, the way things are. Perhaps his statement is really an insight into the human condition, "things that cause sin will inevitably occur."


Wrongdoing shall accompany humanity to the end. Things shall invoke and elicit a response of sinfulness.

But, in the cascade of wrongdoing that unfolds, we are not powerless. We do have a say. Just because sin, the turning from God, happens, it does not have to happen because of us.

We must strive each day a new to "do no harm."

Do no harm to ourselves and to others.


Jesus certainly doesn't treat sin lightly nor does he excuse it because it is inevitable, "better to have a millstone put around the neck than to cause one of these little ones to sin."

Yikes! A millstone around the neck is quite a load, quite a weight.

We should all use our power to avoid the near occasion of sin, either in us or in others.

How often have I heard the excuse, "Well, father we are only human." That doesn't fly before the Lord. Notice the Apostles are raised to a new standard of living, Not only should they not cause sin but they must also rebuke it.

"Be on guard! IF your brother sins, rebuke him;"

We have a dutiful obligation to no longer just stand idly by and watch sin unfold. We must speak up, stand up!

JEsus doesn't say that we should take the sin "personal" as so many do and get all caught up in emotion but rather simply be direct, be straight forward, and move on. Rebuke then and if they repent forgive them.

We just have to keep it real.

Perhaps this is why the apostles said, "increase our faith."

It takes faith to rebuke, it takes faith to not take things personal, it takes faith to personally involve ourself in the unfolding of life.

JEsus in today's gospel is inviting us to learn how to live.

Albert Camus, author, said knowing how to live is learning to reconcile vice and virtue.

Rebuke and forgive and thus the circle of life unfolds daily for us and in doing so we keep the millstone off our back.