Matthew 18:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

NIV: Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

NASB: Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!

CSB: Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.

NLT: What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.

KJV: Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

NKJV: Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

Jesus began by stating that His disciples will need to be like little children both to enter the kingdom of heaven and to be great in it. He was describing holding on to a childlike faith and humility instead of relying on one's own goodness, skill, or achievement (Matthew 18:1–6).

Now, He seems to have begun describing His disciples, those who believe in Him, as little children or little ones. From God's perspective, even the most experienced believers are still little children. Jesus has spoken of them with harsh and protective language, warning of judgment for anyone that would cause one of His little ones to fall into sin.

Now Jesus uses one of the familiar words Old Testament prophets often used when describing God's judgment: "Woe." Woe on the world for temptations to sin, those stumbling blocks it puts in the way of believers in Jesus to trip them up into sin. Judgment will come for them.

Jesus adds that such temptations are necessary. He does not mean by this that God is directly causing His little ones to experience temptation to sin. He seems to be saying that temptation to sin is part of living in a world that is full of sin. Facing temptation may be unavoidable for Christians, but those who lead them into sin will face God's painful judgment.

Two other things Jesus is not saying here: He is not saying it is necessary for Christians to give in to temptation. Temptation to sin may be a fact of life for believers but giving in to it is always avoidable (1 Corinthians 10:13). Second, Jesus is not saying that believers who sin, who stumble, are lost to Him. They can get up and continue to follow after Him.

Matthew 18:7–9 contains Jesus declaration of woe—the promise of judgment—to the world for temptations to sin, though He says that temptations are necessary. Still, Jesus uses hyperbole to warn the disciples to go to extremes to avoid sin. If your hand or foot or eye causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. Better to be crippled or blind in this life than to be thrown into the fire of hell.

Jesus uses two questions from the disciples to teach important lessons. The "greatest" in the kingdom is the one who humbles himself like a child. Temptation is unavoidable in earthly life, but it's worth going to extremes to avoid falling for it. Even so, those who fall should not be hated and despised. God the Father values them highly and wants none of them to perish. In fact, Jesus lays out a clear, careful process to confront sin in others before removing them from the community. Christ also replies to Peter's question about forgiveness with a parable. This story represents both God's amazing forgiveness, and the way we ought to respond as Christians.

Matthew 18 follows the action of the previous chapter with teaching from Jesus on several issues. These include humility, using the example of a child. Jesus also teaches about avoiding sin and offering forgiveness to others. Interestingly, the following chapter will also feature references to children and to wealth, as Christ continues to explain the will of God to His disciples.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.