Forgiveness or a Millstone?

Is there a millstone in your neighborhood or community?

Millstone - Historic park - Israel

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves! "If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive." Luke 17:1-4

 

Millstones aren't common now but in Jesus time millstones could be found in any agricultural village. Grains needed to be ground into flour--and at a mill large quantities could be done in a shorter time than a homemaker could do a small quantity for her family's supper. The millstone would grind the grain using a donkey or an ox to turn one stone against another. Now mills grind flour and put it on grocery shelves for millions of families. On a small scale at home we do the same thing with an electric grinder or even a high speed blender. Done in seconds! 

To have one of those millstones hung around one's neck would mean sure death in any body of water. But that is justice for a person who leads children astray--and causes or teaches them to sin. That goes for today, as well as two thousand years ago. 

Repentance and Forgiveness as key to many of Jesus' teaching. Both are associated with obedience--another key teaching. Jesus was the ultimate example of obedience. He went to the cross willingly as a substitute--a sacrifial substitute--for our sin. For that we need to repent and ask for forgiveness. We must forgive others as Jesus forgave us. 

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.  Luke 6:37 (KJV)

Are you forgiving those who have offended you?

Prayer ~ Lord God--forgive me as I have forgiven others. Thank you for forgiving me for the mistakes, bad attitudes and just plain sin shrouded in disobedience.

Daily Bible Reading: John 11

 

© 2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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