Choosing Life

Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks!  Matthew 18:1-9  Jesus is very extreme in his language when referring to those things which keep us from experiencing true life in the Kingdom of God. The mere suggestion of cutting off our hand or tearing out our eye sounds like something out of a horror movie. As part of an assignment for seminary I was allowed to visit an AA meeting. Hearing the stories of some of it’s participants helped put into perspective what it really means to cut something out of your life. Like cutting off a foot or tearing out an eye, it’s not a temporary solution. It’s a daily permanent act of choosing life, not only theirs alone but also the lives of their family. Life can have its horror moments and occasions for stumbling are bound to come, some more severe than others. Yet, as believers and children of a living God, we must not become stumbling blocks and have much to learn from those who daily make the decision to “cut off” those things that could cause anyone of us to stumble.