Stumbling
Read 1 Peter 2.
I love going on hikes in the woods. Walking trails at our many Indiana state parks was a part of my growing up and it's something that I've continued to do in adulthood, though not with the kind of frequency I would like. Hiking can be a dangerous practice, though. The trails at the state parks are nice and cleared, but they are anything but level. The trails being cleared can lead you into a sense of false security, making you think that you can walk safely without any thought. I find I have to make sure I am not only looking at the scenery around me but also keeping an eye on where I put my feet, lest I stumble over a stray root or a fallen branch.
Stumbling can be embarrassing. It can be painful. And sometimes it's just what we need.
Peter compares Jesus to a stone that causes someone to stumble. The root word in the original language is skandalon, which is obviously tied to our word "scandal." A scandal exposes what is unknown, and Jesus' life is a scandal. But it's not one that results in him looking bad (like the scandals that plague our politicians and other public figures), but one that results in us seeing what's really going on in our lives. When his life is held up against ours, what is in our hearts that shouldn't be there is exposed. His life causes us to stumble. Just when we think we have our perfect life and perfect image put together, on display for the world to see, suddenly our lives are exposed when compared to what we should be and who we should be like.
But in this case, stumbling is just what we need to do—because stumbling, Peter says, is what makes us into the people of God. Stumbling is what causes us to recognize our need of Someone to walk by our side. Stumbling reminds us of our need of Jesus. Stumbling puts us in need of mercy—no, let me rephrase that. Stumbling reminds us that we are in need of mercy.
So may you stumble today, and may you fall into the arms of Jesus.
I love going on hikes in the woods. Walking trails at our many Indiana state parks was a part of my growing up and it's something that I've continued to do in adulthood, though not with the kind of frequency I would like. Hiking can be a dangerous practice, though. The trails at the state parks are nice and cleared, but they are anything but level. The trails being cleared can lead you into a sense of false security, making you think that you can walk safely without any thought. I find I have to make sure I am not only looking at the scenery around me but also keeping an eye on where I put my feet, lest I stumble over a stray root or a fallen branch.
Stumbling can be embarrassing. It can be painful. And sometimes it's just what we need.
Peter compares Jesus to a stone that causes someone to stumble. The root word in the original language is skandalon, which is obviously tied to our word "scandal." A scandal exposes what is unknown, and Jesus' life is a scandal. But it's not one that results in him looking bad (like the scandals that plague our politicians and other public figures), but one that results in us seeing what's really going on in our lives. When his life is held up against ours, what is in our hearts that shouldn't be there is exposed. His life causes us to stumble. Just when we think we have our perfect life and perfect image put together, on display for the world to see, suddenly our lives are exposed when compared to what we should be and who we should be like.
But in this case, stumbling is just what we need to do—because stumbling, Peter says, is what makes us into the people of God. Stumbling is what causes us to recognize our need of Someone to walk by our side. Stumbling reminds us of our need of Jesus. Stumbling puts us in need of mercy—no, let me rephrase that. Stumbling reminds us that we are in need of mercy.
So may you stumble today, and may you fall into the arms of Jesus.
Comments
Post a Comment