Causing Little Ones to Stumble
Updated: Jun 8
God takes the spiritual welfare of vulnerable people so seriously that He issues one of the strongest warnings in New Testament Scripture against anyone who would damage their faith.
This is one of the strongest warnings Jesus ever gives.
In Matthew 18:6 (parallel appears in Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2.)
Jesus says:
"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."
This is Jesus' warning about causing others—especially vulnerable believers—to stumble.
What does "little ones" mean?
The "little ones" become the kingdom equivalent of vulnerable people. Some people are particularly susceptible because of their circumstances. Jesus is referring to:
The weak
The humble
Those who are dependent on God
The unnoticed
The sincere believer
Those susceptible to discouragement
Young believers
Vulnerable believers
Spiritually immature believers
Spiritually vulnerable believers
Those who trust Him with childlike faith
Childlike in that no status, welath, authority, influence, power
The emotionally wounded
Those who need healthy examples
People who have experienced abuse
Individuals in grief
Those struggling with mental or emotional distress
People in seasons of doubt
Earlier in the chapter Jesus says "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
The issue is not childishness but childlikeness.
Children naturally exhibit:
Trust
Dependence
Humility
Receptivity
Lack of status consciousness
The disciples prior to His warning were arguing about who was greatest. Jesus responds by directing their attention to the treatment of those who seem least important. In the ancient world, children had almost no social power. They possessed no status, wealth, authority, or influence.
Throughout Scripture, God consistently shows special concern for vulnerable people. Jesus is saying that His followers should do the same.
The stronger are not to exploit the weaker.
The warning about the millstone is not fundamentally about children; it is about misusing power against people who trust you.
What does "cause to stumble" mean?
It is becoming an obstacle between a vulnerable soul and Christ Himself. The Greek word is skandalizō (σκανδαλίζω), from which we get the word "scandal."
It means:
To damage faith
To place an obstacle in someone's relationship with God
To trip up spiritually
To lead into sin
To become the cause of another person's spiritual downfall
A stumbling block disrupts a person's movement toward God.
A pastor, teacher, parent, counselor, mentor, professor, ministry leader, or influential Christian can become a stumbling block when they:
Betray trust
Distort truth
Abuse authority
Exploit vulnerability
Discourage faith
Misrepresenting Jesus
A Modern Application
A person or trusted leader may cause others to stumble through:
Abuse of authority
Hypocrisy
Deception
False teaching
Manipulation
Encouraging sinful behavior
Creating unnecessary barriers to faith
Exploiting those who trust them
Leading a “little one” into sin, unbelief, despair, or spiritual ruin is not a minor mistake.
Jesus' severe warning reveals how seriously He takes the protection of those who are weak, dependent, and trusting. In the Old Testament, God also repeatedly condemns shepherds who feed themselves instead of caring for the flock.
Why the millstone imagery?
A millstone was a massive stone used for grinding grain. The larger type described in this passage was turned by a donkey and could weigh hundreds of pounds. Death would be certain. And the weight reflects the weight of judgement and accountability.
Thrown into the sea and dieing by drowning is significant because, for the Jewish audience, the sea represented danger and judgment. Being thrown into the depths of the sea with a millstone meant: certain destruction from forces beyond human control.
A millstone has one purpose to crush grain. Jesus' warning is essentially directed at those who crush people. Rather than helping the weak grow stronger, they use power, deception, manipulation, hypocrisy, abuse, to spiritually harm them. Hung around the neck also meant humiliation; the neck is symbolic of stubborness and rebellion.
It would be preferable to suffer and die a terrible physical death than to bear the guilt of leading a vulnerable believer away from God. God's protection is fierce.
The weight is overwhelming.
Escape is impossible.
The consequence is final.
The image is horrifying.
Conveys the extraordinary seriousness of spiritual influence.
The millstone is not merely a picture of judgment; it is a declaration that God notices, values, and defends those who are small, weak, overlooked, and dependent upon Him.
Theological Significance
This passage teaches that:
God fiercely protects the vulnerable.
Spiritual leaders are accountable for their influence.
Sin is not merely personal when it harms others.
There are catastrophic eternal consequences of harming the faith of vulnerable people.
Jesus' warning is especially sobering for pastors, teachers, parents, counselors, and leaders because their influence affects others' spiritual lives.
The disciples wanted to know who was greatest. Jesus answered by teaching that the kingdom's greatest danger is not weakness. It is strength without love.
Jesus deliberately identifies Himself with those who have little power. Jesus identifies Himself so closely with vulnerable believers that He treats harm done to them as a direct offense against Himself. And the people most fiercely protected by God are often those whom powerful people find easiest to overlook.
Remember - the people least valued by the world frequently receive the greatest attention from God.
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