Temptation to Sin

And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”  Luke 17:1-4

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The Temptation to Sin
Jesus takes temptation seriously. He never tempts us. God does not tempt his people and he does not want you and I to tempt those around us. Sin is crouching at the door, waiting for someone to devour. It would be better for the tempter to have a mill stone hung around his neck and he be cast into the sea if he caused a child to sin. Jesus takes children seriously. He loves the little children. He protects them and gives them all things by the power of his cross. He bids that you and I become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We do that in the waters of Baptism. We are dead to sins and alive to God in our Baptism. We forgive those who sin against us because Jesus forgives all our sin. We forgive because he first forgave us. This forgiveness is the crux of the Christian life. The sins that others commit against you and to you no longer have master over you. So, no matter how many times your brother sins against you, you can forgive him. The cross is your salvation and Jesus’ forgiveness is your power over every enemy. Jesus takes you very seriously. He gives up everything to have you as his own. He wins it all back to give to you.