Luke 17:1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him through whom they come!
All of us live every day with a certain sense of economy in mind, that is, a calculation judging whether some decision or action is worthwhile in terms of money, time, or reputation. It is amazing the things that people will do if the economy is right.
For instance, in a group of people who meet every morning at 7:30 there may be no one who would consider being late because everyone is right on time. But, if the guy who starts the meeting was habitually five minutes late or if everyone was habitually five minutes late, almost everyone would feel comfortable being five minutes late. In fact, that is the way many Sunday Schools in good churches start every week. Everyone says, “Well, we say Sunday School starts at 9:30, but everyone knows it actually starts at 9:35.” They are essentially working from the bottom up. They are deferring to the person who cares the least about being on time or about the content of what is going on in Sunday school. What I am saying is that we have this calculation, or economy, in mind.
In Luke 17:1 Jesus is speaking when the Bible says, “Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offenses will come: but woe unto him through whom they come!” In other words, wrong is inevitable. Sin will happen in this world today. Sin will happen in your world today from some source. So, wrong is inevitable, but not from you.
Jesus is addressing the ideas of “if somebody is going to do it” or “everybody is doing it.” Just because wrong is inevitable in this world does not mean that I need to have a fatalistic, defeatist attitude where I decide that if somebody is going to do wrong, it might as well be me. Think about all the red-light districts that are empowered by this idea that “if somebody is going to make money off alcohol, pornography, or whatever else, it may as well be me.”
Jesus says that offenses will come, but “woe unto him through whom they come.” Somebody is going to stumble today, but it doesn’t need to be because I have stuck my foot out. That may be a small part in tripping up someone, but it is a big deal.
There are three things to remember. First, you don’t answer to the crowd. It doesn’t matter what the question is today, you don’t answer to the crowd. Maybe a business is pandering to the baser instincts of its customers and you think, “I am going to lose business if I don’t do the same. Somebody is going to do it, so it might as well be me.” There is a rationalization, an economy, going on there. Remember that you don’t answer to the crowd.
Second, you don’t answer with the crowd. You don’t answer to the crowd now or with the crowd in the future when you stand before the Lord.
Third, you are seen, cared for, and accounted for as an individual. Can I encourage you about something? Develop your conscience and sensibilities with a single calculation: what do I know and what does God know? I can’t control everybody else. What if someone has a leg up on me because they are willing to trip people up when I am not willing to do that? They are willing to pander to things that have no business being touched. Can’t God take care of that person, and can’t God take care of me?
So, how does one develop his conscience? Begin by asking the simple questions, “What does God know, what do I know, and what will God bless?”