OFFENCES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
‘Woe unto the world because or offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!’
Yes, ‘it must needs be’! ‘There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.’ A perfect Church, a body composed wholly of perfected saints, has ever been the dream of the enthusiast, the aim of the fanatic. It cannot be, it is not God’s purpose: it is not thus that the saints attain their saintship; ‘offences must needs come.’ In this fallen world, there will ever be offenders, and those who make others offend.
I. Personal responsibility.—It is one of the conditions of our existence that we can do nothing alone; we cannot do good, but our act affects some besides ourselves; we cannot sin without there being another who is partaker of our sin, and is injured by it. But we shall be judged alone, saved alone, or lost alone. What a responsibility rests upon each of us, the young as well as the old, the mean as well as the lofty.
II. Offences.—We are each of us, we cannot escape from the responsibility, our brother’s keeper. Reflect on that—think that a chance word, a sneer, a poor joke on some sacred subject may have penetrated the ear and lodged in the memory of some one of our brethren, and then germinated into unbelief or blasphemy. Some impure word, some licentious song may have lighted a match, and fired a train, which has never been quenched. Well might our Blessed Lord warn us, ‘Woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.’
III. A consistent life.—On the other hand, think what our example, our consistent life, our well ordered conduct may effect. Think how many, unconsciously to ourselves, may be daily influenced for good, when they see the good that is in us. It is the duty of the priest to teach this by word of mouth; it is the privilege of every one to teach it far more by example. The crown that will cover the heads of the redeemed who are clothed in the wedding garment of Christ is ‘the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, of great price.’
The Rev. E. L. Blenkinsopp.
Illustration
‘There is a curious superstition yet lingering in many parts of the country, that a murderer takes on himself the sins of his victim, and will have to answer for both at the Day of Judgment. There is a spiritual truth underlying this notion; the tempter to sin, the murderer of the soul, will surely have to answer for the sins, for the soul of him whom he has tempted, and who, by his agency, has lost his portion in the Kingdom of Christ. No repentance can remedy this; no tears can wash out that sin; the tempter and the tempted will meet face to face “before the judgment seat of Christ,” and then he will know the extent of that woe pronounced on him, by whom offence cometh.’