What Does It Mean That Stumbling Blocks Will Come (Matthew 18:7)?
- Edward D. Andrews
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
The Setting Of Matthew 18 And Why Jesus Speaks So Strongly
Matthew 18 addresses life among Christ’s disciples in a world that resists God. Jesus has just set a child in their midst and taught them that true greatness is humility, not self-importance (Matthew 18:1–4). He then warns against despising “one of these little ones” who believe in Him and against causing them to stumble (Matthew 18:6, 18:10). The statement, “Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! For it is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!” (Matthew 18:7), sits in the middle of that warning. Jesus holds two truths together: the world’s sinful conditions ensure that temptations and traps will occur, yet each individual remains responsible for the harm he causes. The inevitability of stumbling blocks is never permission to become one.
Jesus is not teaching fatalism. He is describing reality in a fallen world where Satan, demons, human pride, and human selfishness produce many occasions for sin. Scripture consistently presents Satan as active in deception and accusation (Job 1:6–12; Zechariah 3:1–2; Revelation 12:9–10). The world system is also described as hostile to God’s will (John 15:18–19; 1 John 2:15–17). Within that environment, “stumbling blocks” will appear. But Jesus attaches a “woe” to the person who becomes the instrument of such harm. The moral weight falls on the offender.
What A “Stumbling Block” Means In Jesus’ Words
The Greek term behind “stumbling block” is connected to the idea of a trap-trigger or snare, something that catches someone so that he falls. In Matthew 18 the focus is not mild annoyance. It is spiritual endangerment, causing a believer, especially a vulnerable one, to sin, to lose footing, to be drawn away, or to be crushed by scandal and betrayal. Jesus illustrates the seriousness with extreme language: it would be better for the offender to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck and be drowned than to cause one of these believers to stumble (Matthew 18:6). The image communicates that God regards the spiritual exploitation of the vulnerable as an outrage that invites severe judgment.
The “little ones” in context are not merely children as a category, although Jesus has a child present as a living illustration. They are also disciples marked by humility and dependence, including those who are young in faith and easily harmed by arrogant leaders, predatory influences, or manipulative peers (Matthew 18:3–6). Jesus’ warning reaches anyone who uses influence, power, popularity, knowledge, or charm to pull others into sin or despair.
“Stumbling Blocks Will Come” And The Meaning Of “Necessary”
When Jesus says it is “necessary” that stumbling blocks come (Matthew 18:7), He is not saying God approves of them. He is saying they will certainly occur given the present moral conditions of the world and the ongoing conflict between the Kingdom message and the world’s rebellion. The necessity is practical certainty, not moral endorsement. Scripture can speak this way elsewhere: Jesus says, “It is necessary for the Christ to suffer” (Luke 24:26), meaning the suffering was required to accomplish Jehovah’s saving purpose, but the men who delivered Him acted wickedly and were accountable (Acts 2:23). In the same way, stumbling blocks arise as a predictable feature of a world opposed to God, but the one who sets the snare bears guilt.
That is why Matthew 18:7 has two “woes.” The world is under woe because it is the breeding ground of such traps, and the individual offender is under woe because he chooses to be a cause of harm. This is a crucial safeguard against excuses. Someone might say, “Temptations happen; it is inevitable.” Jesus answers, “Yes, they will happen, and that is why the world is under woe. But woe to you if you are the one through whom they happen.” The statement simultaneously removes surprise and removes rationalization.
How Jesus Applies This Warning To Personal Responsibility
Immediately after Matthew 18:7, Jesus speaks about drastic action against one’s own sin: if your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out (Matthew 18:8–9). He is using vivid, shocking language to emphasize decisive repentance. The point is not self-harm, which Scripture nowhere commands, but uncompromising removal of sources of sin and occasions of sin. Jesus’ logic is clear: because stumbling is deadly, disciples must treat sin as deadly, not as entertainment. This applies both to not becoming a stumbling block to oneself and to not becoming a stumbling block to others.
The next sections of Matthew 18 continue the theme of protecting the vulnerable and restoring the straying: the parable of the lost sheep shows the Father’s concern that not one of these little ones perish (Matthew 18:12–14), and the instructions for confronting a sinning brother aim at restoration rather than humiliation (Matthew 18:15–17). The warning about stumbling blocks is therefore not an isolated threat. It is part of a community ethic where disciples guard one another, value the weakest, and refuse to weaponize influence.
Scriptural Examples Of Stumbling Blocks And How They Operate
Scripture shows that stumbling blocks can be direct invitations to sin, but they can also be pressures that crush conscience or distort truth. Paul warns that knowledge without love can become a stumbling block if it emboldens a weaker believer to act against conscience (1 Corinthians 8:9–13). Paul’s point is not that truth changes, but that love restrains the strong from using freedom as a weapon. In Romans 14 he gives the same principle: do not put a stumbling block in a brother’s way, and do not destroy by food the one for whom Christ died (Romans 14:13–15). The issue again is the misuse of liberty to injure faith.
A stumbling block can also be false teaching that draws people away from obedience. Jesus condemns religious leaders who shut the Kingdom and burden people with human rules while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:13–28). Such leadership becomes a stumbling block because it misrepresents God and manipulates people. Likewise, Paul warns that savage wolves will arise and speak twisted things to draw away disciples (Acts 20:29–30). When Jesus says stumbling blocks will come, He includes the reality that some will intentionally prey on the flock.
What This Means For Believers In Daily Life
Jesus’ statement teaches disciples not to be naïve about the world, not to panic when temptations appear, and not to excuse wrongdoing as unavoidable. It calls for vigilance and tenderness toward vulnerable believers. It calls parents, teachers, youth leaders, and any Christian with influence to treat their words, jokes, entertainment choices, and private habits as morally weighty, because influence is real and souls are not toys. It also calls each disciple to ruthless honesty about personal sin, removing what drags the heart toward impurity, deception, arrogance, or cruelty (Matthew 18:8–9).
At the same time, this saying protects tender consciences from confusion. When stumbling blocks appear, believers should not conclude Jehovah has abandoned them or that the faith is false. Jesus told His disciples in advance that the world would produce traps. The existence of traps confirms Jesus’ realism about human sinfulness and spiritual hostility, and His warning confirms His care for the vulnerable (Matthew 18:6–7, 18:12–14). The Christian response is to cling to His teaching, practice watchfulness, and pursue restoration when harm occurs (Matthew 18:15–17; Galatians 6:1).
About the Author
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
Comments