Beware of Stumbling Others

Persons professing love of God and Christ need to guard their statements and actions. Otherwise, they may become guilty of stumbling one of Jesus’ “little ones,” or followers. Jesus himself made this very point in a dramatic way when he said:

“Whoever stumbles one of these little ones that believe, it would be finer for him if a millstone such as is turned by an ass were put around his neck and he were actually pitched into the sea.”​—Mark 9:42; Matt. 18:6.

Millstones like those depicted here make Jesus’ statement very impressive. Turning the upper millstone called for an animal’s strength because it was four to five feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) in diameter. In view of the great size of such a stone, there would be no hope of survival for an individual cast into the sea with such a gigantic weight around his neck. Certainly, a strong encouragement to guard our words and deeds!