“The Stumbling Stone”
To stumble on something, it had to be in your path. Once my wife and I went up Big Creek looking for ramps, an onion like plant. A friend was taking us to where he thought a patch of them were. We had walked about a mile and had not found any. A man on a horse came from up the trail, so we asked him where the ramps were and how far. He said, “They are just to the right, after you cross the river bridge ahead”. Well, we walked about another mile, crossed the river, no ramps anywhere, so we kept walking. After walking another three miles, we found the ramp patch. We were happy, but tired by now. We pulled enough ramps to fill our bags and started back toward our truck. We noticed something now that we were tired, that we hadn’t noticed when we were fresh. The trail was full of round stones about 4 to 5 inches in diameter. They were just close enough together so we were constantly stepping around them. Some we didn’t miss and stumbled on them. It was about 5 miles back to the truck. Sharon wore tennis shoes and I thought I was going to have to carry her. Looking down that trail was hundreds of those round rocks about a foot apart as far as we could see. We finely made it back, worn out and tired. We planted some ramps along our creek bank and now we don’t have to go back up Big Creek for ramps.
Life is much like those stones we stumbled on in the Big Creek trail, there are a lot of them. We can’t step around them, especially those that were placed there on purpose. We can kick them in anger, but only hurt ourselves. The Israelite’s had the law, given by Jesus. They would stumble on the giver many times in the years to come. Moses was the human giver of the law and they would stumble on him and his words also. The law was given to prove that man could not be righteous apart from loving the giver. The giver would make them righteous, not the law. It was Jesus’ spoken word that they would stumble on, not the law. When Jesus came to the earth, it was His words and His actions that the Jewish lawyers would stumble on. He was the stumbling stone and a rock of offence to them. Of course, to us, the gentiles, He was foolishness. To His family and friends, He was an offence. They, as well as the Jews and gentiles, couldn’t believe that God had given Him wisdom, power and authority. They only saw the law. The law was designed to lead us to the giver, through much stumbling.
Before I came home from Virginia, I met the giver (Jesus) after much stumbling. Some at home stumbled on me, my life and my words. Some that had been stumbling for a long time believed me and were born again. Soon those who had stumbled on me at first sight, were born again also. All of them became stumbling stones. A stumbling stone is not mean, they are just right. When you are right about Jesus, you become a rock of offence and a stumbling stone to others. That is what God intended. His ways are not our ways and our ways are not His ways, and that’s where the stumbling begins.
When God does something, or says something, He is right, there is no other way. The lawful and the lawless in America at this present time are angry at the Rock of offense and us as well. They want things their way and the Rock is in the way. This Rock will never move. They even teach that the Rock is this way or He is that way. It’s OK to be this or it’s alright to be that. The Rock may be long suffering, but He will never move. How can the clay tell the potter, you can’t make me this way? Life is going to be long and hard for those who kick against the Rock.
We may be right, but we don’t have to beat people with the rock. They are kicking against the rock without our help. When they come to us bloody, pick them up and bandage up their wounds. The stumbling stone is there for a reason. The alternative is horrible and forever. His ways may hurt, but once inside, it’s wonderful. We have this thing, given to us from God called a free will. We are free to choose His way or continue to kick and hurt.
PS: Jesus said, “If they hated me they will also hate you”. When we look, think, talk and act like Jesus, we will be hated by some. We take on the role of a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. Jesus also said, “I change not”. He will not change His way to suite us. We must change to suite Him. All his ways are just and right and perfect. We were created after His kind.
David McClary
Avoicefromthemountain.com
