1 John 2:10,11 “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
All of us are concerned about stumbling. In an actual walk, if we think there is a danger of stumbling, we watch our path. Mainly because we’ve all tripped at one time or another. Sometimes with injury.
In our spiritual walk we can also stumble. What’s usually meant by this is sin or a disruption on one’s walk. Paul gives an example in 1 Corinthians 8:7-13: 7However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.13Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
We don’t want a disruption in our walk with Christ. John says in today’s passage, “the one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling.” It makes sense that if we are in the light, obstructions are visible. Stumbling isn’t common when the light is bright. Loving our family in Christ is evidence of being in the light.
The Corinthian passage quoted refers to love as being considerate of the faith of others. Will my actions cause someone to stumble? If so, we shouldn’t do it. Yes, we have full freedom to do it, yet it could damage another. Laying aside our rights is a loving thing to do.
John says that if we don’t love our family in Christ, then we are in darkness. Jesus is all about loving. He summed up all the commandment with two: loving God and loving others. I Corinthians 13:1-3 says “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” Paul speaks of particular values: tongues, spiritual gifts and miracles, generousity and martyrdom. He says if these things are done in an unloving motive, they don’t profit us. Of course the recipients benefit, but not the self serving giver. God is all about the motive. God is trying to reach the hearts of all. He uses circumstances to purify us. He wants loving deeds from a loving heart (1 Timothy 1:5). Doing so puts us in the light. In the end we benefit by being joyful and safe.
Lord, thank You for Your ways. Your wisdom is far above us. Help us to comply with Your leadings. Help us to love from a pure heart. Thank You that You help us to stay in the light.