These are among the strongest words ever spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. Here are three observations from them.

1. Your influence matters.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones… to sin” (9:42). You are responsible not only for your own sins, but for the sins that you lead others into. If you cause someone younger or weaker to sin, it would be better to be tossed in the sea with a millstone around your neck. We need to know that so we will be restrained from sin ourselves and be able to endure when others sin against us.

2. God's justice is perfect.

Terrible things are done in this world, especially to children. Many of them will never be brought to justice here. But God will bring them to justice. God will bring justice to rulers who persecute people for their faith, teachers who undermine the faith of students, religious leaders whose hypocrisy undermines the faith of many, and ordinary people who lead a friend away from living faith.

3. There are degrees of punishment in hell.

“It would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” (9:42). Why would that be better? The punishment experienced by a person in hell will be a direct reflection of their particular sins. If the person had been drowned in the sea before he caused a little one to sin, he would have one less sin to deal with in hell.

How could knowing that you are responsible for sins you lead others into, help to restrain you from sin? How could it help you endure when others sin against you?