The Sin of Refusing

“Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”  Matthew 11:6  ESV

Stumble – David Flusser points out that the Hebrew verb behind this Greek gospel expression is a word that means “to be led into sin, to go astray from the right understanding of the will of God.”[1]  In other words, the Hebrew equivalent for this verse is “Blessed is he who is not wrong about me,” a verse that recalls a passage from Isaiah about “stumbling.”  Yeshua describes refusal to accept His claims as the one sent from YHWH as sin, not ignorance.

This is a very harsh claim, one that even contemporary Christian believers might find difficult to swallow.  To “stumble” over Yeshua usually means to be confused about His claims, to have a divided opinion or to not fully appreciate the evidence.  But these cognitive issues have little to do with the Hebrew meaning.  Yeshua makes it abundantly clear that those who refused to accept Him as the Messiah were guilty of sinful disobedience, the same kind of disobedience that Israel exhibited toward the prophets whom God sent.  This implies that the evidence of His claims was overwhelming for any who really took the time to examine the situation and who had not already closed their hearts to God’s prompting.  We might ask ourselves where we stand in relation to Yeshua’s claims.  Yes, we agree that He is the Messiah, but is that all He came to teach us?  How open are we to the other claims that He makes, like the ones that involve behavior, attitude and relationships?

Notice the beginning of this statement.  “Blessed is.”  We know that there is another Hebraic expression involved in this translation as well.  The Hebrew word here isn’t a word about God’s favor poured out unconditionally on all in need.  This is the verb that implies a state of bliss derived from some deliberate action by the recipient.  This is the Hebrew verb used over and over in Psalms, and repeatedly used as the foundation of Yeshua’s teachings called the Beatitudes.  This describes a person’s inner experience, not a formula for spiritual accumulation.  “Jumping for joy is anyone who is not lead astray from the will of the Father because of me.”  In the vernacular of my book, “What a lucky person this is!”[2]  And isn’t that precisely the case?  The one who realizes, acknowledges and lives according to the truth revealed in the Messiah is the luckiest person on earth (and in heaven).  He has found the key to life itself.

“Oh, happy day.  Oh, happy day. This day I have not been led astray.  I have not stumbled.  My trust in Him has been vindicated.”

Topical Index:  stumble, skandalizo, sin, blessed, ashar, Matthew 11:6