Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,
but woe to the one through whom they occur.
The fact that there will inevitably be temptations all around us in this fallen world does not give us an excuse to become a cause of scandal ourselves. Without this warning we might have assumed otherwise. If we were, as we in fact are, surrounded by a world preoccupied with power, lust, and dishonesty, how much could it really matter if we occasionally fell into such behavior ourselves? Would it not be sufficient if we met the mark most of the time, and at least maintained the need for virtue through what we said, if not always what we did? But to Jesus it was clearly one thing to fall ourselves, and another to normalize sinful behavior by our example. He taught that in response to personal sin one ought to be forgiven as many times as necessary, with seven in one day signifying perfection. But even though mercy is infinite and there are no limits on the forgiveness God intends to make available, even though sin itself is in some way inevitable, we must still do all we can to avoid causing scandal. Presumably this is more of a problem when we obstinately and willfully commit sins in full public view rather than occasionally falling to those sins against which we actively struggle. Paul didn't normalize anything when he called himself the chief of sinners. He wasn't giving his readers permission to go and sin boldly, knowing that grace would abound (see Romans 6:1-2). We may not have a leadership role like Paul. We may not be politicians or other public figures. But we all have the ability to set an example for others. Or not. And our choices in this matter come with heightened consequences. If we are pursuing forgiveness, both giving it and receiving it, we will likely be sufficiently sensitized to avoid scandal more often than not. We won't want to lead people down a path from which it is hard to acknowledge the need of mercy. It was for this, among other things, that Jesus condemned the Pharisees, saying, "For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves" (see Matthew 23:15).
And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
No doubt, upon hearing this urgency, the Apostles were beginning to wonder exactly for what they had signed up when they accepted the call of Jesus to follow him. They had just heard about inevitable human weakness and dire consequences. They had been commanded to pursue a level of willingness to forgive that was supernatural. It would have been terrible to attempt such a life on merely human strength. Importantly, they recognized their need for faith. Fortunately, no matter how many and deep were the roots of the mulberry tree of fallen human nature, a small amount of faith would be enough. What was not possible in the natural order because possible in the order of the Spirit. What was inevitable in the postlapsarian world was no longer inevitable in the Kingdom of God.
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
The Hillbilly Thomists - Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
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