Luke 17:1-2
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble."
In the Bible, mainly for practical purposes, millstones are commonly used for grinding grain into flour. In a figurative sense, millstones were sometimes used as a punishment for wrongdoers. For instance, in Deuteronomy 24:6, it says, "Do not take a pair of millstones—not even the upper one—as security for a debt, because that would be taking a person’s livelihood as security."
Millstones were also used as metaphors. As a reminder of transgressions, as a means for understanding the weight of one’s actions.
In Isaiah 47:2-3, it says,
"Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams. Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one."
God in the Old Testament is warning Babylon that her downfall was imminent.
Likewise, Jesus uses the millstone as a metaphor for punishment and justice for those who withhold the Word of God from the children of God. And in the times of the Bible criminals and debtors were often forced to grind grain as a form of hard labor, and some were even put to death by having a heavy millstone tied around their neck and being thrown into the sea. Talking about a millstone hint at a huge and heavy obstacle, something that is preventing a believer’s progress. Something heavy is slowing them down and tilting the believer from finding the right balance in their life.
Jesus sees those who pervert the Gospel as criminals. Truth be told he sees them as something worse than a criminal. The punishment he deals out for them is far worse than the millstone.
Mark 9:42
"If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea."
Jesus uses the millstone imagery to stress how important it is to help, not harm, the faith walk of believers, especially those who are new or young in the faith.
And there's another aspect to this story about millstones. In the Old Testament story, Judges 16:21, Samson the powerfully gifted Israelite judge who was very strong, faces Philistine oppression. They make him blind, which makes him vulnerable. And they add to his suffering, by making him grind grain at a mill.
Judges 16:21
"Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by his enemies, the Philistines. They took him captive, blinding him so he could not resist. Then, with callous disregard for his rights and dignity, they forced him to work tirelessly at the millstone, grinding grain day after day."
This isn't just a punishment; his blindness is a consequence of his sinful actions. He did what he had committed to God that he would never do. He broke his oath and his sinful actions made him blind. He's still amazingly strong, but he's a prisoner to his sin. The millstone becomes a powerful symbol of his and Israel's struggle with sin and idolatry.
In the book of Revelation, a millstone dropped into the sea symbolizes Babylon’s complete end.
"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, ‘Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.'"
– Revelation 18:21
The millstone represents the livelihood of the community. Everyone in a village relied upon the work of that millstone. And so, to see that stone thrown into sea is to understand that this culture is no more. It no longer exists. It cannot thrive, it cannot go on. They are dead. The story from Revelation of Babylon’s fall warns of the sin of power and wealth and its blinding nature and consequences. The lesson is powerful – evil and oppression leads to a heavy price. And that millstone produces silence. A dead city. Empty and lifeless. The millstone’s symbol of silence in Revelation 18:22 reminds us that power is fleeting.
Revelation 18:22
"...and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more..."
Yet, it’s not always all about negativity. It's not always representative of punishment for our sin. Sometimes the millstone can represent faithfulness. It can express the day to day grind of working out our own salvation. It can stand as an inspiration for continuing in God's purpose for our life.
For example, in Job 41:1-30, the powerful creature Leviathan is described. It shows the creature’s immense strength, with millstones like scales flashing under it.
"Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a millstone."
The great dragon beast of the sea, the Levitation, is mightier than any other creature on the planet, king of beasts, and yet it is still under God's control. Immensely powerful and still subservient to Him. Faithful to do his nature as prescribed by Almighty God.
Yesterday our devotion was on the lessons we can glean from the Dickens story A Christmas Carol, or better known as just "Scrooge".
Today we're talking about grindstones. And it's perfect because we can again visit old Scrooge and find some wisdom from it.
Scrooge's nephew Fred says of his uncle,
"Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."
Fred is using the imagery of a grindstone sharpening a tool. He describes Scrooge who is constantly grinding, trying to squeeze money out of people. He has great power, like that Levitation. And he has the power to do great things, great good or great wickedness. And he grinds and grinds and grinds out great sadness for many, and himself. He's a miserable old man and he's not at all interested in doing any better. He just wants to grind at the wheel.
He's really a prisoner.
In Dickens story Scrooge mentions the treadmill. You know the part. He's stopped by two chubby men who want him to give charity for their cause. And Scrooge grills them about the public institutions that are setup to deal with the destitute people, to which he pays his taxation.
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.
"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."
"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.
In some debtor’s prisons in London, in Scrooge's time, inmates would be made to walk endlessly on a great treadmill wheel. This originally was meant to prevent the prisoners from just lazing around milling here and there doing nothing all day every day. Eventually someone got the bright idea that they could use this wheel to produce a product that would benefit the community, generally grinding corn. It seems like a great idea at first, until you do like we should always do with every great idea. Follow the money and look for the injustices.
The problem is, when you monetize anything, you immediately invite crime and corruption. Imagine the wheel, grinding and producing, grinding and producing. Making money for the masters. And creating a need for more wheel walkers to do more walking. Pretty soon you're unjustifiably arresting people to put them to work on that wheel. This was the message Charles Dickens was trying to send. He's pointing out the irony of the public institutions that were intended to protect people and provide a platform for peace and prosperity. But more often not they are just a means for even more harm to done to liberty and justice.
In conclusion:
What do we learn from the millstone? What did Scrooge learn?
The Ghosts that visited Scrooge revealed to him the truth about life, and about himself. About the grind that everyone is on. Some grind for good like Bob Cratchit or Scrooge's nephew Fred. They have the Christmas spirit in the hearts all year round. And some grind for self. They walk the wheel endlessly plowing down while walking up, never really getting anywhere. Round and round, they walk that wheel. And the saddest part of all is they only need to change direction to put stop to the grind. Just turn and walk off the wheel.
Psalm 119:67
"I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word."
And follow the path that God's word has set before you.
And as we all know, Scrooge awakes from his last ghostly visit a new man. The truth about himself has set him free from himself. He's off the wheel, and besides, you can't grind on your knees.
And so, he proclaims, "I'll not be the man I was before..."
"I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.’ Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed.
The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me."
"Oh Jacob Marley!"
"Heaven, and the Christmas Time be praised for this. I say it on my knees, old Jacob, on my knees.’"
#Christmas #JesusIsTheReasonForTheSeason