We want to be loved, safe, and important—and we ache when those we trust wound us or when we recognize we’ve wounded someone else. Jesus’ words about “causing little ones to sin” and about confronting a brother who sins cut straight to that ache: they refuse cheap grace and refuse law without mercy. Which will you be today—a careful protector of others’ souls, or a careless cause of pain? And if you’ve been hurt, will you choose the costly path of repentance and reconciliation?

In plain terms: Matthew 18:6–15 pairs stern warnings with practical steps. Jesus says it’s better to be severely harmed than to cause a vulnerable person to stumble, then teaches how to address a brother who sins—first privately, then with witnesses, then bringing it to the church. Luke 17:1–4 records the same concern about temptations to sin but focuses on rebuke and repeated forgiveness—if a brother repents, forgive him even if it happens seven times. (Mark 9:42 contains a similar warning about causing others to stumble; John does not record this teaching in the same form.)

This passage reveals the two-weighted character of Jesus’ kingdom: holiness that protects and mercy that restores. Jesus refuses to trivialize sin’s damage—especially to the weak—and insists the community won’t look the other way. Yet he also refuses to let guilt or offense be the final word; repentance meets forgiveness. Don’t miss how heavy this is: Jesus expects us to take sin seriously enough to act, and graciously enough to keep forgiving. Both conviction and compassion are non-negotiable in his house.

Today, practice a small, concrete discipline: ask God to show you one relationship where you either caused pain or avoided correction. If you caused pain, own it—call, apologize, ask how to make amends. If someone has wronged you, consider a private, gentle conversation using Matthew’s model (start one-on-one), praying beforehand for humility and the courage to forgive if they repent. Keep a short prayer-ready phrase—“Lord, give me courage to protect, and grace to forgive”—and let it shape one real step toward reconciliation this week.