It would be better if a WHAT were hanged about my neck??!!??!

Aden comes home from school on the first day of each month with a memory verse to learn. They are LONG verses and HARD (KJV) verses for six year olds in my opinion, however they have the whole month before they are finally tested on them. (Aden has never gotten less than an A either!!, I'm so proud:) Anyway, I always look foward to these verses coming home, and I never "teach" them to Aden, I LEARN them with him, and I LOVE every second of it. We take turns "teaching" each other parts of the verse, and he LOVES teaching it to me... he will sound out the first sound of the word when he can tell I am struggling and it is sooo precious to me. Anyway, I digress...

Yesterday he came home with Matthew 18: 1-6

"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

2And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

6But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."


We dutifully began to memorize the verse, and I usually try to explain it to Aden verse by verse. I (thought I) knew what the verse was saying, however today I told Aden to look up the verse in my NIV Bible. I think it is good for him to see that the verse really is in the Bible and not just the piece of paper that his teacher sends home, and I think it's good practice for him to be able to "look up" scripture. So he found Matthew 18 and was VERY excited to see that it really was in there!!! He began to read. When he got to verse six I almost fell out of my seat!!! Here is how it is worded in NIV "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." The words that just hit home, were "causes one of these little ones to sin" WOW! That is a HUGE charge that the Father has given to us as believers! Not just mothers and fathers, but as school teachers, Sunday School teachers, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and family friends!!! God is basically saying that it were better for you to DIE than to lead a small child astray!!! Goodness Gracious!

"Dear God, Please allow me to be an example of You and Your love, to my son, his friends, my students, my nephews, and any other children that I have the priveledge of being an example too! Thank you for having such confidence in me that you have not only put a precious boy in my charge, but are giving me a class of other people's children, one's that may not know who You are and how much You love them. Please allow me to be a source of Your love and acceptance in their lives. In Your Son's name I pray. Amen"