Mark 9:42 is talking about who shall offend one of these little ones. Who do you think 'these little ones' are? The hell-mongering Babylonians who do a disservice to His name everytime they open they're mouth about how God will fail to save all humanity, even though he desires it? Or, are these little ones, those who are called out of the Whore?
Maybe these are the little ones that Jesus is talking about. The little ones are those that believe in Jesus. Maybe they don't have all the light right now but one day they will. Maybe we can help them see the light if that's what God wants. I don't think I would call say, Matt's family "hell-mongering Babylonians" or my husband because they don't believe that all will be saved. People in churches are ordinary people who are also looking to God, but they are misinformed by the religious system. They are afraid of going outside this system because of FEAR of going to hell, so they will trust in that system no matter what, rather than God's spirit. They are sheep without a shepherd. Me thinks we can all use an attitude check once in a while.
Knowledge puffs up but love edifies. That goes for me too because sometimes I think because I know the scriptures better now that somehow I am superior to those that don't. I don't intentionally do this, but I am always fighting that sense of superiority and high-mindedness. I hate this thing in me, and Jesus didn't have it. He ministered amongst the little ones. His sarcasm was reserved for the leaders of the religious system, those arrogant, self-righteous ones, who were leading people astray for their own benefit.
Ursula
Let's read Matthew 10:35-37 again, shall we?
From Matthew 10:
35For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw—
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Did Jesus come to reconcile? No, He came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter in law against her mother in law, a men's enemies will be the members of his own household.
Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
verse 37 tells me, that anyone that loves his family more than Christ, by being unable to even admit what they are, is unworthy of Him.
Does it mean you hate your family members if you call them 'hell-mongering Babylonians'? No, it means you can acknowledge what they are...and aren't afraid to say it to their face, when they spew forth their hell-mongering.
I don't care if they're blind or not, a pedophile can't help that he is sexually attracted to children, but we still prosecute them for it.
Likewise, those who blaspheme God by telling everybody that he is going to torture people in real fire for eternity, deserve their rebuke.