Matthew 18:7"Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!
The setting
Capernaum, Israel, ~29 AD. Jesus explaining harsh reality to shocked disciples...
The emotion here: heavy-hearted recognition of coming betrayal and suffering
The original word
skandala (σκάνδαλα) — stumbling blocks, traps that cause people to fall
Why it matters
Jesus spoke this knowing Judas would betray Him — the ultimate 'woe to that person'
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 18:7
This isn't fatalism — Jesus is saying evil will come, but you still choose which side you're on
Common misconceptionPeople use this verse to justify doing nothing about evil ('it's inevitable anyway'), but Jesus is actually warning us to choose carefully which side we're on when evil comes.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 18:7
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 18:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 18:7 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 15% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include judgment, inevitability. Notable phrases: Woe to the world; occasions of stumbling; must be that occasions come. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Matthew 18:7 mean to you, today?
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