I have tried to highlight the most important key phrases which link all of the following passages together. They are one cohesive teaching concerning the members of the body, both the physical and the little ones, (the supernal and metaphorical counterparts, and there are more passages concerning these things). Paul says that Meshiah is the Savior of the body, (Eph 5:23), which is firstly the great congregation body, and also, secondly, the individual body of each of us: but which body? If there is a natural body, there is a spiritual body, (1Cor 15:44), and the flesh profits nothing in the Spirit-Testimony of the Meshiah, (Jhn 6:63). Moreover, as Paul likewise teaches, we are to mortify or put to death both the deeds or works of the body, (Rom 8:13), and mortify or put to death our members upon the earth, (Col 3:5, epi meaning concerning, of below, concerning the earth, that which is of below). The following is really only scratching the surface, and yet it still cannot possibly all sink in with a simple cursory reading: it must be studied out prayerfully and with an open heart.
Matthew 5:29-30 LSV
29 But if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast from you, for it is good to you that one of your members may perish, and not your whole body be cast into Gehenna.
30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast from you, for it is good to you that one of your members may perish, and not your whole body be cast into Gehenna.
Matthew 10:34-42 LSV
34 You may not suppose that I came to put peace on the earth; I did not come to put peace, but a sword; [machaira]
35 for I came to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, [Mic 7:5, Deut 13:6]
36 and the enemies of a man are those of his household. [Mic 7:6, Deut 13:6]
37 He who is cherishing father or mother above Me, is not worthy of Me, and he who is cherishing son or daughter above Me, is not worthy of Me,
38 and whoever does not receive his cross and follow after Me, is not worthy of Me.
39 He who found his life will lose it, and he who lost his life for My sake will find it.
40 He who is receiving you receives Me, and he who is receiving Me receives Him who sent Me,
41 he who is receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet, will receive a prophet’s reward, and he who is receiving a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, will receive a righteous man’s reward,
42 and whoever may give to drink to one of these little ones [Mat 18:6-14, Mrk 9:42, Luk 17:2] a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he may not lose his reward." [Mrk 9:41]
Matthew 18:6-14 LSV
5 And he who may receive one such child in My Name, receives Me,
6 and whoever may cause to stumble one of those little ones [Mrk 9:42, Luk 17:2] who are believing in Me, it is better for him that a weighty millstone may be hanged on his neck, and he may be sunk in the depth of the sea. [Mrk 9:42, Luk 17:1]
7 "Woe to the world from the stumbling-blocks! For there is necessity for the stumbling-blocks to come, but woe to that man through whom the stumbling-block comes! [Luk 17:1-2]
8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut them off and cast [them] from you; it is good for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the continuous fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and cast from you; it is good for you to enter into life one-eyed, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.
10 Beware! You may not despise one of these little ones, [Mrk 9:42, Luk 17:2] for I say to you that their messengers in the heavens always behold the face of My Father who is in the heavens,
11 [[for the Son of Man came to save the lost.]] [Mat 10:6, Mat 15:24]
12 What do you think? If a man may have one hundred sheep, and there may go astray one of them, does he not—having left the ninety-nine, having gone on the mountains—seek that which is gone astray? [Mat 10:6, Mat 15:24]
13 And if it may come to pass that he finds it, truly I say to you that he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that have not gone astray;
14 so it is not [the] will in [the] presence of your Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones [Mrk 9:42, Luke 17:1-2] may perish.
Mark 9:38-50 LSV
38 And John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw a certain one casting out demons in Your Name, who does not follow us, and we forbade him, because he does not follow us."
39 And Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in My Name, and will be readily able to speak evil of Me:
40 for he who is not against us is for us;
41 for whoever may give you to drink a cup of water in My Name, because you are Christ’s, truly I say to you, he may not lose his reward; [Mat 10:42]
42 and whoever may cause to stumble one of the little ones believing in Me, better is it for him if a millstone is hanged around his neck, and he has been cast into the sea. [Mat 18:6, Luk 17:1-2]
43 And if your hand may cause you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having the two hands, to go away into Gehenna, into the fire—the unquenchable—
44 [[where their worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched.]] [Isa 66:24]
45 And if your foot may cause you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than having the two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire—the unquenchable—
46 [[where their worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched.]] [Isa 66:24]
47 And if your eye may cause you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God one-eyed, than having two eyes, to be cast into the Gehenna of fire—
48 where their worm is not dying, and the fire is not being quenched; [Isa 66:24]
49 for everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. [Lev 2:13]
50 The salt [is] good, but if the salt may become saltless, in what will you season [it]? Have in yourselves salt, and have peace in one another."
Luke 16:19-31 — Luke 17:1-4 LSV
19 And—a certain man was rich, and was clothed in purple and fine linen, making merry sumptuously every day,
20 and there was a certain poor man, by name Lazarus, who was laid at his porch, full of sores,
21 and desiring to be filled from the crumbs that are falling from the table of the rich man; indeed, also the dogs, coming, were licking his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the messengers into the bosom of Abraham—and the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 and having lifted up his eyes in Hades, being in torments, he sees Abraham far off, and Lazarus in his bosom,
24 and having cried, he said, Father Abraham, deal kindly with me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and may cool my tongue, because I am distressed in this flame.
25 And Abraham said, Child, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus in like manner the evil things, and now he is comforted, and you are distressed;
26 and besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that they who are willing to go over from here to you are not able, nor do they pass through from there to us.
27 And he said, I ask, then, father, that you may send him to the house of my father,
28 for I have five brothers, so that he may thoroughly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment.
29 Abraham says to him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them;
30 and he said, No, father Abraham, but if anyone from the dead may go to them, they will convert.
31 And he said to him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one may rise out of the dead."
1 And He said to the disciples, "It is impossible for the stumbling blocks not to come, but woe [to him] through whom they come; [Mat 18:7]
2 it is more profitable to him if a weighty millstone is put around his neck, and he has been cast into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to stumble. [Mat 18:6, Mrk 9:42]
3 Take heed to yourselves, and if your brother may sin in regard to you, rebuke him, and if he may change his mind, forgive him,
4 and if seven times in the day he may sin against you, and seven times in the day may return to you, saying, I change my mind; you will forgive him."
Even Eleazar-Lazarus is "one of these little ones" ...
