Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
All Commentaries on Matthew 18:7 Go To Matthew 18
Theophylact of Ochrid
AD 1107
As One Who loves mankind He laments for the world which is going to be harmed by temptations. But one might ask, "Why lament when there is need to assist and extend a helping hand?" To which we would reply that to lament for someone is of itself assistance. For often we benefit those whom our admonition has not benefitted, when we weep for them and thus bring them to an awareness of themselves. And if "it must needs be that temptations come," how can we avoid them? They must needs come but we need not perish, rather we must resist the temptations. Understand "temptations" to mean those who are an obstacle and a stumbling-block to our doing good. The "world" means those people who are low and crawl along the ground, who are easily hindered by every obstacle.
