What's with the millstone?

Day 25

OT Reading: Exodus 9-10

NT Reading: Matthew 18:1-20

In Matthew 18:6 Jesus states that it would be better for someone to have a millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea rather than lead a little one into sin. When I was teaching through the gospel of Mark this spring, I remember thinking how random that example seemed. That is...until I did some research and discovered that to Jesus' original listeners the example would have carried a dose of reality.

As it turns out, the Syrians, Greeks and Romans all used this as an actual form of capital punishment. It was not a common form, usually reserved for rather notable cases (killing of family members, etc). But still it was a form of punishment in use. Even during the lifetime of Jesus it seems that word would have spread of this very activity being put into action.

I don't mention this all to just take up space or achieve shock value. Instead I just hope to show two things. One, that Jesus was not being sadistic in what he was saying. Two, that even in the most minute of details, Jesus was using words, pictures and examples that his original hearers would have connected with directly.