The Cycle of Offense | Luke 17:1–4

A Margins Method™ Scripture Study for Sensitive and Neurodivergent Hearts

1. Ground and Arrive

Take one slow breath.

Notice your feet on the floor.

If it helps, press your thumb and forefinger together—just to remind your body, I’m safe right now.

Whisper:

“Holy Spirit, help me notice truth—not just pain.”

2. Read Slowly

Luke 17:1–4 (ESV)

“And he said to his disciples, ‘Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.’”

If that feels like a lot, pause after each sentence.

Let the words settle instead of rushing through.

3. Context and Word Work

Jesus is talking to His close circle, not to the crowd.

He’s warning them about something called skándalon—a Greek word meaning trap or snare.

Offense works like that: it hooks us.

When we take the bait of offense, our body often reacts as if danger is still present.

Heart rate rises. Muscles brace. Thoughts loop.

Jesus’ teaching isn’t just spiritual—it’s protective care for a human nervous system that needs peace.

4. Mark the Text

Try the Margins Method™ markings while reading again:

• ○ Circle repeated words like sin and forgive — they frame the cycle.

• — Underline “Pay attention to yourselves.” That’s the pivot point.

• ❤️ Heart “You must forgive him.” That’s the promise of freedom, not pressure.

• ~~~ Wavy underline what shows God’s heart: His care for “little ones,” His desire that none be trapped.

• ▲ Triangle beside s temptations to sin (skándalon)— it’s worth a deeper word study

If marking the page feels overstimulating, jot symbols in a notebook instead. Same meaning, less pressure.

5. Reflect and Respond

Offense feels like protection but functions like captivity.

Each replay in your mind keeps the body braced for the next hit.

Jesus’ words—“Pay attention to yourselves”—invite curiosity instead of shame.

Notice:

• Where do you tense when you think about the person who hurt you?

• What story starts running when you hear their name?

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse what happened.

It lets your system stop sounding the alarm.

That is holy nervous-system relief.

6. Grace Practice — Unhook the Heart

Sit comfortably. Rest your hands open on your lap.

Step 1: Picture the moment or phrase that still stings.

Step 2: Breathe in: “Lord, You see me.”

Step 3: Breathe out: “I release what I can’t repair.”

If you need to, write one boundary that protects your peace while staying kind.

Boundaries keep you safe; forgiveness keeps you free.

7. Journal Prompts

• Where do I feel offense in my body right now?

• What would safety—not payback—look like today?

• What promise about God’s steadiness can I star in my margins?

If writing feels hard, use voice notes, doodles, or short phrases. Your way counts.

8. Close in Stillness

Rest your hand over your heart.

Say quietly:

“Jesus, thank You for teaching my body that peace is allowed again.”

Forgiveness is not weakness.

It’s the nervous system remembering it no longer has to fight to be seen.