38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] [b] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] [c] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’[d]
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Question 1
Why is sin such a serious thing?
Question 2
Have you ever judged another Christian because they do certain things differently than you?
We’re often critical of other people if they don’t do things exactly the same way we do. We like to think that we have the answer to everything, and so we suspect people who behave differently.
At the end of Mark 9:30-37 Jesus said it was important to welcome even small children in his name. John is amazed at the suggestion that everyone should be accepted. So here he tells Jesus about how he and the disciples had prevented man from helping people in the name of Jesus Christ because he was not one of them. But that man was managing to do great things in Jesus’ name, because he had believed in him. The disciples were trying to limit who was allowed to follow Jesus.
Jesus’ response is to say that if someone is not an enemy of God’s work, then they are on the same side. The disciples were trying to block someone who believed in Jesus. This is a sin that makes it difficult for the other person to follow Jesus. The reason sin is so serious is because it leads to hell, which is a terrifying place. It is a place of pain and suffering that needs to be avoided. Nothing is more important than making sure you don’t go there – even if that meant cutting off parts of your body. Of course Jesus doesn’t expect us to really start doing this because it’s not our eyes or hands or feet that cause us to sin but our heart. Since we can’t cut that out, God needs to give us a new heart. Once that happens, it will be possible for us to cut out those things in our life that lead us to sin.
At the end of time we are all going to be judged by God. If we want to be accepted by God, then we have to be pure inside. As salt keeps things pure, we must be washed clean by Jesus Christ. Without this we will be like salt that has lost its saltiness – impure and good for nothing but to be destroyed in the fire. One sign that God is truly at work in our life is the fact that we won’t hinder others who depend on Jesus Christ, but live in peace with others.
Question 3
In what ways can you get rid of sin in your life?
Question 4
What effect should thinking about the reality of hell have on us?
Pray
thanking Jesus that he suffered hell on the cross, so that you don’t have to.
