World English Bible translation
Today's Scripture
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire, 9:44 'where their worm doesn't die, and the fire is not quenched.' 9:45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched - 9:46 'where their worm doesn't die, and the fire is not quenched.' 9:47 If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire, 9:48 'where their worm doesn't die, and the fire is not quenched.' 9:49 For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."Today's Lesson
Mark has entered into another, shorter section that contains materials from the teachings of Jesus. Shortly after the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples had begun arguing among themselves on the road to Capernaum about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus had tried to teach them that the greatest in the Kingdom of God would be the man who was a servant to all. They also told Jesus about the man who was casting out demons in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. The disciples had told him that he must stop because he was not a disciple of Christ as they were. But, Jesus told them not to tell the man to stop because whoever was not against Him, was for Him.
During that discussion, Jesus began to teach them that whoever gives His people so much as a cup of water would not lose their reward. But, whoever so much as causes a little child that belongs to Jesus to stumble would lose his eternal soul. This comparison leads to others. Jesus is trying to teach the disciples that participating in the Kingdom of God is the most important thing in the world. He tells them, "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off." The same is said about the foot and the eye. Jesus is not advocating irresponsible self-mutilation. He is trying to tell the disciples how important participating in the Kingdom is.
No one would willingly sever their own limb or gouge out their own eye. But, every day, people willingly do spiritually self-destructive things all the time. Every time we envy our neighbor or lie to cover up our own sin we cut off a little more of our soul. Every time we attempt to live independently of God we participate in the Kingdom of Darkness. Jesus wants us to know that being spiritually whole is more important than being physically whole. If we pass through this life with no problems whatsoever and yet we lose our souls to sin, then we have gained nothing. Yet, if we are beleaguered by tremendous problems and failure haunts us in this life and yet we hold on to our faith in God, then in the next life we will have achieved a reward that will make our present difficulties seem like nothing.
This life is not the end of all things. We are a process at work. The goal of life is to seek and find God and to become one with Him. If we achieve everything else in life and do not know God, then we have failed completely. "Everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." But, will the fires of this life lead you into the arms of God and will the sacrifices of your life be acceptable to Him?
Your Creator is trying to deliver you a message. The most important thing in your life is your relationship with God. Is anything else in life more important to you? Will you allow anything else to come between you and your Creator?
Psalm / Past Lesson / Next Lesson / Lesson Archive / Home
© 1999 adailywalk.com - These materials may be reproduced as long as they are never sold in any form.