Mark 9:38-50 [Pentecost 19 CWS B]
Pastor Ron Koehler
Grace—Benson/Vail, AZ
September 30, 2018
Dear Friends in Christ, I’ve heard of people who read the last chapter of a book first—so that they know where it is going—then they start at the beginning and read the whole book in order to get the full story. If you are one of those people, I have to tell you, I think that’s crazy! I could never do it! For me, reading the story and letting it develop and trying to figure out what might be happening and where this might end is what is fascinating! It’s also why there are only a handful of movies I will consider watching more than once. If I already know what happens, I’m not as interested or engaged! That being said, I understand we’re not all the same, which is fine. And this morning as we look at God’s Word, I’m even going to go against what I normally do—which may make some of you last-chapter-readers happy! So today we begin at the end; we start with the last thing in the gospel before us, cutting straight to the bottom line to see what Jesus is looking for from anyone who follows him and why he taught the lesson he did. And then we can go back for the rest of the lesson. Jesus told the Twelve, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Jesus was not giving a discourse on the properties, harvesting, use, and care of salt. If you want that, you can read a book on salt like this one—which my sons think I’m crazy for reading! So instead of getting into what Jesus might have meant about salt losing its saltiness or how that could even happen—and there are several things he may have been alluding to—his point is simple: salt is valuable only if it is and remains truly salt. In the same way, those who trust in and follow Jesus are only valuable and useful if they are properly seasoned. And what is the “salt” with which they are seasoned? What is the salt that is “in” them? We might properly think of God’s Word, the thing that preserves our faith, like salt preserves food. God’s Word is the thing that, when applied to us, gives us a unique flavor. It enhances us and makes us stand out to God and to the world. Jesus spoke this way on other occasions as he directed his followers to endure persecution as they lived for God. He said, “You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13).” Disciples who are properly seasoned with the Word of God—who properly represent him in this world—they are salt in the world. As such, the Apostle Paul encouraged the Colossian Christians, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (4:6). Jesus’ followers speak in a unique and distinctive way when they talk. They have things to say and share and which the world needs to hear—the words of God and the message of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus.
So when Jesus says that they are to have salt in themselves, he uses a picture he’d used before and which was later used to encourage other Christians. If Jesus’ disciples would listen to him and Be Properly-Seasoned Disciples, then they would maintain their own faith and they could carefully encourage the faith of others, which would all bring about the peace Jesus looks for among Christians. This is as true for you and me today as it was for the Twelve who needed the lesson that day. So the encouragement is the same: Be A Properly-Seasoned Disciple v. 50 1. Take Care of Yourself v. 43-49 2. Take Care with Others v. 38-42 As long as we started at the end, let’s just work backward through the lesson. Jesus emphasized the importance of his disciples taking care of their own faith. After all, how could they possibly deal with others on the basis of faith if they were not in a good place with their God and Savior? And let’s be clear about what Jesus said to them. He does not say that people who lead other Christians to sin should be drowned or otherwise punished! Listen carefully to what he says: “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, 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. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, 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, where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire.
Jesus told them that it would be better for the large millstone—the grinding block that is turned round and round in the stone track by a donkey—to be tied around a person and that he be tossed into the sea so that he drowns INSTEAD OF the person being allowed to live and lead another Christian to sin. The point is not a recommended punishment; Jesus is saying that it would be better for the offending person to be removed rather than having them lead someone astray! Then the person would not be held accountable before God for causing someone to sin and the spiritual damage done to another Christian. Of course, Jesus is simply saying—in a vivid way—to not lead another person into sin—then we don’t have to be concerned about millstones and death and standing before God to answer for it! He elaborates on his point by suggesting a whole lot of amputation and dismemberment! He was dead serious too! Sinful hands? Cut them off! Sinful feet? Cut ‘em off! Sinful eyes? Pluck them out! Why? Because if doing so will prevent you from sinning and help you maintain faith in your Savior and not fall from faith, then you have heaven on your eternal horizon and NOT hell, where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Again, vivid pictures, this time from Isaiah, of maggots dining on your flesh perpetually throughout eternity and being burned with fire that never goes out, yet never consumes you. There is no relief there; the physical suffering is eternal, as is the emotional suffering of being absent from God.
Jesus is saying—in a graphic way—to do whatever is necessary to Take Care of Yourself spiritually. What the disciples would have understood—and so do we—is that removing your hand won’t keep the sin away. Nor will plucking out an eye or two or surgically removing your feet. Sin goes deeper than that; it is a matter that begins in the heart and mind. So how do we have godly hearts and mind? How do we spiritually care for ourselves? Perhaps there are actually things that do need removal because they bring temptation or draw us away from God. It might be the TV…or freedom to access anything and everything on the internet…or a friend who is no good for our faith…or a change of jobs…or hobbies and activities that pull us away from worship. Who knows what may need to be lopped off of our lives. The answer is, “You will.” You will know what needs to go as you stop and think about it. Because it’s no good to have those things here if it means suffering eternally. Naturally, we need to keep the things that help us maintain our faith, things like worship and Bible reading and Sunday School and Confirmation classes and the Lord’s Supper and Christian friendships. If you Take Care of Yourself, then you will be able to fulfill Christ’s other command to Take Care with Others. Please notice that I said, Take Care WITH Others and not Take Care OF Others. There are instructions from God’s Word about the ways we are to do that, but here Jesus is clearly emphasizing that we are to be careful when we deal with other Christians. And that takes us to the first part of the lesson: “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” You and I need this lesson too because we run into situations that have some similarities. Okay, maybe we haven’t met too many miracle-workers, but we do know other Christians who are not part of our church family, right? We know people who are not Lutheran—they are not one of us! Sometimes, we have our sensors on high-alert because the truth of God’s Word is of supreme importance to us—as it ought to be! But that means then that we’re suspicious because we know a Baptist Christian doesn’t have a proper view of the gift and power of Baptism. We know that a Catholic Christian has misunderstandings about the gospel and about the law. Non-Denominational Christians seem to us like they don’t stand for much sometimes—or for too many things.
To be sure, there are lots of places in the Bible that help us to deal properly with any of these Christian people, depending on the situation. But do we ever find joy in simply meeting another person who knows that Jesus is their Savior. It is not every situation where they are defending a false teaching point-by-point and threatening the faith and understanding of others! Not every moment is a matter of fellowship doctrine or practices. Depending on the circumstance, can we simply be happy that the Holy Spirit has worked faith in this other person, remembering Jesus’ words here: “Do not stop him. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”? Trust me, I know the feelings all too well. And I am not soft on doctrine. Certainly, I have sinned in word and thought in some of these situations. But in order to Take Care with Others, I have learned to take a moment to assess each situation. What does it call for? Is it a moment for teaching, correcting, rebuking, or training in righteousness? Or is it a moment to embrace the fact that God’s saving Gospel has reached this soul? And even more specifically to Jesus’ point here—is this a person new to faith? That’s really what caused Jesus to speak of one of these little ones who believe in me. It doesn’t mean a child necessarily. It means a little one in faith, someone who is new to knowing Jesus as Savior, someone who has limited understanding of God but who has faith. We might even translate it, “young believer.” The way Jesus explains things here leads us to understand that the man in this account apparently was such a person. Great care needs to be taken so as not to damage the faith of someone like this! Nothing ought to be said or done that would damage new faith in Christ or deter them from proper service to their Savior. We must watch our words and our behavior out of love for them as fellow Christians and out of love for Jesus who is the Savior of us all. You and I have no doubt messed this up from time to time. We may not have pointed out error when we should have. Or we may have sinned like the disciples with a theyare-not-one-of-us-attitude and possibly some actions as well. We have maybe even been unaware of how offensive it was to Jesus or how detrimental it may have been to these fellow Christians as they picked up on our attitude. It’s worth thinking about a bit as we consider Jesus’ words today. It ought to lead to repentance for those sins as well. How grateful we can be that Jesus is loving and careful with us! He forgives us on the basis of his sacrifice for sinners whom he did not look down upon but had a caring heart for. He carried these sins of ours to the cross as he was cut off from the land of the living on Good Friday. And with his Easter resurrection to life, he ensured that our faith in him alone will result in the reward of heaven. This is life-changing and eternallife changing! You are a Properly-Seasoned Disciple who knows Jesus and his gifts and promises. Take Care of Yourself spiritually so that you can carry out the will of your Savior as You Take Care with Others, peacefully building up the body of Christ. Amen. Now the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.