Instructions for Life Together, II

Mark 9:38-50

18th Sunday after Pentecost B

September 30, 2012

Today’s Gospel reading appears to be a jumble of narrative and teaching. It has a narrative of an unidentified exorcist, amputating oneself, and salt. But I believe these apparently disparate passages, just like

I.  Do not be envious of the ministry of “others” (9:38-40)

The apostle John reported to Jesus that they, the disciples, saw a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus, and they forbade him, for he is “not one of us”. Often, we are envious with the ministry of others, especially those who are “not one of us”. On this, John Wesley notes,

How often is the same temper found us? How readily we also lust to envy?… But to confine religion to them that follow us, is a narrowness of spirit which we should avoid and abhor (Note on Mark IX.38).

The apostle Paul rejoiced when Christ is preached, even by his enemies.

Indeed, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will…. What then? Notwithstanding that in every way, whether in pretense in truth, Christ is preached. And therein I do rejoice, yes, I will rejoice. (Philippians 1:15, 18)

We should not be envious of the ministry of others, even though they are not “one of us”, for Jesus said,

Do not forbid him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can afterward speak evil of me. For he who is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:39-40)

Anyone who is not against us is not our enemy!

II. Serve one another (9:41)

We do not have to perform miracles in the name of Jesus in order to serve him and one another. Any simple act of goodness (“works of mercy” as Wesley terms it) is rewarded by the Lord.

For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ: truly, I say unto you, he shall nit lose his reward. (Mark 9:41)

III. Do not offend your neighbor (9:42)

The word to “offend” here is ςκανδαλιζω skandalidzō, ‘to cause to stumble’, where we get the words “scandal” and “to scandalize”. Specifically, Jesus was talking about offending the “little ones”, (probably the little child in verse 36, from last Sunday’s Gospel reading). Perhaps “little ones” means all those who are new to the faith, young or old (“the very young Christian,” note on Mark IX:42). Jesus uses a very strong figure of speech, a hyperbole: “It is better for him that a millstone was hanged on his neck and he be thrown into the sea.” While children are examples for us in the kingdom of God, it is also true that we adults are examples for them here on earth. We grownups can be hardly scandalized by the behavior of children, but grownups may have behavior that could cause these “little ones” to stumble. What sort of example are we showing?

IV. Do not hold on to something that causes you sin (9:43-47)

Not only are we to keep others—especially the “little ones”—from stumbling, but we are to keep ourselves from stumbling. Jesus used very strong words for this: “If your hand causes you to sin (ςκανδαλιζη, skandelidzē, ‘offends’), cut it off… If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off… If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out… It is better to enter into life maimed than…to go in Hell.” According to Wesley, the things that causes one to sin are not literally body parts but persons and things that “slacken thee in the ways of God” (note on Mark IX:43).

Jesus uses very strong words to describe Hell: the word he used here is γεεννα, Gehenna, from the Hebrew גיא־הנם Gay-Hinom, ‘the valley of Hinom’, a valley outside Jerusalem used as a garbage dump). He describes a place in which “the fire that cannot be quenched, where their worm does not die…” By “worm” here, Wesley says, “that gnaweth the soul, (pride, self will, desire, malice, envy, sorrow, despair)” while the “fire” is “either material, or infinitely worse!...that tormenteth the body….” (note on Mark IX:44).

We are to get rid out things which causes us to stumble, so that others may not stumble because of us!

V. Do not lose your saltiness (9:49-50)

What does “having salt” have to do with having peace with one another? Jesus makes a reference to sacrifices being “salted with salt”. In the Torah, meat that is offered to God is to be salted with salt: it is forbidden to offer sacrifices without salt.

And your every offering you shall season with salt; neither shall you allow the salt of the covenant of your God be lacking from your offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13)

Wesley offers the following paraphrase of this “obscure text” that summarizes what we have talked about so far:

As every burnt offering was salted with salt, in order to its being cast into the fire of the altar, so every one who will not part with his hand or eye, shall fall a sacrifice to Divine justice, and be cast into hell fire, which will not consume, but preserve him from a cessation of being. And on the other hand, every one, who, denying himself and taking up his cross, offers up himself as a living sacrifice to God, shall be seasoned with grace, which like salt will make him savoury, and preserve him from destruction for ever. As salt is good for preserving meats, and making them savoury, so it is good that ye be seasoned with grace, for the purifying your hearts and lives, and for spreading the savour of my knowledge, both in your own souls, and wherever ye go. But as salt if it loses its saltness is fit for nothing, so ye, if ye lose your faith and love, are fit for nothing but to be utterly destroyed. See therefore that grace abide in you, and that ye no more contend, Who shall be greatest (note on Mark IX:50).

What are we doing so that we can have life together as the church of Jesus Christ? Let us not be envious of the ministry of other? Let us serve one another, even in little ways. Let us not cause people to stumble. Let us keep ourselves from stumbling into sin. Let us have among ourselves the characteristic of salt, that we may have peace with one another. Amen.

Graphic courtesy of Misioneros de Sagrado de Corazon en el Peru.