Mark 9:38-50
38 John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”
39 But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.
40 For the one who is not against us is for us.
41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him if a heavy millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea.
43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
45 And if your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life without a foot, than, having your two feet, to be thrown into hell.
47 And if your eye is causing you to sin, throw it away; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be thrown into hell,
48 where their worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished.
49 For everyone will be salted with fire.
50 Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
The Rebuke of John’s Attitude
Who is part of the group?
John reported to Jesus that they had stopped a man from casting out demons in Jesus’ name because he was not one of their group. Perhaps, they wanted to demonstrate how fervently they were serving Jesus. In response, Jesus taught them a crucial principle that every Christian should understand. “The one who is not against us is for us.” If this principle had been consistently upheld, many tragedies in church history might have been avoided. Unfortunately, even today, there are instances where churches or individuals used by God are criticized simply because they are not part of a specific group. If there is a church that teaches that their church alone is the true church, it is an unhealthy church.
Concerning stumbling
Causing God’s children to stumble is grave sin. There are various causes for stumbling, but in this context, attitudes like privilege and pride are the issue. (1) Jesus strongly rebukes those who cause stumbling. He says it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. The sea referred to here is the Sea of Galilee. (2) Furthermore, He says that if hands, feet, or eyes are causing stumbling, it is better to remove them. This doesn’t mean literally cutting off hands, feet, or eyes. Jesus uses exaggeration to emphasize the importance of taking drastic measures and removing the root causes of the problem. (3) The phrase “thrown into Gehenna (hell)” is directed to unbelievers. Those who believe in Jesus have their sins forgiven. But what about those who, even after becoming Christians, continue to cause stumbling? Such individuals undergo God’s training on Earth to correct their behavior. If they still do not change, the blessings they should receive in the age to come will be taken away. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to purify our hearts. Let’s strive to live in harmony with one another.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, I willingly accept Your training. Please help me become a Christian who brings blessings, not stumbling, to others. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.