Mark 9:38-50
38 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out
demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following
us.’ 39But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in
my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not
against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water
to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
42 ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these
little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone
were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 43If your hand
causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed
than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if
your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life
lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes
you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God
with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48where their
worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
49 ‘For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good;
but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in
yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’
Year B
September 25-October 1
September 27, 2015
Cross~Wind
Title: Wisdom in Tears: What Makes You Cry?
Going deeper
I have been
sharing with you around some themes related to wisdom. My concern has been that
we live in a culture that could so easily get off course. In this passage,
Jesus shows great concern for the healing and liberation of people. Yet, as we
shall see, the disciples have a problem.
In Mark 9:38-50, both sections of
this passage contain insight into the challenges facing the early church,
especially regarding interpreting the new faith to outsiders and absorbing new
converts into the fellowship. Jesus shows great concern for people and the
things that would hinder their health and healing.
Paul Achtemeier has noted that in
Mark 8-10, the evangelist has constructed a pattern of three core teachings
about Jesus, followed by a fourth element which supports them. In this pattern,
according to Achtemeier, there are three elements repeated three times. One is that
Jesus must suffer, die, and be raised from the dead (8:31; 9:30-32; 10:33-34).
Two is that those who heard this message were likely to misunderstand or reject
it (8:32-33; 9:32; 10:35-41). Three, the misunderstanding occurs so that Jesus
was required to speak about it to them directly (8:34-38; 9:35-37; 10:42-45).
The “fourth element” in this pattern, however, was the telling of an episode in
Jesus’ life that would make clear that this supernatural and extraordinary
teaching about him is something one can believe. Jesus was a supernatural
person possessed of extraordinary power. The three supernatural episodes to
which Achtemeier points are the transfiguration (9:2-8); the unknown exorcist’s
use of Jesus’ name to cast out demons (9:38-41), and the healing of blind
Bartimaeus (10:46-52).[1] One
way to look at this pattern is that it will always be difficult to believe,
people will misunderstand and reject it, and it will require a personal
decision of faith, commitment, and courage to identify with Jesus. Yet, this
decision has reasonable grounds in the God was working with Jesus in the
Transfiguration, in the ability of an exorcist to cast out demons in the name
of Jesus, and in the healing of blind Bartimaeus.]
[Mark 9:38-41 is a pronouncement
story on the unknown exorcist. Bultmann said the story is a product of the
early Christian community. If so, it could reflect the Christian community’s
concern with drawing appropriate social boundaries, separating those inside
from those outside. Historically, this
episode may also depict Mark's community of faith in which members are trying
to decide who belongs to the community and whom they should exclude.[2]
Thus, Jesus' statement of inclusion would not only serve as a rebuke and a
reminder to those of his time, but also to those within the Markan community.] 38 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw
someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he
was not following us.’ 39But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does
a deed of power [healing ministry] in
my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. [The story
establishes the attitude of Jesus toward helpers who were not part of his
disciples. The disciples believe since this person is not a member of the
twelve, he has no disciple-designation, and he has no authority, therefore he
has no right to use Jesus’ name when casting out demons. The disciple’s problem with this exorcist is
that he is not one of us, that is, not one of the established leadership
certified by Jesus. The disciples proudly tell Jesus how they had nipped a
budding heresy in their midst. The use of the phrase "in your name"
suggests a technical reference (more specific than indicated in v.37): The man
was practicing a sort of "word magic," invoking Jesus' name to
perform healings. Mark's description makes it clear that this man had received,
no direct authority from Jesus ‑‑ so it would seem the disciples reaction may
be justified. Jesus’ rebuke most likely surprised the disciples. The Twelve saw themselves as a uniquely
endowed, specially selected group privy to Jesus’ individual attentions and
tutorials. Anyone who authentically acts in his name or on his behalf, Jesus
asserts, is a full and legitimate participant in the power of that name. Furthermore, Jesus’ acceptance of this
un-named exorcist widens the circle of the faithful community. While it is only his name that imbues power,
it is nonetheless a discipleship team that must carry out this work.]
40Whoever
is not against us is for us. [A proverbial remark. Cicero, living the first
century BC, confirms the proverbial character of the remark in saying:
Though we held everyone to be our
opponents except those on our side, Caesar counted everybody as your adherent
who was not against him.
It might be reminiscent of the openness and inclusiveness of
Jesus.]
41For
truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear
the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. [This seems to be a
Christian proverb. The qualifications for acceptance into this network drop
even more dramatically in v. 41. Now all
that Jesus requires is only the tiniest hint of respect and interest in those
who witness in his name. Giving a “cup
of water” is hardly a measure of exuberant hospitality. Jesus’ words to his followers now take on the
hue of an ominous warning — reminding the disciples that with access to
tremendous power comes tremendous responsibility. Although such persons were
not believers, they were also not opponents of the Christian movement. God
would reward even the simple act of offering a Christian a cup of water out of
respect for Christ, Jesus states, even if the person making the offer has no
other involvement in the faith. Jesus
underscores his open, tolerant attitude to the work of this exorcist with two
of sayings that direct his disciples to look with graciousness upon the work of
those who do a deed of power in my name or the one who gives you a cup of water
to drink because you bear the name of Christ. Jesus rejects the privatized
vision of power offered by the disciples.
Jesus' response flings wide the doors of discipleship. Jesus includes
within his domain individuals his own disciples would never dream of embracing.
Some commentators explain Jesus' acceptance of this unknown healer's activities
by claiming he must have been one of John the Baptist's disciples, or one of
the 70 sent out by Jesus. Nevertheless, the text itself makes no such
stipulation.]
[Verses 42-50 contains the teaching
of Jesus on honesty and self-examination concerning sin. Mark has gathered a
collection of sayings around the theme of leading others astray. In context,
these sayings reflect upon the danger to which the disciples open themselves in
their exclusive attitude.] 42 ‘If any of
you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it
would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you
were thrown into the sea. [This saying concerning the stumbling block has a
proverbial character. The disciples have authority, but the consequences of the
misuse of power are so dire that Jesus uses intentionally graphic, violent
language to shock his listeners into recognizing their importance. Sensitivity to how the larger world viewed
the Christian movement seems also to be a concern in this passage. Jesus
instructs the community of believers to police their own lives for sinful
behavior so that they might project a right image of the early church to the
world. Those who were considering the faith, or who were new to the faith,
could be scandalized (literally “made to stumble”) by disjunctions they
observed between Christian teaching and the ethics of individual Christians.
The very act of neglecting one’s own spiritual life, so that others become
disillusioned and lose their faith, is itself a serious sin.] 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it
off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go
to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to stumble,
cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and
to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out;
it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two
eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48where their worm never dies, and the fire is
never quenched [Isaiah 66:24]. [For
the Jesus Seminar, verses 43-48 reflect the apocalyptic interests of Mark, for
Jesus spoke in terms of the kingdom as already present. If the body referred to
is the Christian community, then the later community created the saying. In
that context, it was better to excommunicate some members of the community,
rather than risk injury to the whole community. We have a saying on the hand,
foot, and eye. They contrast Gehenna with God’s kingdom and life. It concerns the final judgment and salvation
at the end of history. Such a radical
saying, suggesting a marred, incomplete body, which was abhorrent in Jesus’
day, was to be preferred to the submission to temptation. It was of supreme importance to remove any
obstacle to entering eternal life. Barth
will say that entry into the kingdom of God means to become a disciple and
enter the community.[3] To
find access to the rule of God is of the very essence of salvation. The common
reference to entering the kingdom has a future sense, referring to
participation in the future fellowship of salvation, as J. Weiss has
emphasized.[4] The
point is ensnaring oneself rather than others. Jesus appears to reject the
notion that one cannot treat the symptom and still get to true repentance. He
uses humor here to make absurd the notion that sin performed by various parts
of the body can be eradicated by amputating that part of the body. Sin does not
arise in the body. It arises in the human soul, in the spirit or in the heart.
In this way, Christ’s teaching is the exact opposite of Greek philosophies,
such as Gnosticism, that attributed a degenerate nature to the human body. In a
true Israelite perspective, the body and the soul are one. The body does not
drag the soul down into “earthly” debaucheries. It is a heart and mind turned
in the wrong direction that uses the body in sinful ways. If sin rules your
life, Jesus argues, then you are not eligible to be born into the new life of
the resurrection; therefore rooting out sin is the only way to enter into that
new life. How much is it worth to be born into that life? Jesus asks. Is it
worth sacrificing a limb? Or an eye? If so, consider the fact that Christ does
not require such an extreme gesture. All that is asked of us is that we
endeavor to rid our lives of sin that arises from human will. Moloney argues
insightfully that these verses, however, are not about maiming, but more about
the blessing of life; God is more important than parts of our body. He writes,
"It is better, given the richness of the life offered by the kingdom of
God, to be without a hand, a foot or an eye, than to lose the opportunity to
enter that life. In the end, one can do without a hand, a foot or an eye, but
one cannot do without life. To have both hands, both eyes and both feet, but to
have allowed them to lead you into sin and death, forever in the unquenchable
fire of hell is unthinkable."[5] One
could also argue that although the individual is in view in these verses, Mark
weds words about the individual to his earlier words about communal offense
because he wants to highlight the individual in relation to the community.
Thus, the individual's sin affects the community, not only the person who
commits such a sin. Therefore, the person's actions have consequences not only
for himself but also for others.]
[“Gehenna” suggests spiritual destruction, as
opposed to eternal life. The image of “hell” which appears in this passage is
one adapted from ancient Israelite history to correspond with the Greek notion
of Hades. Unlike the Greeks, the ancient Israelites did not have a concept of
Hades, or Tartarus, namely an
underworld filled with fire and brimstone in which the wicked were tortured for
all eternity. Sheol, the ancient Hebrew abode of the dead, was simply a pit
into which the dead disappeared, never to arise again. Gehenna, however, is the New Testament equivalent of Hades, the
name of which is a graecization of the Hebrew place name ge ben Hinnom, or “valley of Ben
Hinnom.” It was here, in the small valley outside the Jaffa gate, that
ancient Israelite kings committed the sin of child sacrifice and constructed a tophet
or child sacrifice burial ground offered by fire to the pagan gods
Moloch and Baal (Jeremiah 7:30-34, 32:35). The image of gehenna then, evoked in
the minds of Jewish hearers, a place of unimaginable horror, death and
depravity. After this practice ceased
due to the reforms implemented by King Josiah (II Kings 23:10), the valley was
used as a trash dump where fires continually burned in order to consume the
garbage. It was also known as a place where maggots constantly fed and multiplied.
Eventually, in some strands of Jewish thought, this valley became associated
with what the wicked would experience in the future, one in which "their
worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched" (v. 48).[6]]
49
‘For everyone will be salted with fire. [A quotation from Scripture, in
which one can translate it back into its Aramaic form. Jesus is most likely
alluding to the refining trials and tribulations of religious persecution that
were the nearly constant experiences of the early church. These fires will be
the defining experiences that form the church into what it will become. The odd
language of “salting” with fire appears to have the same sense here that it has
in Matthew’s version of the Sermon on the Mount (5:13). “Salting” appears to refer to possessing of an indefinable
quality that sets one apart. Namely, salt has inseparable characteristics in
its very chemical structure that makes it what it is. If it ceases to have that
indefinable quality, it ceases to be salt. Thus, Mark seems to say, the ability
to endure, or be salted by, the fire of testing and trial, is the essential
quality that makes one worthy to be a Christian. The world will assuredly
inflict this testing on the community, Jesus warns, but he also encourages the
community to test itself, ridding itself of sinful behavior. Only those who
have a firm understanding of themselves, who submit themselves to the test of
self-examination and honesty, can truly be at peace with a world that
misunderstands them, and at peace with each other, no matter what their level
of sophistication in the faith.]
50
Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? [This
saying is not only in Mark, but also in the source that Matthew and Luke have
in common. If the impurities were greater than the salt, the salt would be
bland or insipid.] Have salt in
yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’ [This saying nicely rounds
out the theme, even going back to verse 33. It returns to the theme with which
the complex began, peace among the disciples.
They are a benediction. However,
peace was common to wish upon others and one might reasonably use the image of
salt. The purpose of salt is to season.
Its use is in daily life. The way to peace is a life seasoned with salt, or
perhaps with common sense, as its meaning may be. This verse makes the point
that once the disciples allow pettiness, selfishness or pride to flatten their
discipleship, they will never be able to regain its original sharp,
distinctive, pleasing flavor. The
paradox of Christian discipleship, Jesus teaches, is that one must carry it out
in a spirit of genuine humility and servanthood.]
Introduction
What is it that makes you
cry?
When I am at a movie, and
something in it makes my eyes water or get wet (no, I do not cry, I write with
a smile), I often pay attention. Sometimes, it will be obvious, such as Marley
and Me, a movie about a family who owns a dog through several years, and must
eventually have it “put down.” Some are not so obvious.
Even for men, it is now okay
to cry. Nevertheless, do the right things get us worked up?
Jesus became sick to tears
when people caused other people to stumble. Some of his harshest statements in
the gospels are reserved for those people.
This discussion comes with a
warning label. You may not feel good. It might not build you up. In fact, Jesus
uses exaggerated notions and actions to make his disciples face the gravity of
what they have done.
By rebuking the unknown man
who offered healing and exorcism in Jesus' name (Mark 9:38-50), the disciples
had stopped up a tributary of divine compassion from flowing to those in need.
In response, Jesus offers his disciples some of his harshest, most demanding
judgments on what believers should do in order to avoid committing such sins.
The Jesus of love and mercy now uses images of force and fury to illustrate how
deep his emotions run on this subject. Those who willfully erect
"stumbling blocks," whose actions hinder the progress of "little
ones," are declared better off at the bottom of the sea. So great is
Jesus' love for these "little ones" that he counsels the ancient
mechanism of pars pro toto ("partial sacrifice for the sake of survival in
a situation of pursuit, of threat and anxiety") to behavior that would
lead others astray. Jesus' greatest
anger, his darkest emotions, his bitterest tears were reserved for those who took
advantage of the "others," the "little ones" -- the poor,
the weak, the young, the old, the sick, the outcast. Jesus did not try to curb
his tongue when castigating those who took unfair advantage or practiced
outright abuse against the "others" and "little ones" of the
world. Neither was Jesus ashamed to let the fierceness of his feelings turn to
tears of compassion and love for all the "others" and "little
ones" who stumble and struggle in this world.
Tears of justice, compassion, genuine
heart-and-soul-break are rare today. Tears are not rare. Even men now are
crying all over the screen.
When I was growing up, males
learned that "Real men don't cry." Admonitions like "Get control
of yourself," "Stop crying" helped wean the weeping out of us.
Then we found out that because "Real men don't cry," men die earlier
than women. A life-flood of tears is the lifeblood of health, joy and
strength.
What makes us cry, church?
Is our crying really nothing
more than wanting what the world has, wanting what we used to have --the
prestige, the preeminence, the power; wanting the perks that came from a time
when church and culture at least seemed somewhat in sync? Or is our crying based on the kinds of
attitudes and activities that brought the sting of tears to Jesus' eyes?
"Jesus wept."
These words have been a mystery through the ages. Jesus not only cried out a
lot (Matthew 27:46, 50; Mark 15:34 ,
37; Luke 23:46 ). Jesus
cried, literally. An emotional Jesus --
breaking into a smile, bursting into tears of sorrow and chagrin -- is the
Savior we serve.
What really makes us cry,
church? What makes you sad? What makes you glad? What makes you mad?
Jesus cried when he looked
out over Jerusalem and wept for a city that did not know what made for peace.
The Triumphal Entry ended in tears because his own people could not recognize
the Way, the Truth and the Life when it stared them in the face.
Jesus cried when he saw the
havoc death wreaked on the life of his best friend's family. The Bible says he
"was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved" from the pain of
Lazarus' death and "began to weep" (John 11:33 , 35).
So what really makes you
cry?
Let us reflect upon the
image of the tear bottle.
If you had such a bottle,
what would be the stories behind the tears in that bottle?
You may well have tears of
rage, outrage, compassion, and concern.
Maybe you have become too
cynical. You no longer cry. Maybe you never did. Maybe you need to do so.
How many tears are in your bottle?
Application
What makes us cry,
church?
First, I think of George
Morris, who spoke at Annual Conference of South Indiana in 1997. He made the point that we focus on the
trivial, while disaster looms ahead of us.
He asked three questions.
Can we see the
perishing?
Can we see their potential?
Do we know Jesus to be their
Savior?
John
Wesley, in Sermon 21, Discourse 1, spoke on the theme: Blessed are those who
mourn. Those who mourn are those who
feel the distance of God, and desire to be drawn near. When the Lord visits and blesses, this
mourning will leave. Yet, there
continues to be a mourning for the sin and misery of this world.
“They are grieved for the
dishonor continually done to the majesty of heaven and earth. At all times they have an awful sense of
this, which brings a deep seriousness upon their spirits, since the eyes of
their understanding were opened, by their continually seeing the vast ocean of
eternity, without a bottom or a shore, which has already swallowed up millions
of millions of people. They see here the
house of God eternal in the heavens; there, hell and destruction without a
covering; and thence feel the importance of every moment, which just appears,
and is gone forever.” John Wesley,
Sermon 21
Weep for yourselves, until God wipes away the tears
from your eyes. Even then, weep for the
miseries that come upon the earth, till the Lord of all shall put an end to
misery and sin, shall wipe away the tears from all faces.
Do
we see the perishing? Do we see their
potential? Do we see Jesus as their
Savior?
What
makes us cry, church?
William Hinson spoke at
Annual Conference as well. He led a
group of United Methodist pastors who simply want Methodism to stand upon its
belief in Christ and the Scripture. Yet,
they have come under attack. He pointed
out that the confessing movement asks for nothing more than adherence to the
Discipline. Why is there a problem?
1) There is a bias against
the Supernatural;
2) Doubt weighs more heavily
than faith;
3) We don’t like what the
Bible says.
Then we need to ask
ourselves as a church: should we change our ethics to meet the desires of this
age?
What makes you cry church?
My dad attended Community
UMC in Vincennes, IN. Several of the members commented upon how happy they were
to meet mom and dad, who had visited in September 1997. It was the first time
dad had been there. It was the first
time dad had been in a church since about 18 years ago. The church there impressed him. He lived in a
small town in southwestern Minnesota. He
commented that if there were a church like this near him, he would go. More than anything, I have wanted the Lord to
touch my father. Through many of the
people in that church, that started to happen.
I did not know what the outcome would be. I know God gave him an opportunity to
respond. Family experiences pain like this.
Where does that suffering come from?
Suffering and love come from the same place inside our souls. If we did not love, there would be no
suffering. We suffer, hurt, and weep for
our kids late into the night only because we care for them. We get homesick because we love home so
much. We shed tears over someone's death
because we loved her living so much.
Jesus wept because Jesus loved.
Conclusion
We pray for
those who have wandered, lost hope, unable to love, who have no relief from
their suffering, have lost sight of their potential, who dwell in darkness, and
who need restoration of a sense of value and potential.
