Mark 9:38-50.                                     In Jesus name????                                                            27/9/15

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, 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. [44]  45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46]  47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, 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, 48 where

“‘the worms that eat them do not die,

    and the fire is not quenched.’

49 Everyone will be salted with fire.

50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

This morning we are confronted with the critical nature and consequences that come with our every action. Why are we doing what we are doing is very important for us to consider. Our motivations for every action is vitally important. So what is it that under girds everything that we say and do?   

Everything we do and say is motivated by some attitude and reasoning. Selfish egotism , desire to be popular and to go with the crowd, or fear of what others will think or say, love, or as a response to what Jesus has done for us and what he would have us do. All these motivations have consequences, good or bad.

Here Jesus comes down to the simple idea that either we are for Jesus or we are against him; and it is this which motivates what we do and the consequences that flow from it. Either Jesus controls our life or we do. Either I am all important or God is. This in turn determines whether some words or actions are good or bad.

But it is here that that it all comes to the point. For today we have this idea that our own view is always right and good. We have an over inflated view of ourselves and our ideas. We all too readily think that we are right and what we do is good. If I think it, therefore God had best accept my view as alright. If our views don’t line up with what God says then we either try to twist his word to suit our view or we reject God and try to deny his existence.

This thinking then has horrific implications for us and the consequence of living and acting with this view. Here Jesus is very strong in his reaction to this thinking: if you cause someone to stumble through your words or actions, then it would be better for you if a large millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.

The ramifications for the causing someone to stumble then is very serious indeed.  The consequences of leading people to lose their focus and faith in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, is huge. If our words and actions cause people to turn their backs on Jesus, it is no small matter. In fact here Jesus uses the word stumble rather than fall. So if our words and actions which come from selfish motivations leads someone to struggle with their faith, we will be judged harshly.

The idea of being chained to a huge block of concrete and thrown into the sea gives the idea of the certainty of being punished with death from which there is no escape. This is no trifling matter.

 So serious that he goes on to say: If your hand causes you to stumble, 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 stumble, 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 stumble, 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,

The point there is that if your hand or foot is so diseased with gangrene that it is causing you to die, you would cut it off, so that your life may be spared. In the same way we are to think about what we do that causes someone else to lose their faith. It is very serious indeed. We need to do our utmost to rid ourselves of that which will cause others to stumble in their faith.

Now this has a lot to say to us in the church at this time. How we approach, speak and use God word is something that we need to be careful with. When we say that we can ignore and change what the word says, we are in danger of doing harm to others faith. When we fail to speak of the seriousness of sin we are a stumbling block to others. When we fail to point to the importance of Jesus death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins we are withholding the medicine of life. When we fail to live in accord with what God tells us, without any sense of contrition and sadness, we are telling them that God and his word is not important.

At the same time it is making the point that our putting ourselves on a pedestal and then stopping others from helping others in Jesus name is also a dangerous thing. John tried to stop someone driving out demons in Jesus name, because he was not one of us. However Jesus said. Do not stop him.  For 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. So we need to be careful in condemning others.

Here we are then confronted with the question; Well surely if women do what the pastor does in Jesus name, then surely we must be careful in our rejection of them. This is a plausible argument, but the answer would seem to lie in; is a person doing something in Jesus name when they are clearly doing something which his word says they must not be doing. Certainly it is wrong when it becomes a church teaching that it is okay, when God clearly says that it isn’t.

Again the question arises as to why are we doing what we are doing? Are we doing it in Jesus name or in our own name?  Elsewhere in the Gospels Jesus makes it clear that not all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. He says:  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!.’ So are we using God’s name for our own purposes or are we doing it in his name and by his guiding?

Here the last part of the reading has much to say to us. Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.

Salt is what preserves food and gives it its taste. Salt is useless if it does not have its saltiness. In fact it would do harm.  For what would happen if I salted some meat with salt that did not have its saltiness? Instead of being preserved, it would quickly go rotten.

What then is this saltiness that we are to have as Christians? Jesus says; Everyone will be salted with fire. Fire is used to burn up and get rid of rubbish.  Here Jesus uses this imagery in two ways: Just prior to this he says that it is far better for to cut off an arm or leg than to experience the fires of hell which does not go out. Those who are not in Christ and doing everything in his name will be sent there where: “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’

Then here he use this fire to cleanse us and makes us salty.  Here this is referring to Jesus taking the punishment of fire on himself so that we might be cleansed of our sin; forgiven. Here again Jesus says everyone is salted with this fire. Jesus has died for all: all have been forgiven and made acceptable. Now as we know many have rejected this and so have lost their saltiness, making it worthless to themselves; and their words and actions.

However for us who are Christians, this is our defining event that surely flavours everything that we say and do. We are cleansed and redeemed. We have forgiveness of sins and therefore the assurance of eternal life with God in heaven. We now have been given something sure, good and hopeful for us as we live out our lives every day.

Now surely Jesus Christ and what he has done for us and wants us to do in this life is what is all important for us. He is our Saviour and he is our Lord. That surely means that he is the one we look to be the determiner of all that we say and do.

Now we no longer put any confidence in ourselves and our thinking, for we know from what he tells us, that we are constantly skewed by a sinful human nature. We know that we do not get it right when we rely on ourselves. So we allow his Spirit through Word and Sacrament to keep us focussed on him and to guide in all of our words and actions.

This is the salt then that flavours our relationships with everyone else. Jesus and all that he is and does is what is the reason and motivation for all that we do. This then gives a whole different flavour to our dealings with others from that of the society around us.

Jesus and his death on the cross then also becomes that which preserves life in our society.  Even though this Christian message and life is not what many want, it is what enables our society to function in some reasonable fashion: albeit tainted and hurt by the constant rejection of that which is good for us.

But for us now we need to constantly look to Jesus Christ and his death on the cross and let him lead and guide us in all that we say and do so that we do not lead others into temptation and to stumble. We will serve all others no matter who they be so that in everything Jesus is seen as the greatest of all and necessary for the salvation of all. So to him again then be all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish