“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. 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. 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. 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, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not extinguished” (Mark 9:42-48, New American Standard Bible).

This instruction from Jesus follows the one we read in a previous post. The disciples were arguing about who was the greatest in their group, and John shared how he had stopped someone from casting out demons in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:38-41). This background helps us understand what Jesus was talking about here.

We can find many ways to tempt someone to sin. One of those is by discouraging them to follow the Lord’s will. A new Christian might share how they want to get involved in a certain ministry. “Oh, you’re not ready for that. Forget about it!” “We don’t do that at this church.” “We already have someone doing that; we don’t need you.” “That’s too ambitious. Nobody can do that.”

Some years ago, one of the assistant pastors at my church offered a more biblical response to the last one: “If it’s something you can do all by yourself, it’s probably not from God.” He believed God gives His children big visions that demand that we work with others. Instead of discouraging someone from pursuing an ambitious vision, this mindset would show them how to begin and seek others to help bring it to fruition.

Do not discourage people. Encourage them. Challenge them. Believe that God has great things for them to do, and help them grow into it.

At the same time, pay close attention to your own spiritual condition. Jesus was not, in fact, telling His disciples to dismember themselves. Does your hand cause you to sin? No, not really. Neither does your eye or your foot. Different body parts may be used during sinful acts, but sin begins in the heart. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15, NASB; here “lust” refers to any sinful desire, not merely sexual). We should frequently check our hearts and see if sinful desires are arising and gaining a foothold in our lives. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life can all lead us astray. Cast them aside; cut them off; if a situation continually brings up sinful desires, get it out of your life.

Let us pursue the glory of God, in our own lives and in the lives of those we meet.

How can you encourage others to grow in their relationship with Christ? How can you weed out occasions for sin in your own life?

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.