Removing Evil
It is not easy to avoid the things in this life that cause us trouble or grief.
‘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. If 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. And 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., And 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, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. ‘For everyone will be salted with fire. 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.’ - Mark 9:42-50
In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples to cast out what is evil in their lives, and he uses some graphic examples to do so. Pluck out your eye, cut off your hand. These are fairly extreme acts.
Jesus is making a strong point. There is evil all around us in a variety of forms. The worst of which, he says is to cause someone else to turn away from God. Causing another to turn away is worse than turning away yourself.
What would motivate someone to intentionally do that to another, convince them that God is not with them, that God is not real?
One would have to be cruel to want to bring another down, to take away the hope of faith.
No wonder Jesus says it would be better if they were tossed into the sea.
In this time of fear and uncertainty, we should spread words of hope and not expand the discourse of fear. Yes, we need to be cautious and we need to take care of ourselves, but just as we would never think of intentionally causing another to get sick, neither should we add to their fears and diminish their faith.
That is what we need to cut out of our lives. Let us be beacons of light and not darkness.
More to come...