September 8th, 2024
Mark 9:38-50
Introduction
Stumbling blocks, amputations, and tearing out eyeballs… What do you make of that? What does that mean for your life and my life? What are we supposed to do with that?
Have you ever heard the saying, “Sometimes the good news is bad news before it is good news.” I only heard that recently, but I’m confident it can help us with today’s Gospel—a text that tells us there is in fact Good News—life and peace with one another and God, through Jesus Christ. But before that good can come there is something we are going to have to do first. And that’s the bad news… because what we have to do is both radical and painful, and seemingly involves… Stumbling blocks, amputations, and tearing out eyeballs
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Last week we heard the Disciples arguing about who is the greatest—which we know did not bring out the best in them. And now, again, rather than making themselves “last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35) as Jesus had instructed, we read the Disciple John telling Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”
Can you believe that? “We tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” “We tried to stop him because he was not ONE OF US.” This all happens right after Jesus told them arguing about who was the greatest is not at all great. The guy the Disciples saw was doing the work of Jesus. But the Disciples tried to stop him because he wasn’t doing it their way. He’s not one of them, so they don’t approve. John is blaming this “someone” for getting in their way, failing to see that he and the other Disciples are the ones getting in the way.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you gotten in the way of yourself or another? Tell you what… we’ll circle back to that because we first need to understand Jesus is once again shaking his head at his Disciples. “Do not stop him,” he says. Then Jesus shifts focus from this other guy to the Disciples, saying, “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out.” Jesus isn’t talking about this other guy; he’s talking about them… and us. Jesus is saying, “Don’t worry about that other guy. Worry about yourself. And do so by facing the bad news, because if you don’t, you can’t get The Good News.”
Move 1
In our text for today Jesus is addressing the challenges of stumbling blocks, but he’s not talking about external stumbling blocks, rather internal stumbling blocks. He wants us to ask ourselves, Have you gotten in the way of yourself or another? And there are three parts in our text that help us consider this question.
First, to state the obvious, it doesn’t look to me as if any of you have amputated one of your limbs or torn out one of your eyes. So I’m guessing that either you have never stumbled or you’re not reading today’s Gospel literally.
Any desire or effort to read scripture literally loses its credibility and value with a story like today’s. Now, that does not mean we can or should interpret away the shock and harshness of Jesus’ words. Rather it means our interpretation must go deeper and must include an application of that shock and harshness in our lives.
No. I am not saying we should start cutting off limbs and gouging our eyes. We are not to do such because Jesus is not administering a punishment. Jesus is teaching, he is prescribing, the treatment for the times we have gotten in the way of ourselves and another. Yes, it is radical. This cringey treatment cuts to the very core of our integrity and authenticity. But Jesus is focused on our future—which he sees as a matter of Good News and bad news where you and I choose which one we want.
Move 2
Have you gotten in the way of yourself or another?
The second part to help us consider this question is the graphic nature of the images Jesus uses: drowning by millstone, the amputation of hand or foot, the torn-out eye, the unquenchable fire, hell, the worm that never dies. Those images reveal just how serious and urgent this matter is for Jesus. Jesus is trying to get our attention. He’s trying to wake us up. He wants us to see the ways in which we are un-becoming ourselves, like salt that has lost its saltiness.
Jesus is showing us the bad news that is the betraying and turning away from our true selves—which is when we stumble and/or cause others to stumble. But… he’s showing us the way back to ourselves through The Good News. Drowning, amputation, gouging—we should not take those images literally, but do we need to take them seriously. Jesus uses those images four times to talk about what is better for us. “It is better for you…” he says. This Gospel is not about condemnation. This Good News is about getting better, about healing, about becoming who God has called us to be. And that means facing some difficult and bad news about ourselves. But that’s ok, right? Because… “sometimes the good news is bad news before it is good news.”
Move 3
Have you gotten in the way of yourself or another?
Lastly, the third part to help us consider this question is “easy” because I know exactly what Jesus is talking about—and I suspect you do too. I know of times in my life when I have tripped over my own two feet. And I know times when I have caused you or someone else to stumble and fall. And I’ll bet you know what that’s like too.
And so I wonder in what ways you and I have become stumbling blocks to ourselves and/or one another? Because the two are related. Every time I stumble and fall I take down someone with me. John and the Disciples tripped over themselves before they became a stumbling block to the other guy doing Jesus’ work when they tried to stop him.
And we go deeper into this third part when we look at the metaphors Jesus uses for stumbling blocks in today’s Gospel: our hands, feet, and eyes—the very parts of us that become our stumbling block are actually the parts intended to be building blocks for our lives and the lives of others.
Our hands are meant to mold and shape life, to welcome and embrace, to reach out and care, to create, protect, and heal. They are a symbol of action. When have you mishandled a relationship or situation by holding firm in the wrong ideas or allegiances? When have your hands done violence to yourself or another? When have your open and receptive hands become closed fists? In what ways have your hands caused you to stumble?
Our feet are meant to move us towards life and more life, to take us to new ways of becoming, to get us to a better place. They symbolize movement and growth. They can be the means by which we come together or the means by which we trip or kick another. In what ways have you tripped over your own two feet? What places have you gone that were not good for you, or others? Physical places, sure. But what about the mental place you have gone that are not good—the places you go to put yourself down? When have you stepped on, kicked, or tripped another? In what ways have your feet caused you to stumble?
Our eyes are meant to see beauty, wisdom, and the holiness of each other and ourselves. They are intended to perceive and discern truth. They offer insight and give us a vision of what faith, hope, joy, and love look like in our lives. When have you stumbled because you couldn’t see what was right in front of you? When have you misperceived the truth and made a wrong judgment? When have you looked at another with anger, hatred, resentment, jealousy? In what ways has your vision been impaired and caused you to stumble?
Have you gotten in the way of yourself or another? How are your hands, feet, or eyes tripping you up or causing someone else to stumble? In whatever ways you might answer those questions, let your answers be— not a judgment—rather let them be a diagnosis. Let them be a diagnosis of the broken, wounded, and hurting places in your life. Because that’s the bad news we need to face and acknowledge so the bad news—through the love of Chris— can become the Good News.
Conclusion
“Sometimes the good news is bad news before it is good news.”
If we truly want to get to The Good News, we know what we need to do. We have to acknowledge and face the bad news. Yes, Jesus’ call to cut off and tear out is extreme. But here’s the paradox in Jesus’ instruction… We amputate in order to become whole. We cut off in order to reconnect. We separate, in order to return. That’s what it means to have salt in ourselves—to regain our integrity and authenticity and be at peace with one another.
The Gospel message for today is not about punishment for being bad. It’s a Gospel message—Good News of hope, healing, and wholeness. It’s a Gospel message—Good News about accountability. It’s a Gospel message—Good News about becoming our better selves.
So I wonder what Jesus’ call to cut off and tear out looks like in our lives today. If you wonder too, then let’s ask ourselves… What do I need to let go of, and empty your hands of? What do I need to walk away from? What places do I need to stop going to? What is distorting my vision that I need to turn away from so I can see what God is showing?
Let us ask and answer these questions… and face the bad news…while remembering we are not being punished…we’re being treated. Treated with guidance, urgency, hope, grace and love.
Jesus is saying, “Don’t worry about that other guy. Worry about yourself. And do so by facing your bad news. Because when you do that, with me, you’ll see just exactly how the good news is bad news before it’s The Good News.” Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, September 8, 2024
Holy God, for your Good News, we give you thanks and praise. For without your Good News we know all bad news would overwhelm us and lead us only to hopelessness.
Challenge us then O God, to face the hard truths of the times, and ways, we become stumbling blocks—to others and ourselves.
Teach us to recognize where and when we need your Good News to remind us we are so much stronger than we let ourselves believe, and that your Son will always—with guidance, urgency, hope, grace and love—help us get back up when we stumble and fall.
Then grant us a greater ability to see the world as Christ himself saw it—a place though flawed and plagued by sin, but still a place where beauty and renewed life are always possible through your Good News.
Lord we know we don’t have to be the greatest. We know we don’t have to stop others from working in your name. We know all you ask for is our faithfulness to live and love and share your Good News to all.
We are ready as ever to do this good and faithful work in Jesus’ name.
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Gracious God, we lift to you again another horrendous and heartbreaking tragedy we saw unfold this week at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
We pray your spirit will comfort those whose hearts have been stricken by unimaginable loss, grief, and trauma, that they may live once more with hope. We pray you will bind up the wounds of the broken and bring healing. Open minds and hearts and spirits that all may see your hopeful and life-giving way forward.
And we pray your spirit of healing and grace and peace becomes an abundant and abiding presence to that hurting community—and to our hurting country— for truly all of our hearts are broken because no student going to school should ever have to think about such violence, let alone endure it.
So make known your vision for the brokenness, trust and confidence to be restored, so all students can know they, and their school, is always a safe place to learn and grow and become.
Please listen now to the prayers of our hearts, as we share them in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray saying, “Our …