Dearest e-votees,
This week's gospel text says a lot about what we shouldn't do but also much about what we should do. Unfortunately our tendency is often to avoid doing the wrong rather than also hearing the strong call to do what is right.
Peace,
Karl
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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.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For 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. 43 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 45 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. 47 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, 48 where 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.”
Mark 9:38-50, NRSV
When we went to Israel and Palestine during my senior year in seminary one of our stops was in the town of Kursi. There was an abundance of basaltic lava stone in the area. It was a heavy, rough-surfaced volcanic rock that was used to make millstones and olive presses. The millstone is a heavy, heavy stone that is attached to an axle and rolled around (pushed by people or beasts of burden) to crush wheat into flour. You can still see massive millstones laying around the remains to Kursi to this day--simply stunning. When Jesus says that it would be better to have a GREAT millstone (not even just a small millstone) hung around your neck and be thrown into the sea rather than putting a stumbling block in front of others that is a serious statement. Perhaps it makes us want to shy away from interacting with others lest we somehow cause them to stumble.
Jesus goes on to say about how we are better to maim and disfigure ourselves in order to behave righteously than to enter with bodies intact into the fires of judgment.
These sayings are hyperbolic. Jesus isn't telling us to tie millstones around our necks or others. He isn't telling us to pluck out our eyes or lop off our limbs. Some have taken these teachings literally and done just that. When we are exceedingly literal with holy writings with no discernment very bad things can happen. We would all do well to pray for better understandings and to work together to help interpret and shape our practices derived from scriptures.
In the Greek there is what is called primitive alpha. In English is shows up as the prefix a-. We use it to negate the meaning of what follows. Apathy is a- + pathy and means lack of feeling. Amorphous is a- + morphous and means lack of having shape. Atheist is a- + theist and is one who lacks a belief in God (or believes there is no god). I think Jesus ends telling us not to be asalty (a- + flavorful or preserving or enhancing). The world needs flavor. It needs preserving agents. It needs things that bring out the best in others. That is part of our call as Christians.
Of course we should not be assaultive. When we intentionally cause harm to others or cause them to suffer there are dire consequences in store for us and for those others. This seems basic. But we are also not to be asaltive. It isn't sufficient to lurk passively and pacifistically in the shadows. We are called to engage the world. We are to be a light and to be salt. We are to take what God has given us (our gifts, our passions, the gospel, ...) and take it out into the world to bring flavor and seasoning, preservation and salvation. The consequences are pretty dire if we choose to negate our saltiness.
God, make us to be salty people in a world that can be bland, rotting and just getting by. Help us to never obscure the goodness you have put in us and called us to be in the world. Amen.
I have been writing these e-vos for quite some time (this is the 467th post since I started using the http://e-vos.blogspot.com URL in 2007). It has been a challenge, as you may have noticed, to publish regularly each Wednesday. I am planning to continue on to 500 posts and then take a substantial if not permanent break from writing this devotion series. My hope and prayer is that this has been a blessing to you. Thank you for reading them and the encouraging comments that have come my way.
This week's gospel text says a lot about what we shouldn't do but also much about what we should do. Unfortunately our tendency is often to avoid doing the wrong rather than also hearing the strong call to do what is right.
Peace,
Karl
------------
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.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For 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. 43 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 45 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. 47 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, 48 where 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.”
When we went to Israel and Palestine during my senior year in seminary one of our stops was in the town of Kursi. There was an abundance of basaltic lava stone in the area. It was a heavy, rough-surfaced volcanic rock that was used to make millstones and olive presses. The millstone is a heavy, heavy stone that is attached to an axle and rolled around (pushed by people or beasts of burden) to crush wheat into flour. You can still see massive millstones laying around the remains to Kursi to this day--simply stunning. When Jesus says that it would be better to have a GREAT millstone (not even just a small millstone) hung around your neck and be thrown into the sea rather than putting a stumbling block in front of others that is a serious statement. Perhaps it makes us want to shy away from interacting with others lest we somehow cause them to stumble.
Jesus goes on to say about how we are better to maim and disfigure ourselves in order to behave righteously than to enter with bodies intact into the fires of judgment.
These sayings are hyperbolic. Jesus isn't telling us to tie millstones around our necks or others. He isn't telling us to pluck out our eyes or lop off our limbs. Some have taken these teachings literally and done just that. When we are exceedingly literal with holy writings with no discernment very bad things can happen. We would all do well to pray for better understandings and to work together to help interpret and shape our practices derived from scriptures.
In the Greek there is what is called primitive alpha. In English is shows up as the prefix a-. We use it to negate the meaning of what follows. Apathy is a- + pathy and means lack of feeling. Amorphous is a- + morphous and means lack of having shape. Atheist is a- + theist and is one who lacks a belief in God (or believes there is no god). I think Jesus ends telling us not to be asalty (a- + flavorful or preserving or enhancing). The world needs flavor. It needs preserving agents. It needs things that bring out the best in others. That is part of our call as Christians.
Of course we should not be assaultive. When we intentionally cause harm to others or cause them to suffer there are dire consequences in store for us and for those others. This seems basic. But we are also not to be asaltive. It isn't sufficient to lurk passively and pacifistically in the shadows. We are called to engage the world. We are to be a light and to be salt. We are to take what God has given us (our gifts, our passions, the gospel, ...) and take it out into the world to bring flavor and seasoning, preservation and salvation. The consequences are pretty dire if we choose to negate our saltiness.
God, make us to be salty people in a world that can be bland, rotting and just getting by. Help us to never obscure the goodness you have put in us and called us to be in the world. Amen.
I have been writing these e-vos for quite some time (this is the 467th post since I started using the http://e-vos.blogspot.com URL in 2007). It has been a challenge, as you may have noticed, to publish regularly each Wednesday. I am planning to continue on to 500 posts and then take a substantial if not permanent break from writing this devotion series. My hope and prayer is that this has been a blessing to you. Thank you for reading them and the encouraging comments that have come my way.
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