But whoever causes these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 

 "But whoever causes these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:42-50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

 

  "But whoever causes these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  It's important to remember that in the present context Jesus is speaking to these apostles who will become the leaders of His Church, as now He is beginning to move toward Jerusalem and His final confrontation with the religious leaders which will result in His Passion.  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity; in other words, all who are poor in spirit.  Let us understand also that these words are a continuation of His teachings in yesterday's reading, above, in which He spoke to the disciples of true greatness as service and humility, and the importance of how they will receive the "little ones" in the Church, even little children.

 

 "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  My study Bible calls this repeated reference to mutilation an illustration of decisive action to avoid sin.  Christ is not advocating literal amputation here.  He is speaking of the utmost caution He can muster for preventing abuses of the "little ones" in the Church.  A hand can reach out to strike, or to take what does not belong to it.  A foot may trespass over important boundary lines, or kick someone who is down.  An eye looks with envy, or with malice, or with covetousness of any kind.  There are many more ways we can look at these metaphors, but it is important to note that in all cases He is warning against buses and against scandalizing the little ones in the Church through abuses of power of various types.  The repeated warning of the possibility of going "to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched - where Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched'" is a warning they -- nor we who descend from them in the Church -- can forget through its vividness and repetition.  Jesus takes these words from the prophesy of Isaiah; see Isaiah 66:22-24.

 

 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible explains that to be seasoned with fire means being tested in order to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  The image comes from tests of purification for metals such as gold, in which impurities would burn away through fire.  In saying that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, Jesus quotes from Leviticus 2:13.  There, salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  

 

Jesus uses the image of salt, in the final verse in today's reading, to remind these disciples of covenant and loyalty.  To have salt in ourselves as Christ's disciples means to be loyal; to be loyal to Him first of all and His commandments, but in so doing we are loyal to one another through these teachings regarding how we treat one another in the Church.  In particular, of course, He stresses the most extreme caution against the abuse of power against "little ones," that is,  humble people in the Church.  If we understand the social structures of groups, then we are to perceive that a "little one," or one who is humble, can be anybody given a particular power dynamic.  In our schools and online, we have in the modern world repeatedly heard about precautions against bullying.  This is nothing new to our world, and yet we seem to be taken aback by its rampant use among social cultures in many forms.  But Christ's warnings go to steps far deeper and more potent than a modern social construct or admonition, for He is speaking of spiritual peril to those who are His disciples.  Abuse of power in His Church against the little ones takes on such a shape as to be worthy of a worse fate than if "a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea." At Christ's time, a millstone was a large circular stone used to grind down grain.  Driven by animal or human labor; they weighed hundreds of pounds.  This seemingly impossible fate described by Christ means simply certain death; He terms it to be, in fact, "worse."  Then there is the repeated warning of hell fire, in a vivid repetition of the words from Isaiah's prophecy, in which the Lord, now victorious over all things in the ultimate fulfillment of the purposes of God, looks upon those who refused His word and transgressed against Him.   The description is one not simply of eternal torment in some physical sense, but in a spiritual one, in which the shame of an entire created order plays a part in their final state.  It's doubtful there could be any more direly descriptive warnings than these that Christ gives to His disciples and future leaders of His Church, and all because they were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom they imagine is coming.  So let us take Him as seriously as His words teach us He is, and regard our own conduct in living our faith, in the life of our Church.  It's all too easy to forget His teachings when power plays a role, when human beings are tempted to take shortcuts to the Kingdom.  My study Bible adds a final caveat to Christ's words about cutting off a hand or foot or losing an eye being preferable to such destruction.   It notes that these words, besides indicating a sharp need to curb our own harmful impulses, also apply to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Therefore we look to ourselves and our lives, for He speaks to all of us, each of us, and not simply those who would lead in the Church.  His words reach down into our own hearts, the places others can't see, but have meaning for all.