Mark 9:42-10:1 -Struggling not to Stumble

But whoever causes one of 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.

 

Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 

Be Careful, my soul!
photo by Alexander Svensson, used under the creative commons license.
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Acquiring the Kingdom of God is a struggle and it takes work.  Not to sin is to live for God instead of for myself so Jesus helps emphasis how important it is to take away occasions of sin.  Surely, He doesn't mean to actually cut off my hand or foot or pluck out my own eye (as sadly some have taken literally) but, rather, to take whatever drastic measures are necessary for me to live in Grace.  If I know a certain place, will cause me to sin then I won't go there. If a certain television show leads me astray, I won't watch it. If there is a certain website that causes me to stumble in my path towards God, I will not surf towards it.

And my sin can affect others.  My sin can cause a "little one who believes in Me (Christ) to stumble." What a horrific thought! It is important I stay away from sin for the sake of others around me, as well as my own soul.

"Everyone will be seasoned by Fire," says Jesus which means I will have to undergo either the fire of purification of the fire of self-regret and self-recrimination.  Heaven and Hell, it would seem, are in the same spiritual plane.  May I spend this day not stumbling but, rather, entering into the Kingdom of God. Amen.