Consider these questions as you Dwell in Mark 9:38-50:

1. How does the context of the disciples' previous misunderstandings and their concern about greatness within the inner circle influence Jesus' response to John's report of someone casting out demons in Jesus' name? What is Jesus emphasizing regarding faith and allegiance in this situation?

2. In the passage, Jesus uses strong language, including the metaphor of cutting off one's hand or foot, to emphasize the seriousness of sin. How does understanding the gravity of sin impact our pursuit of holiness? What does this passage reveal about the depth of Jesus' concern for our spiritual well-being?

3. Pastor Mark encourages self-reflection on how seriously one takes the pursuit of holiness and the turning away from sin. How can a deep understanding of Jesus' sacrifice and the price paid for our freedom from sin influence our attitude towards sin? How might this awareness lead to a greater commitment to living a life of holiness?

Transcript:

This is one of those passages where Jesus puts it all out there. He is really intense here. And it's important that we understand and remember the context that comes before this. We've looked at it in the last few passages. The disciples aren't getting it. They don't understand what Jesus says that when he is going to suffer and rise again, they're asking questions like, which one of us will be the greatest when we enter his kingdom? Truly, they do not understand. They're more concerned with their own prospering here than really what the ministry of Jesus is and what it will be. The disciples just don't get it. And we see that further here in this first part of the passage, when John comes up to Jesus and says, We saw someone else teaching your name and casting out demons. Jesus, what do we do? Well, Jesus is clearly understanding that this person believes in him. These people that are casting out, or this person who is casting out a demon in his name, trusts in him and believes in him. But the disciples can't seem to see this. They don't seem to be concerned about this.

They're concerned on whether or not he's one of them, whether he's part of the inner circle, one of the twelve. And Jesus tells them, Look, if he's not against us, he's for us because he's teaching in my name. Well, Jesus then continues. And we have to remember this break that we see in here that goes from this section that's titled, Anyone not against us is for us and temptations to sin. That break is not there in the original language. It's just not. There's not chapter breaks. This is the continuing thought. And so, Jesus is saying, look, there is some important stuff you need to understand about being someone who teaches in my name. You need to make sure you're not leading people astray. You need to understand what the ministry of his gospel is. And so, he says here, look, if you cause the little ones to sin, it'd be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. That is a serious thing. That is not something that you recover for. Teaching in the name of Christ holds great gravity and how we behave, how we act, whether or not we are concerned about our sin.

Once again, this is something that is of great gravity. So what does Jesus say? If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better for you to life crippled them with two hands and go to hell. You get the idea here. This is intense. And Jesus is not advocating for self mutilation. He's using hyperbole here. He is making a point. Sin is serious business. And the question we have to ask ourselves as we look at this passage is, do we take this seriously? Do we take our sin seriously? Do we take turning away from sin seriously? I hope that question convicts you as much as it convicts me. How serious am I about turning away from sin? How serious am I about pursuing holiness? Because here in this passage, Jesus is telling us this matters a lot. And so as we hear this passage today, I hope that like me, you're convicted. I hope that you are remembering the truth of what Jesus has done for you. Because if we understand who Jesus is, if we understand what he has done for us in this life, death, resurrection, ascension, then our sin is going to pain us because we understand the price that was paid to free us from it.

So, it's important that we hear these words that we're convicted of our sin, because that's how the Spirit works in us. The Spirit comes to convict us of sin and unbelief. And so, may these words today convict us of our sin and drive us to holiness. May we be cutting those things out of our lives that lead us away from God. And instead, may we be running towards holiness and desiring God to be at work in us that we might bring glory to Him. And so as we go into this day, I pray that we will be convicted, each and every one of us to not only desire holiness, but to seek it out. May that be our desire today and every day.