Warning!

Mark 9:42-50 Earlier in the chapter Jesus talks about the blessings of welcoming little children in His name. In the verses under discussion, He includes a stern warning against causing one of the little ones to sin. I’m sure included in this are those young in the faith as well as those young in years. People who are new in the faith are looking for role models and are usually hungry for instruction. Those who make claims of being a Christian and live as a bad example are in danger of causing the weaker ones to sin. Those who think it’s funny to set up a weaker brother or sister and cause them sin or to be damaged in their faith will be held accountable. Jesus says it is so serious that it would be better to have a mill-stone tied to one’s neck and be thrown into the sea. Jesus continues and says that if your hand or your eye causes you to sin, it is better to cut off the hand or pluck out the eye and be crippled and blind rather than risk falling into sin. Obviously, He does not mean this literally, because cutting off one hand would not stop the other from sinning. Or plucking out one eye would not stop the other one from gazing on what is causing the sin. Besides all that one's imaginative thinking will do a pretty good job of getting him into trouble. I believe that He is saying that whatever puts us at risk of falling into sin needs to be dealt with as brutally as cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye. It may be relationships, or habits, or reading materials, or places. It may even be your job. If you’re seeing red flags or are finding yourself getting involved in situations that you know are not pleasing to the Lord. It is time to take inventory and discover what the trigger is and deal with it. Deal with it as radically as necessary. If it means trashing a precious collection of CDs, books, pictures, etc.; terminating a relationship or finding a different job. Whatever is necessary to preserve your relationship with God.