Obstacles (Mark 9:38-50)

 

Obstacles (Mark 9:38-50)

The church should not be an obstacle to Jesus.
We should be a superhighway! 

 

I had to go to court the other day, I didn't like it

Everyone was so judgemental.

 

People these days are too judgemental.

You can tell just by looking at them.

 

Which Egyptian Pharoah was the most judgemental?

King Tut Tut

 

Please don’t judge me! I didn’t write them! Google says the top 3 reasons people don’t want to go to church are:

 

Lack of Trust: Some people don't trust organized religion or religious leaders.

Irrelevance: Some people don't believe that religion is relevant to their lives. 

Judgmentalism: Some people find religious people to be too judgmental or hypocritical

 

These obstacles are there in the cultural mind, whether it is true about Christians or not. It only takes one Christian misrepresenting Jesus to soil the Church’s reputation in the public eye.

 

In the gospel reading today, the disciples of Jesus try to stop an exorcist from driving out demons in the name of Jesus, because he wasn’t one of Jesus’ group of followers.

 

Jesus was quick to correct their misguided loyalty. On the one hand, we can commend the disciples for wanting to protect brand Jesus, but on the other hand, they’re missing the bigger picture. The exorcist was helping some troubled soul. Why stop them? Jesus told them, “If they’re not against me, then they are for me!”

In 2023, Gallup published statistics on religion in the US. 67% of Americans identify as Christian. 2/3 of our neighbors don’t have a problem with Jesus. Their problem is with Jesus followers.

 

When I read this passage, I thought, “Wow! There’s a lot to unpack here.” We could talk about Jesus’ references to Hell. Uncomfortable, I know! We could talk about Jesus’ recommendation of cutting off body parts. Also uncomfortable. We’ll get to that, but first things first. 

 

The main reason this event is recorded is to course-correct the church. When our attitudes and behaviors become obstacles to people knowing and loving Jesus, we need to check ourselves. The church should not be an obstacle to Jesus. We should be a superhighway!

 

Only 21% of Americans attend church weekly. 56% seldom attend. 31% never attend. These stats don’t match up with what people say they believe. 67% identify as Christian, but only 21% are committed to worship. 87% seldom or never worship with a church community. Why? One reason is the negative views of the church that are pervasive in our culture. Rather than the Church being an open door, we are an obstacle to God in the minds of Americans.

 

For churches to overcome the negative bias in our country, we must work on being seen in a different light through actions that communicate welcome, trustworthiness, and compassion. You’ve heard it said that you might be the only Bible people will ever read. Make sure your life is appropriately representing Jesus.

 

You might be an obstacle to Jesus if you complain all the time, are vocally judgmental of others, or live in ways that fail to reflect the loving and merciful nature of God. The apostle James warned us.

 

 

 

All of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is mature, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ³ If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. ⁴ Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

 

How great a forest is set ablaze by a such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.

 

For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. (James 3:2-10)

 

What comes out of our mouths should build people up, not tear them down. Criticism can be effective in mentoring, where a trusting relationship has been built. But what people really need is love, acceptance, and encouragement.

 

I haven’t reached maturity in Christ. I make mistakes. I need to ask myself, “In what ways am I an obstacle to others coming to know Jesus?”

 

Guard my mouth, Lord. Guide my steps. Open my eyes to opportunities to share you in my actions and conversation. Give me courage to shine your light to others every day and in every way. Amen

 

How different would my life be if I took such a prayer seriously? What impact might my life make for others?

 

The main point is: Don’t let loyalty to Jesus become an obstacle to loving people. If my devotion to Jesus doesn’t equate to love for all people, then my salt has lost its flavor.

 

When I was a boy, I watched classic horror like Frankenstein, and science fiction like The Colossal Man. One film, The Man With the X-Ray Eyes, left a big impression on me. A scientist developed an eye drop solution that gave him the ability to see through walls. Eventually it drove him mad. At the end of his wits, the troubled scientist walked into a church. The preacher stopped the service and asked what was the matter. The scientist confessed the unlawful ways that he had used his x-ray vision and the horrors he experienced. The preacher said, “The Bible says, if your eyes cause you to sin, pluck them out. It’s better to go through life blind than to walk into hell with both eyes.” And the congregation began to chant, “pluck’em out!” The film ends with the mad scientist tearing his eyes out. Horrific!

 

Jesus does not wish for any to harm themselves. Sadly, some have taken these words literally. The early Church father, Origen, castrated himself in response.

 

No! Jesus is playing the role of a prophet. And prophets are known for using hyperbole, over the top kinda speech, in order to wake up the listener. Jesus is simply trying to awaken his disciples to the bigger picture. Even though the exorcist wasn’t among the followers of Jesus, they were aligned with Jesus.

 

Now let’s talk about Hell.

 

Jesus describes Hell as a place where the worm never dies, and the fire is unquenched. It comes from the prophet Isaiah.

 

 

 

 

The very last verse in Isaiah speaks of the doom of idolaters.

 

And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me, for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched… (Isaiah 66:24)

 

What does it mean that Jesus refers to Isaiah here? Isaiah speaks of all nations, Gentiles and Jews, coming to worship the one true God. Those who continue in idol worship will fall, serving as a warning to others. But Jesus is correcting his own followers here! Is he threatening them? No!

 

Jesus wants his followers to open their eyes. God is at work in every human heart, whether we see the fruit of God’s work or not. Every human life is precious to God. God doesn’t want any of them to perish.

 

The Greek word translated as Hell is Gehenna, shorthand for The Valley of Hinnom, which was Jerusalem’s trash dump. The Hinnom Valley was the site of a pagan shrine. King Ahaz and Manasseh are recorded to have sacrificed their sons to Molech with fire. (2^nd Kings 16; 21)

 

Imagine the scene at Jerusalem’s garbage dump: mounds of rotting organic waste, flies buzzing, a wretched stench, maggots devouring. There’s plenty of garbage to go around, so the worms are always visible. The worm never dies. Deep inside the mounds of waste, anaerobic bacteria excrete methane gas. Once methane is ignited it burns with a smoldering flame. The fires go unquenched. So the image of Gehenna, the valley of Hinnom, is one of decay, stench, flies, maggots, fire and smoke. Gehenna lies outside the holy city. It is worm food. It burns and decays. It has a shameful history. In the same way, the wicked will be shut outside God’s New Jerusalem, like human refuse, left to rot.

 

Jesus would have us avoid such a destination. This passage is surrounded by stories about the blindness or deafness. At one point, Jesus is clearly frustrated by his followers.

 

Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear? (Mk 8:17-18)

 

When Jesus first told his disciples that he was going to be killed in Jerusalem and on the 3^rd day rise again, Peter said, “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” Jesus rebuked Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. You’re not setting your mind on what matters to God, but on man’s interests.” (Mat 16:22-23) Peter’s fear of losing Jesus was an obstacle to him accepting God’s plan of redemption through the cross.

 

And that, perhaps, is the one thing we can take to heart. Start thinking the way God thinks. Study the Word and you’ll begin to see the way God sees. Center on Christ in prayer and your ears will be opened to God’s leading.

 

I watched a video of a woman sharing a near death experience. God told her that she was putting chains on people just by judging them in her heart. The negative energy of judgmentalism was bringing bondage into the world, not the freedom of Christ. It helped me think about my own inner dialogue. If my heart sins in this manner, perhaps I should pluck it out of my chest, metaphorically speaking, and nail it to the cross with Jesus, so that He can give it back to me healed and holy. Then my heart will be motivated, not by fear and prejudice, but by His unconditional love.

 

For in the end, love is all that matters.