Mark 9:41-50
In this Gospel passage there is seemingly a huge disjuncture between the 1st and 2nd half of the Gospel, but dig deeper and you will find a gem.
In the first half of the Gospel, we see that Jesus says:
“If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.”
The keywords here are “who belong to Christ”.
What does it mean to BELONG TO CHRIST? It means that our whole life is about Jesus: every thought word and deed draws others to Jesus and allows Jesus to shine!
So what does all this have to do with cutting off your hands and being salt of the earth, as seen in the second half of the Gospel?
The answer lies in these two ideas:
1. Turning away from sin
2. Rooting our identity in Christ
Everything that stops us from belonging to Christ must be removed. If we are the obstacle, then we are better off dead (being thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around you pretty much equates to death). If we are living a life of sin that causes scandal, or living a wayward life that draws us and others away from God, we need to STOP.
Jesus appears harsh by telling us to cut off the body part that causes us to sin. Let’s look deeper.
Are we willing to cut off whatever draws us away from Christ?
We ARE the salt of the earth. If salt loses its saltiness, it’s worthless. If we lose our identity in Christ, it renders us useless.
NEWSFLASH: We didn’t need to exist! We were created for a reason and purpose — we are created by God for God, in His image and likeness.
Fulfilling the will of God will help us to live a life of peace. It will never be a peace that the world can give. Nay, they will persecute and condemn, claiming us to be holy.
God’s peace is offered to us daily. We can only do that by being the salt of the earth, by belonging to God, and by doing God’s will.
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Originally posted at Catholic Rambles.
