Sunday 27 September 2015

Psalm: Psalm 19

Background

Chapter 9 of Mark's Gospel is largely concerned with the powerof the name of Jesus over the forces of evil, balanced with thefailure of the disciples to grasp what his kingdom is all about.Jesus reveals his power and glory, while the disciples stumble andfall. In the previous few verses (verses33-38) they've argued among themselves about who is thegreatest. To show them the sort of greatness-in-humility required,Jesus holds up a little child - an example to them all. Then Johnproudly tells Jesus how they tried to stop a man from casting outdemons because he was not 'one of them'. The very thing thedisciples had failed to do earlier in the chapter (verses14-29), an 'outsider' is caught doing 'in Jesus' name'. Well,better put a stop to that! Again, Jesus gently assures them they'vegot it all wrong: even a cup of cold water given because of him isa commendable thing (verse 41), especially amidst the oppositionJesus is facing - both in the political sphere and the spiritualrealm.

Next, we move on to a number of striking images (verses 42-50):firm warnings against sin, but words that we might secretly wishJesus had never said! Drowning with millstones, self-mutilation,and visions of eternal damnation. Where do you start?!

Firstly, these warnings seem to be instructions for those whoare taking their discipleship seriously. Jesus expects hisfollowers to want the highest standards for themselves. The firstwarning concerns the very children Jesus has already been talkingabout: "these little ones" (v. 42) - quite simply, don't cause themto stumble, don't cause them to sin, and certainly don't put anybarrier between them and Jesus. If you do, the consequences will bea millstone around your neck. Whether this is 'divine retribution'or simply the self-punishment of your conscience, the upshot is:it's bad, don't do it! Jesus seems to be saying some things areworth avoiding at all cost. For the true disciple, simply theknowledge that you're so far from God's will should be warningenough.

Right! Deep breath and on to hell…

Hell is rightly a controversial concept (a hot topic!) becauseit seriously shapes the view we have of God. It's difficult to eventalk about it without deeply ingrained ideas from movies, cartoons,jokes and, of course, church! It's an idea that's been highlydeveloped over thousands of years (sometimes with quite dubiousmotives), and the 'true biblical' understanding is hard to findunder all the mess. The word often translated 'hell' in thispassage is actually 'Gehenna', a common name for the Valley ofHinnom - a ravine outside Jerusalem with a dark and disturbinghistory.

Back in Jewish history, 700 years or so earlier, King Ahaz hadturned to idol worship, making images of foreign gods. This turningaway from God reached a disgusting and abominable low when hesacrificed some of his own children - burning them in the Valley ofHinnom (2 Chronicles 28:3). Some years later, KingManasseh decided to follow in his grandfather's footsteps,murdering his own son in the same horrendous way (2Chronicles 33:6). 'Gehenna' became a synonym for the worst sinimaginable - the place the human heart was capable of reaching whenit had abandoned the one true God. King Josiah, two generationslater, is remembered as a great reformer who rediscovered theScriptures and returned the people to God. He declared that theValley was an unclean place (2Kings 23:10), and Gehenna remained a memorial of the hideousheathen worship once practised there, and of what could become ofGod's people if they turned away from him. In Jesus' day it hadbecome a stinking, smouldering rubbish heap. I have no doubt thatJesus' words are to be taken very seriously here. Sin must beavoided at all costs, wherever possible, if you are serious aboutyour discipleship. The fate of Gehenna is a possibility for us all,but by the grace of God - and many in this world are already there,in shadowy and shameful 'living hells', often at the expense of thevulnerable. With Gehenna in mind, can we really be so confidentabout traditional teachings that God would sacrifice God's owncreated children in eternal fire? I think most certainly not. ButGod doesn't want us to arrive at 'hell' by other means.

So, Jesus says, at whatever cost, at whatever sacrifice, ifsomething is causing you to move further and further away from God,"cut it off". Even very essential parts of us are not as importantas your 'eternal' well-being - the real life that is on offer.These are metaphors, of course: Jesus doesn't want us to actuallycut off parts of our bodies. But he does want us to take drasticaction against things that are leading us away from him, away fromjustice, away from love. In the end, this is about attaining'life', not avoiding hell. The true disciple should desire nothingmore than the fullness and goodness of life that God has in store,on earth as it is heaven. When you love God with all your heart,simply knowing that you're going against God's will should bepunishment enough, and God's forgiveness like a soothing balm.Hell, or not, becomes irrelevant.

"For the love of God isbroader
than the measures of the mind;
and the heart of the Eternal
is most wonderfully kind."
(Frederick William Faber) (StF 416)

To Ponder:

• Are there any aspects of your life - habits, distractions,relationships - that are leading you away from the fullness of lifeGod has in store for you? Is there anything you need to "cut off"?And how might you do this?

• In our teaching and understand of 'hell', has the Church beenmissing the point? To what extent do we still talk and think andstumble like the first disciples, when faced with the glory ofGod's love that is in Christ?

• Many commentators have tried to explain the last two versesabout 'salt'. What do you make of these three sayings?