P2 September 30th or October 2nd

Tonight we heard the Gospel of Mark and it is a continue of the interaction between Jesus and his disciples that we have been hearing for the past 2 weeks. Jesus continues to stress the importance of yielding power.

Tonight we hear the believers on the "inside" complaining about people outside the community sharing in the blessing normally restricted to believers. The disciples resent outsiders performing miracles in Jesus' name, and they want Jesus to order them to stop.

Then Jesus challenges the disciples (and us) to worry more about how we keep sinning rather that about how others try to lead Gospel lives. And Jesus gives some pretty shocking examples of just how serious sin is. Certainly poking out our eyes and cutting off our hands seems extreme, if not altogether impossible, that's the point. No matter how much we might take pride in being holy and good people we must be humble and and admit we cannot fulfill these commands of Jesus Christ. In other words, we are sinners just like everyone else.  

Read the scripture below and then answer the questions. Prefer to listen to the scripture? Go to https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mcconachie/nasb/Mark.9.38-Mark.9.48  and move the whole track along the timeline so that it plays at 4:42. 

Mark 9:38-48 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Dire Warnings
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.