Temptation — It’s Real

The granddaughters and I made this little house, but it stands as a great
temptation. Every day someone wants to pluck off a little piece and
enjoy it!

Scripture:

Mark 9:42   “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. ⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. ⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. ⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

Observation:

Jesus continues to teach his disciples what it means to follow him. There is great responsibility in following after Jesus, a responsibility to live a life that points toward Christ. No excuses were provided for those who were a part of Jesus’ inner circle. The little ones could either have been children, or those who were young in their faith, but however you translate the text, great care was to be taken for those whose lives and/or faith could be found in the developmental stages. 

Temptation was constantly present and Jesus was giving practical instructions for his followers. The reference to the hand meant — don’t go out committing sins! This did not mean to literally cut off your hand, but to cut off the action of sinning. In other words, they were not to intentionally engage in practices contrary to what Jesus was teaching them. The foot is what takes you to the place where you may succumb to temptation. Don’t go there! Your eye allows your mind to wander where you may think about committing sins. Put up barriers so that you don’t allow your mind to wander. 

As leaders in Jesus’ inner circle, it was important for his followers to understand the reality of temptation and that they would have to work hard to fight off those temptations. Their lives were to point people in the direction of Jesus as living examples of the transformed life, a living roadmap of the way of salvation. 

Application:

In an age where we are encouraged to do everything that feels good, this text ought to make us stop and think. Not everything is permissible. Not everything that gives us warm fuzzies is actually good for us and for society. There are temptations which come into all of our lives and we are to become intentional about setting up barriers so that we do not fall. 

There are two ways to read this passage. One of them has to do with sexual sins and the effect on young children. You do not allow your hand to touch — where it should not touch! You do not go to places where you should not go! You used to have to walk to places where you should not have been. These days, you should not “surf” where you should not go. Block that site, and do everything in your power to stay away from places where you should not be. Do not allow your eyes to see things that you cannot unsee. And never, ever take advantage of young children!!!

The other reading speaks to those who are growing in their faith. As we grow we will discover that God is calling us to change the way in which we live our lives. Our lives are to be living roadmaps for those around us who want to know Christ. Therefore, spiritual discipline is vital to our development. When I was young the women’s missionary movement had a day of “Prayer and Self-Denial.” No one really wants to talk about “self-denial” these days, but Jesus is telling us that this is a part of discipleship. If we refuse to practice self-denial, then our lives will become a stumbling block to newer believers. 

We are all living with temptation on a daily basis. The enemy would love for Christ’s followers to fall because the ripple effect is great. We’ve seen far too much of that lately with church leaders who have allowed themselves to capitulate to temptation. The fall has been great and they have taken down many with them.  Intentional boundaries are necessary if we are to keep ourselves from temptation. 

All of this is possible when we remain connected to the source of our strength, Jesus. The greatest temptation for the disciples was to think that they had their own power and authority. Only then did they wander into dangerous territory where they could not cast out demons, where they were critical of others and were left having a private conversation with Jesus about who was the greatest. On the heels of those discussions we heed the warning and take seriously the reality of temptation. 

Prayer:

Lord, may self-discipline in the power of your Holy Spirit be transforming in my life. Amen.