Skilful religion points to the mystery that is God with awe, instead of trying to explain everything with arrogance. You see in Jesus' day, the certainty principle stated that bad things happened to bad people and good people only received blessing upon blessing. So tragic accidents, massacres and any other suffering had to have a cause that lay in the people who suffered in the event. They must have drawn it to themselves! Jesus suggests that there is more going on in the mysteries of living and dying than a simplistic quest for certainty couched in trite dogmatic pronouncements. All that is certain is the mystery. True faith you see, is not belief, it is TRUST.Jesus called the people of his time to trust the God of
the mystery and not try to play God themselves.
Rev Peter Woods
Mark 9.38–50
After Jesus had
finished teaching the disciples, John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in
your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed
of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever
is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of
water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the
reward.
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. 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. 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. 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, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its
saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with
one another.’
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