Mark 9:38-50 - Teachings on Discipleship
Mark 9:38John 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.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For 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.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. 43If 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. 45And 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. 47And 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, 48where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.49“For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt 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.”
Background: Following each of the three passion predictions (the statements in which Jesus tells his friends that he will die) in Mark, the evangelist groups together a number of loosely related teachings. In this section, he is especially intent on showing just how far wide of the mark the disciples still are in their understanding of the kingdom. The disciples are having a hard time figuring out what is going on. They just don’t understand what Jesus is all about, nor do they begin to grasp the necessity or meaning of the cross. That is apparent in the previous verses (33-37) in which they are arguing about who will have the highest rank instead of pondering why God would choose for the Messiah to die. In today’s passage, Jesus is trying to help them understand the radical inclusion of his movement as well as their responsibility to make him accessible to all people. It is a tough passage to hear and even harder to live.
Demons and Exorcism: In Jesus’ day people ascribed all kinds of conditions and illnesses to possession by a demon. It is no wonder that exorcists abounded. We see in the book of Acts especially that there was a negative attitude toward those outside the fellowship of Jesus’ followers using Jesus’ powerful name as a part of their rituals of exorcism. This was considered an unauthorized use of Jesus’ name. While the disciples at this point did not consider Jesus divine, there aversion to the inappropriate use of Jesus’ name is reminiscent of the prohibition against misused of the divine name in the third commandment. The main point of this little section, however, is that Jesus is generous toward outsiders and lives out his call to a non-retaliatory lifestyle. The disciples are concerned with boundaries…who is in and who is out. Jesus is not concerned with this at all.
Word Study
Vs. 38 – in your name – this can mean ‘on behalf of’ or it can mean ‘with the authority and power of.’ So the issue is that this outsider might also have the power of Jesus at work in him. The disciples neither like nor understand this.
us – this word presents us with the crux of the problem for the disciples. It is not that this unaligned exorcist is not a follower of Jesus, he is or he would not use his name. He is not a part of their particular band so they want to stop him. Jesus here says that anyone who joins the battle is a friend even if not one of the inner circle. The good news is not just for some in-group!
Vs. 42 –stumbling block – the word for stumble (skandalizein) is interesting. It can mean ‘cause to sin, cause to lose faith or somehow cause someone’s downfall.’ It is a very powerful word and very harsh. It refers to “being so horrified that one simply cannot remain in the place or go forward along the path where one had the experience.” (Sharon H. Ringe, Feasting on the Word.)
these little ones – refers to new believers and seekers
Millstone – literally a donkey millstone, one so large it must be turned by a donkey. The result would be to insure that a corpse could not be retrieved for burial. This was a dreaded fate in Jesus’ day.
Vs 43f- This is the only reference to hell in Mark’s gospel. It is interesting that it is a threat that is held out to believers and not to non-believers! The central image is of Gehenna, the garbage dump outside of Jerusalem where maggots and fire are always at work. Jesus’ point is that the believer’s responsibility to the weaker members is immense. Remember that in the gospels, hell was an assumed, but not well-defined, reality. In the OT, hell does not exist. In the NT, the concept is emerging as a witness to the fact that God is both just and holy. Violence, injustice, degradation have lasting significance. What one does matters. In the Bible there is not a clear understanding of eternal damnation in the way that we have come to understand it. In Revelation, hell seems to be just extinction of life. At any rate, what is clear is that actions have consequences especially if they hurt others.
Cut it off -Clearly these verses are hyperbole and not to be taken literally! Jesus is not urging sinners to do bodily harm to themselves. What he is saying is that drastic steps must be taken to avoid practices that cause pain to others and adversely affect their faith.
Vs. 44, 46 are omitted from the most reliable ancient manuscripts. They are identical to verse 48 and are a quote from Is. 66:24
Vs. 49 – salted with fire – Salt was a precious commodity in ancient times. It added flavor to food. It preserved food. It was used as medicine and even as salary for Roman soldiers. Fire was seen as a purifying element. Here Jesus seems to be saying that the community’s ‘saltiness’ is tied to its humility and willingness to be turned and purified by God’s will and ways. This saltiness is an internal quality of the spiritual life and character. It results, however, in the outward reality of peace.
Questions for Personal Reflection
- Is there an “in crowd” that you tend to trust in matters of faith? What are your attitudes toward those who are not apart of your religious group?
- What implications do you think this passage might have for ecumenical relationships? For how we deal with those with theological differences?
- Have you ever had an experience in which another believer’s behavior led you astray or shook your faith? What do you think your responsibility is to others for your personal moral behavior?
- What is your understanding of hell? Why do you think this concept is necessary in the New Testament?