Mark 9:42-49-- Which Side Are You On?

"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. For everyone will be salted with fire.”

The “little ones” Jesus is speaking of here are not children, but the “unofficial” disciples of Jesus.  Jesus is warning the leaders of the “official” group not to set aside the unofficial disciples.  To “cause to stumble” is to do anything to cause another to lose his faith in Jesus.  This could be to say, “You can’t be a disciple of Jesus until you join our group”, as above, or, as Paul, to tempt another to be involved in idolatry or serious sin (I Corinthians 8:9-13).  

The punishment against the one who causes another to lose faith is extremely severe—although it is not described, we know it is worse than drowning in the evil sea.  

Jesus then strongly emphasizes the seriousness of sin.  He repeats the passage three times, with little variety, to emphasize the importance of what he says.  Whatever it is, Jesus says, that causes you to stray from the faith—get rid of it.  Jesus is mentioning body parts, but we have no indication of any early Christian lopping off body parts.  Jesus is certainly speaking of whatever is very close to you.  It could mean specifically people in the church, who are to be separated from the church if they cause others to fall away from the faith (Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 6).  Jesus again says that to fall away is to be punished in hell.   It is interesting that Jesus' strongest language in all the gospels is reserved, not for his enemies, but disciples or believers in God who judge or damage God's weak people.

The final statement Jesus makes is that everyone will be engulfed in fire.  Fire is being used as a symbol of judgement—everyone will be judged for what they do, whether that is a purifying fire, or a fire of condemnation, depends on one’s deeds (John 5: 29; I Corinthians 3:12-13; II Corinthians 5:10).  

Jesus never claims that eternal fire is for pagans or for Jews or for apostates.  I suppose that some of those who belong to those categories might experience eternal death (whatever it is-- Jesus is clearly using metaphors for the specifics).  But damnation is not meant for those who already expected it.

Rather, the full fire of God's heat is reserved for those who claim to be on God's side, but reject, hate, burn in effigy, or literally burn those who act like God's people.  The people of God is not a social group, or clearly marked lines.  There are many who the orthodox claim are outside that are really in.  And there are many who are clearly in all the proper lines, whom God will damn with the greatest damnation.

And the greatest punishment is reserved for those who call God's children heretics, for those who look straight into the eyes of those who are filled with the love of God and call them satanic.  We must all take care, for when we clearly delineate who is out and who is in that we not find ourselves on the wrong side of the line.