Signs of life (Mark 9:41-50)

I was looking through a little book called, ‘Spiritual Health check’.  In fact, I was a little bit skeptical about it, because I feared it would simply ask questions about how regular you have a quiet time, how often you share your faith, how much of your income you give and so on.  The truth is that we can do all these things in a mechanical way that gives no evidence of a heart touched by the love of Jesus.  But the little book was much better than I anticipated.  It was really a heart check.  It talked about growing in love for Jesus, having an increasing gratitude for the cross, being excited about the day we see Jesus face to face, sincerely loving God’s people and longing to become more like Jesus.

I hope we all want to grow!

In our passage, Jesus is talking to those who say that they follow Him.  He both seeks to encourage and warn them.  He even asks them to consider if they really are born again.  Do they really love Him?

As we examine Jesus’ words we will see that people who love Jesus love His people, people who love Jesus are always seeking to change, and people who love Jesus keep their flavor.

1.        People who love Jesus love His people (41-42)

Notice the contrast in the opening two verses we read.  ‘I assure you that the person who gives you a mere drink of water in my name, because they follow me, will most certainly be rewarded’ (41).  ‘… and I tell you, that the person who disturbs the faith of one of the humblest of those who believe in me would be better off to have a millstone thrown around their neck and thrown into the sea’ (42).

On one hand, we have reward for kindness to God’s people, and on the other hand, severe judgement on those who harm them.

Carl Laferton writes, ‘it is strikingly simple, and deeply challenging: our love for other believers is a Christ-given diagnostic tool for knowing if we truly love Him … if you do not sincerely, sacrificially and actively love God’s people, then you are struggling spiritually.  If you do, then you are growing spiritually.  It is as simple as that.’

In fact, these words go further.  Actively loving God’s people is evidence that you are born again.  A bitter and hostile attitude towards them places real doubt over you’re the reality of your spiritual life.

Notice the love of God in these two verses.  Even a small act like giving a struggling Christian a glass of water will not go unnoticed by God.  See, too, that His fierce judgement is rooted in the concern that He has for His children.

2.        People who love Jesus are always seeking to change (43-47)

Jesus teaches using hyperbole—a exaggerated form of speech designed to powerfully drive the point home.  ‘It is better to cut off your hand, foot or eye than go to hell’.

It is not that our holiness keeps us out of hell.  Jesus’ work on the cross keeps us out of hell.  But when Jesus gives us new life, we receive the person of the Holy Spirit.  If the Holy Spirit dwells with us then we cannot remain apathetic towards the bitterness and apathy you see in your heart.  Christians do sin, we are lying if we deny it (1 Jn. 1:8), but they can no longer be content in their sin.  They long to change!

I think that Jesus uses the picture of foot, hand and eye because they are so important to us.  The battle is serious.  I also think that He uses us to challenge us about where we go, what we do and what we look at.

Jesus is teaching that our actions reflect our heart, our words reflect our heart and our attitudes reflect our heart.  When our heart changes it will be seen in how we act!

The frustrating thing about talking about spiritual health is that some people worry about the reality of their faith when they should not, and others are confident when they have no reason to be.

The true Christian is someone who admits that they are more sinful than you will ever see.  Like the apostle Paul, they have no problem counting themselves among the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).  This makes them humble.  But they are confident, because they know that the grace of Jesus covers more than the worst of sin.  And they cannot be apathetic (that is the point being made in these verses), because the Holy Spirit is always showing them how they can become more like Jesus.

If the hardness and bitterness of your heart, makes you feel wretched, be encouraged.  This is a sign of the Holy Spirit at work in you.  That wretchedness is a sign of life.  But then we must marvel at the cross.  Jesus has paid for it all.  Justice for our guilt has been served.  Then we must move beyond wretchedness to celebration.  We are free and forgiven.  Finally, in grateful love we lean on Jesus to change us.

3.       People who love Jesus keep their flavor (48-50)

Now we come to the most difficult to understand verses in this passage. 

‘For everyone will be salted with fire’.  It seems that this everyone is composed of two groups.  There are those who will not let the Holy Spirit challenge them about the state of their heart, shown in their actions, and thus demonstrate that they are not really born again.  They will one day face the fire of judgement.  Then there are those who are leaning in to God to change them.  Life will not always be easy for them.  They will pass through the various fires.  But God will use these for good, making them more mature, compassionate and humble. 

‘Salt is good.’  It was used as a preservative and for flavor.  But if it loses its flavor it becomes useless.  Jesus had already talked about those who would only follow for a while and then fall away.  Some people can tell you the day and hour they decided to give their life to Jesus, but they have become bitter and cynical.  They might travel through the outward duties of church going, prayer and giving, but they have no love and joy for God’s people.  They are lost, and they don’t even realize it.

But then how do I know that I am a true Christian?  Is the Holy Spirit showing you that you need to change?  Then be encouraged.  Do you realize that your heart is more bitter and struggling than people see?  Then you’re are being real.  Do you see that Jesus has done more than enough to rescue even wicked people like us?  Then be glad.  Does your gratitude for what He has done on the cross make you want to become more like Him?  Then it would seem you have the signs of life!  Remember that it all Him and His work in your heart!  Be humble and confident. 

Note the last words of our reading.  ‘Live at peace with each other.’  Remember that our love for other Christians is one of the most accurate indicators of our spiritual life and health.  Cry out to God to enable you to forgive and be at one with each other.

                Conclusion:

Finally, think of Jesus.  Beholding Him is the way to change.  Gazing upon His beauty if the way to soften your heart.

Jesus who calls us to metaphorically cut off our arm.  What did He cut off?  He was cut off fellowship with His heavenly Father.  He didn’t have His eye cut out, but He had His blood spilt, His side pierced and nails driven through His wrists and ankles.  He did it, not for His sin, but ours.  He took our sin very seriously.

He calls us to pursue peace.  Including forgiving those who have offended us and loving those we find difficult.  What did He do?  He prayed for forgiveness for the very people who mocked and spat on Him as the life drained out of Him on the cross.  He loves us, when we were apathetic toward Him.  He persists in love towards us even though we fail Him every day.  He pursued us even though we ran from Him.  He calls us to be peacemakers.

There really is only one way to become spiritually healthy: behold the beauty of the crucified and risen Jesus.