Today’s scripture from chapter 9 of Mark's Gospel follows Jesus’ admonishment of the disciples in verses 9:33-35 as they discussed among themselves who had the greatest stature: The silence was deafening—they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest. He sat down and summoned the Twelve. “So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all.”
Jesus teaches the need to be a servant of others on many occasions, with his washing of the disciple’s feet being the best known.
• Are you surprised that this discussion was going on among the disciples?
• How does the desire to be “first” manifest itself in our culture, what are some common things we see people competing for in their work and personal lives? Does this kind of jockeying for stature and status take place in faith communities and in the clergy? How have you seen this take place?
• How do we balance the pressures of the secular world with the call of our faith life to live as Jesus teaches here? Do we give up working to better ourselves?
We start with the set-up for the discussion in Mark 9:38 John spoke up, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group.” 39-41 Jesus wasn’t pleased. “Don’t stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally. Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice.
• Down through the ages religious authorities at all levels and in every part of the past and present faith community have placed restrictions on who is “qualified” to carry out many different types of religious activities. What are some that you can think of and what reasoning might have been used to rationalize these restrictions? Do you think that there are some that should be maintained, are important to only be carried out by someone who is qualified?
• Bitter theological disputes plague Christianity as denominations and sects have sometimes violently confronted one another over differences throughout history. What causes this passion and what does Jesus suggest as an antidote?
• Mormons, Quakers, and the Amish proclaim Jesus’ name yet are seen by some Christians as not being ‘in our group’. Why is that the case? Again how does this illustrate Jesus’ words?
• Based on what Jesus says should a not for profit or church have any compunction about accepting aid from a casino, a convicted felon, or other “questionable” sources in support of a faith based initiative?
Mark 9:42 “On the other hand, if you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck.
• What is Jesus talking about when he warns against being a problem for others? What are some examples of ‘childlike believers” we might encounter? Have you ever felt put-off or discouraged by the words or actions of other believers? How might we be well intentioned but yet an impediment for others?
Mark 9:43-48 “If your hand or your foot gets in God’s way, chop it off and throw it away. You’re better off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owner of two hands and two feet, godless in a furnace of eternal fire. And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it out and throw it away. You’re better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell.
• How do you react to this scripture? Some have taken this literally down through the ages, what does it mean to you? What are some examples of things in our lives that are very important to us but might get ‘in God’s way’? Can you think of anyone who has radically changed their lives in order to be closer to God?
• Are there changes that come with living faithfully that might cause us to appear to be handicapped for life in the secular world?
• Paul gives us some advice about eliminating spiritual impediments – what do you think about them?
Romans 12:2 Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Back to Mark 9:49-50 “Everyone’s going through a refining fire sooner or later, but you’ll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace.”
• How can living faithfully cause us to go through ‘a refining fire sooner or later’? Is something missing if we do not have any faith related ‘fire’ experiences? Have you had any which caused your life to seem different?
• How does all that we have discussed pertain to preserving the peace? What words in today’s scripture contributes to your understanding of being a peacemaker?
• What do you take away with you from today’s discussion, what have you learned?
Closing Litany (Psalm 19)
God’s Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
Amen
Next Week’s Scriptures: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22 or Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29, Psalm 124 or Psalm 19:7-14,James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50
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