The Law of the Lord
Mark 9:38-50
September 30, 2018 – Redeemer
When I finished the Gospel this morning perhaps I should have said, “This is the Law of the Lord.” Would you have still responded, “Praise to you, O Christ?” Do you praise Christ for the Law that threatens you with a millstone around the neck or some sort of radical surgery to stop your sinning? You’re hoping I will quickly jump to the Gospel. Sure, you’re sinners. Nobody’s perfect, but Jesus forgives you. What a relief? Boy, that was a lot easier than millstones and amputations, wasn’t it?
In today’s Gospel reading Jesus gives us 200 proof, straight up law, no mix, neat Law. He teaches His disciples that in His Kingdom they should never consider anything or anyone little – there is nothing more valuable than a little child, and there is nothing more dangerous than a little sin.
You might remember from last Sunday’s Gospel reading that Jesus had just put a child in the midst of his disciples, and taken that child to himself and into his arms. There was no one littler than a child in the days of Jesus, not because of stature or wisdom, but children had no value. It really isn’t much different in our day – oh, we might worship our children with sports and activities and buying them whatever is necessary for their happiness (and ours), but children are the least valued citizens in our nation. How do I know? Because we have killed 50 million US children in the last 45 years through abortion. I’m currently reading a book that details the Supreme Court case of Roe vs. Wade. Do you know that the initial argument for abortion was that the unborn were not really alive or human? When that argument failed every scientific and legal test, the argument changed. Now an unborn child is both fully human and fully alive, but he is not a person. What does that mean? Nobody knows. What does it take to be a person? Knowledge, the ability to communicate, independence. Using those arguments a human in a wheel chair isn’t a person. A human in a coma or a nursing home isn’t a person. A human in the womb isn’t a person. Is it any wonder that, with such an undefinable word, we are taking away the value of children, the elderly, the sick and the dying?
Jesus, the Son of God, true God knows no such distinction. The littlest is the greatest to Him. Don’t forget He became little for the littlest, for each of us. He lived in the womb of Mary. His life was in danger as a newborn. The only-begotten Son of God, God of God and Light of Light, became a little zygote for us, became so little that He let a man betray Him and soldiers arrest Him and our sins stick to Him and our death kill Him. There isn’t one person for whom Christ Jesus did not come and did not die – that puts a double value on every human from conception to death, that puts a double value on you.
As Jesus serves us this straight shot of the Law He also teaches us of the greatest good we can do for a little one. Give them Jesus. Bring them to the waters of baptism. Let the Holy Spirit work faith in their hearts and deliver forgiveness into their lives, because, as Jesus says, “Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” The greatest harm you can do for your child is to rob him of Jesus. Baptize her and don’t bring her back. Get junior confirmed and stop coming to church. Come to church when it’s convenient, when there isn’t something greater going on. Teach them what’s really important to their lives – work, pleasure, sports.
The Greek Word for “cause to sin” is the word scandalizo. I’ve told you about this word before. It is far worse than causing someone to sin. The word means a death trap – it refers to the stick of a trap that when triggered, springs the trap to kill you.
That might help you understand Jesus’ recommendation for radical surgery to excise sinful body parts. If you had a foot that was filled with gangrene or blood poisoning was creeping up your leg you would likely consider the radical choice of amputating that limb. Better to lose a limb than lose your life. You wouldn’t make that decision lightly, but when it comes to life or death you would choose life.
Jesus’ recommendation however is an argument to absurdity. There is no doubt my eye causes me to sin, but if I cut it out I still have another eye, that also causes me to sin. The same is true of my hands or my feet. Even without eyes, hands, or feet, you and I would still sin, because our eyes, feet, and hands, are ruled by our heart. It is out of the heart that a man sins. Problem is there’s only one of those and if you cut that out you will stop sinning, because you will stop living.
You would expect the disciples to use one of their familiar lines in response to Jesus’ words, “Lord, this is hard saying,” or, “Who then can be saved?” But there are no questions. The conclusion of these hard words is two-fold. First, there is no such thing as a little sin. Every sin is a deadly sin, especially those sins you don’t think it is deadly. Second, what you need is a new heart. You need your sinful heart to be killed and a new heart to be created in you.
That is why Jesus has a human heart and why it was pierced on the cross by the Roman soldier’s spear. Jesus has your heart – all your sins are upon Him and by His death He takes away your sin. He rose again three days later. His heart is still beating 2000 years later, although it has a pretty big scar. When Jesus brings you to faith in Him He changes your heart. As we pray in the Psalms, so Jesus does by the power of His Spirit – He creates in us a clean heart and renews a right spirit within us. When you believe you are made a different person. Now your heart beats in rhythm with God’s Word. Your eyes want to look for His will and your feet want to walk in His way. If you don’t, then you’re not a Christian.
Martin Luther once said, “The Law says ‘do this’ and it is never done. Grace says, ‘believe this’ and it is already done.” Jesus gives us straight up Law today and you cannot do it. You have neither the strength nor the will to stop sinning. You won’t stop till you die. But Jesus who speaks these Words accomplished the Law He gave. He was the One cut off from the land of the living. His heart was pierced and He died. This Good News of which Jesus gives us to drink is stronger than 200 proof, because Jesus is greater than the Law, greater than your sin, greater than your heart. When you drink of His Word in faith, it forgives your sin. His word changes your body from dying to living. It creates a new heart in you that beats with God’s will It creates hands that want to serve, and eyes that look upon the littlest child as the greatest, and the littlest sin as deadly. It creates feet that love to walk into the Lord’s house and out in the world to serve your neighbor. That is the Gospel of the Lord, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
September 29, 2018 anno Domini