#mark 9

Exodus 14 - Moses parts the Red Sea so that Israel can cross on dry land.

Hey anon! I probably need more context about what about yourself you're worried about. But for now, here's what I've got.

Matthew 7:21 — “Not everybody who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter."

In this section of Matthew, the Gospel writer has compiled teachings of Jesus that have to do with “walking the walk,” rather than only “talking the talk.” Simply proclaiming that “Jesus is Lord” (”lord, lord”) isn’t what following God’s will is about. You have to do stuff too!

So what is God’s will (”the will of my Father who is in heaven”)?

Right before this declaration, Jesus brings up "good fruit" — whether or not a person is doing the will of God can be determined less by what they say and more by what fruit their words and actions produce.

“...Do people get bunches of grapes from thorny weeds, or do they get figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and every rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit. And a rotten tree can’t produce good fruit...”

To me, this is very good news for a whole variety of people, including LGBTQA+ folks and non-Christians!

When any faith community claims that something harmful is the will of God, Jesus says no! God’s will is good fruit and flourishing.  .

Likewise, when a faith community claims that a person, an identity, a way of life goes against God’s will, but we can see that actually, that person or way of life is bearing good fruit, Jesus says listen! that person or way of life is affirmed by God. .

When specifically looking at LGBTQA+ folks, Rachel Held Evans puts this concept well: “If same-sex relationships are really sinful, then why do they so often produce good fruit—loving families, open homes, self-sacrifice, commitment, faithfulness, joy? And if conservative Christians are really right in their response to same-sex relationships, then why does that response often produce bad fruit—secrets, shame, depression, loneliness, broken families, and fear?”

I have a whole “good fruit” tag that explores these ideas further.

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Another section of Matthew that emphasizes “walking the walk” over “talking the talk” is Matthew 25:31-46. In this passage, you’ll find some examples of the actions that bring good fruit, including ensuring the rights and needs of all are met (feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, etc.)

I have another post that delves into that passage and the question of orthodoxy versus orthopraxy here.

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Finally, the Gospel of Mark also has something to say on this topic of who is living out God’s will! In Mark 9:38-50, Jesus’s main posse of disciples have trouble realizing that they’re not the only ones doing good things in the world:

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”

Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him. No one who does powerful acts in my name can quickly turn around and curse me. Whoever isn’t against us is for us. I assure you that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly be rewarded...”

Good deeds that yield good fruit are to be affirmed and supported! It doesn’t matter what the person doing them believes or who they are; they don’t have to be in the “right” religion or community.

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1959 Jaguar Mark IX

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. 

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ ” 

...AND it’s also affirming of the goodness and wholeness of disabled persons, just as we are!

it turns out that among the many authors of the many texts collected into the Bible, there were differing views around what we now call disability!

so whenever disability comes up in a given passage, i can’t keep my brain from immediately trying to sort it: is it a Good Text for disabled persons, or a Bad Text?

i try to resist that easy binary, because the answer is usually somewhere in between. that certainly seems to be the case for this week’s lectionary reading from Mark 9.

there’s so much wild stuff in Jesus’s little monologue in this lectionary passage, but let’s start with verses 43-47 (my rough translation incoming):

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it all the way off; it is better for you to enter into The Life impaired than, while having two hands, to go away into the gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it all the way off! It is better for you to enter into The Life limping than, while having two feet, be cast into the gehenna.

And if your eye should cause you to stumble, cast it out; it is better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God one-eyed than, while having two eyes, be cast into the gehenna, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire.

oh lord, not the hell talk!! anything but hell talk!! this whole passage bristles with a million ways to misuse it. (homophobia cw: anyone else ever get told “if your sexuality causes you to sin, cut it off — this passage is proof gay people should be celibate!” just me?)

now, my focus is on what Jesus says here about disability, but as we talk about that, better ways of reading the text will come up. for instance, that last verse about how everyone will be salted with fire? to me, that suggests Jesus’ vision of this “gehenna” place does NOT = the standard Christian idea of hell. first off, it’s a place not of punishment, but purification — which is a word heavy with baggage these days...what if I say “reformation” instead? And if that’s the case, i imagine one’s stay there isn’t eternal — why bother reform people who are gonna be shut off in a fire-filled jail forever?

once those fires “purify” you, i imagine your stay is through and off you go into “The Life,” because you’ll finally be ready for it. so that’s one option for getting ready for The Life / The Kingdom of God — or, Jesus says, you can opt instead to get rid of the things that “cause you to stumble” in advance by......cutting off a limb or gouging out an eye??

now. i could be wrong but. if we start by taking this text as literally as possible, with physical stumbling and a physical limb-removal taking place......wouldn’t it be easier to avoid tripping if you’ve got two eyes to see obstacles with, two feet to step over potholes with?? even today when prosthetics are sometimes an option, there’s an adjustment period where you have to relearn walking.

so it seems that Jesus is making one of his trademark statements meant to subvert expectations -- the last will be first, the foolish are proven wise, and those with two feet are more likely to stumble. chances are, he’s not speaking literally. it’s not your literal foot or hand you should be chopping off -- it’s a metaphor for something else.

but before we consider what exactly it’s a metaphor for...where does this ironic little twist leave actually disabled persons? is it shitty of Jesus to be using disability in this way? is this like his “blind leading the blind” & “spiritually blind” comments elsewhere in the Gospels, where he stamps a disability with a moral judgement?

yeah, i do think it’s kinda crappy to use real disabilities for an object lesson, for hyperbolic effect, for shock value. “better to be impaired” (even tho, the subtext seems to be, It Sucks To Be Impaired) “than end up in Gehenna. Trade one terrible thing for a still bad but not as bad thing!” My impulse is thus to throw this passage right into the Bad Text box —except!

Except, i feel like this text holds some positive implications about how Jesus viewed disability, too. 

Hey LBK, I'm on your side on this one. Faith is not certainty, faith is believing when there is no evidence or when the evidence seems to be against God. If I just look at the works of those Christians who are certain, I would have no reason or desire to be Christian. Certainty is dangerous, you want fundamentalist extremists and prosperity gospel, be certain...

If Hope was a bad thing we wouldn't have an advent candle named for it. Hope is born of faith, hope is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot put it out.

In Mark 9, right after the Transfiguration, Jesus, Peter, James, and John join back up with the rest of the disciples and they are in the middle of a crowd and arguing with the law teachers. Jesus asks, 'what's up boys?' And a man from the crowd answers that his son has got a demon that throws him down and makes him foam at the mouth (sounds like epilepsy) and the disciples couldn't heal him. Now here's where it gets interesting for us: "21 Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” "

The father is NOT CERTAIN, but Jesus doesn't scold him or tell him to have more faith, he heals the kid. This is a prayer, "I believe, help my unbelief." that keeps many clergy going when people in the church are being shitty, when the powers of the world are oppressing and even killing the people they serve...

In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul writes, "And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."

I don't know who you were listening to, but I think they need to have another look at both scripture and the Christian tradition, there are even lines in liturgy about 'the hope for things unseen'... in the end, in a world where even those who loudly proclaim themselves Christians don't practice justice, mercy, and forgiveness; where victims are blamed and shamed, all we have is faith in God and hope for and through the promises Jesus offered.

Thanks for the great question!!

Peace and hugs,