Spiritual Amputation

 

Gory Enough for You?

An amputated hand. A severed foot. A gouged eye. Flesh-eating maggots. Unending  torture by fire.

 

If this is how Netflix describes a movie, I can promise you one thing…I’m NOT watching! And if that’s not gory enough for you, each one of these mutilations is…gulp…self-inflicted!

But here’s the deal. This isn’t the latest in the “Saw” franchise or some Rob Zombie horror flick. We’ve ripped this grisly description right out of the pages of the Bible. And before you starting thinking this is one of those brutal OT passages, think again. These are the words of none other than Jesus Himself!

Shock Therapy

It all goes down during a teachable moment our Savior has with His closest followers in the village of Capernaum. He’s not simply telling them a scary story around a campfire. He’s trying to shock them to realize the seriousness of the sin in their lives.

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.

“If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye that have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’” (Mk 9:43-48).

Rather Colorful Language

Let’s be clear about one thing from Jump Street. Christ isn’t talking about literally chopping off extremities or popping out an eyeball. He’s using…shall we say…rather colorful language to get our attention. It’s hyperbole.

The Lord makes His ridiculous overstatement because He wants us to know that our sin is serious business. It’s a cancer that wrecks relationships, steals peace, jacks up joy, and ultimately delivers death everywhere it goes.

Self-Inflicted Sin

Worst of all, according to what our Savior says here, is that a large percentage of our sin is actually self-inflicted. THAT’S why He recommends these radical removal methods. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Speaking of making radical cuts, you may notice that somebody has carved a couple of verses from this passage. Most of the older and more reliable versions of Mark’s Gospel don’t contain verses 46 and 48. Are you tracking with me? Cool.

The Hero from Heaven

Let’s zoom out a bit to get a little better view of what’s going on. A big chunk of Mark’s bio of Jesus to this point has been all about figuring out the identity of this radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth.

That all changes when Peter puts the pieces of the puzzle together and tells Jesus, “You are the Messiah” (Mk 8:29). This is the long-awaited Hero from heaven God has been promising to send to our rescue since our first parents took the bad advice of a satanic snake (Gen 3:15).

Not the Kind of Messiah They’re Expecting

Maybe you’re not all that familiar with the term Messiah. It’s the equivalent of the word Christ we see all throughout the NT. They mean exactly the same thing. In other words, Christ is NOT Jesus’ last name. It’s His title.

The Lord then goes on to tell His team that He’s NOT the kind of Messiah everybody’s expecting. Oh, He’s coming to our rescue and to righteously rule alright. But first He’s got a very specific job to do. He must suffer, be rejected and murdered by the religious leaders, and come strolling out of the cemetery three days later (Mk 8:31; 9:31).

A Mountaintop Meetup

Just to make sure the guys get the picture, Christ takes three of His disciples for a mountaintop meetup with Moses and Elijah (Mk 9:2-8). Not only does Jesus peel back the curtain of heaven and give them a glimpse of His glory, but God the Father drops the ultimate attaboy.

Our Savior and the Twelve travel back to the home office in Capernaum (Mk 9:33), a tiny fishing village on the north shore of Lake Galilee. There He gives them a lesson in God’s view of greatness. He flips the script to say first is last and servants are sit at the top of the org chart (Mk 9:35).

Let’s Play a Little Game

Jesus goes on to play a little game with the boys which we’ll call “Which Is Better?”. In other words, when you have a choice in certain situations, here’s the tip about which to pick. The first scenario is all about tripping up those with a tender trust in Him. He says it’s WAY better to go swimming with massive millstone necklace than let God get His hands on you (Mk 9:42).

Cut It off?!?!

Which brings us to our passage. If you think the Son of God went all gangster with the threat of cement shoes, check this out. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off” (v43). What the WHAT?!? Cut it off?!? How ‘bout washing it really well with soap and water? Wouldn’t that do the trick?

Surely a closer look at the original language provides the loopholes we need, right? First of all, let’s check out that phrase the NLT translates “causes you to sin.” This is the Greek verb σκανδαλιζω/skandalizo. It’s the source of our word “scandal.”

A Spiritual IED

This term means causing someone to stumble or tricking them into doing something wrong. And not just a little bobble or small slip. This is enticing them to do act in a way that causes them to keel over and toss away their trust in Christ once and for all.

Interestingly, it comes from a root word (Gr. σκανδαλον/skandalon) that describes the trip wire of a booby trap. Think of the horrific damage a roadside bomb does to a soldier.  Jesus is talking about a spiritual IED.

The Knucklehead in the Mirror

But this isn’t some malicious enemy plotting a deadly ambush. Christ says in this case the one who’s out to get me is the knucklehead looking back at my in the mirror each morning. “If YOUR hand causes YOU to sin…” (v43 emphasis added). This is a self-inflicted injury!

A Nasty Face Plant

Recently I was out for a power walk (that’s just language that means I’m too old to go for a run). As I picked up the pace, I caught my foot on a crack in the sidewalk. On the bright side, I didn’t break my mother’s back. The downside is I went down and went down HARD!

SPLAT!!! I did a nasty face plant on cement. It hurt. I mean REALLY hurt! My hands. My elbow. My hip. My knee. For about 24 hours, I thought I had broken my wrist. And it was nobody’s fault but mine.

Taking Myself out

That’s nothing compared to self-inflicted injuries we suffer from our own rebellion and disobedience. I’m NOT saying that the devil and his satanic toadies aren’t a clear and present danger. They are.

But can we be honest for just a moment? There are a lot of times they don’t have to lift an evil finger against me because I’ll take myself out! Now I know that’s probably not the case for you. You’ve left those issues in the rearview mirror. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Slicing, Dicing, and Lopping It off

We’ve all got hand issues on some level. Some of us have a bad case of sticky fingers. Others are quick to put up our dukes. Who hasn’t seen drivers tell fellow commuters that “you’re number one!” with the middle digit.

Jesus’ way of solving our problem with hand-to-hand combat with ourselves is simple. “Cut it off” (v43). The Greek verb here (Gr. αποκοπτω/apokopto) means just that. He’s talking about slicing, dicing and lopping it off.

Galilean Chainsaw Massacre

It’s how John describes the time Pete whacks off a dude’s ear with sword at Jesus’ arrest (Jn 18:10, 26). Paul uses the same word in sarcastic description of cutting off the family jewels (Gal 5:12). I’m not kidding. You REALLY need to read your Bible.

So yeah, Christ IS advocating amputating…only figuratively. How can we be sure? Do you REALLY think that going all Galilean Chainsaw Massacre on your harmful hand will stop the other one from eventually doing the same thing? Didn't think so.

Murdering My Sin

John Piper says this is what some theologians call the mortification of sin. That’s a five-dollar seminary word that describes the spiritual battle each follower of Jesus faces with his or her flesh. I have no choice but to murder my sin.

We’ve gotta stop trying to manage our sin. That’s just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. That’s a waste of time because this baby’s going down! Think of it as playing with a box of timber rattlers. It won’t be long until one of those suckers strikes you!!

Addition by Subtraction

This takes radical action. Ask God to show you what your core issue is. Chances are there’s a problem behind the problem. David pleads with his Creator for help, “Point out anything that offends You and lead me in the path of everlasting life” (Ps 139:24).

We can also ask fellow followers of Jesus what needs to go from your life. Hey, we’ve all got blind spots. Our true friends must be willing to honestly tell us the things in our lives that we need to hack off. Once we do, it’s addition by subtraction.

Spiritual Amputation

Jesus explains to the boys that, if we have to choose (and we do!), spiritual amputation is the way to go. “It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go to the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands” (v43).

The Most Wretched Place in the Universe

Before we dive deep into the Lord’s words, I want to give you a heads up. What you’re about to read isn’t for the faint of heart. He’s talking about the most vile, most nauseating, most wretched place in the universe. This sure ain’t Disney

World. It’s H-E-double-hockey-sticks.

I’ll be honest with you. I’d rather not talk about hell. Given the choice, I’d much rather chat it up about the eternal paradise God’s people will share with their Savior or even the possibility of a root canal. But the truth is, Jesus talks about hell more than anybody else in the entire Bible.

So gird up your loins, boys and girls. Whatever we think it’s like, it’s worse. WAY worse! That’s because hell is total separation from God and the punishment that goes along with His absence. Worst of all, the gates of this place are locked from the inside.

A Disgusting Dumpsite

There’s a pretty good chance your Bible will have a note at the bottom of the page that says something about “hell” actually being something called Gehenna. This was a disgusting dumpsite just outside the Jerusalem city gates.

Oh, but this isn’t your garden variety municipal landfill. Folks would chuck dead animal carcasses and even human corpses in Gehenna. Fires smoldered nonstop filling the air with the foul aroma of burning flesh. One whiff of that stench would turn your stomach.

A Churning Urn of Burning Funk

Let’s talk about those “unquenchable fires” (v43) for a minute. Just in case we gloss over them the first time, the Lord doubles down a little later when He paints a picture of the how the “fires never goes out” (v48).

Jesus also describes it as a place “where the maggots never die” (v48). I’ll bet His words make more than a few people throw up in their mouths just a little bit. He’s actually quoting from the very last written words of the prophet Isaiah (Is 66:24).

To borrow a lyric from Elvis, hell is a churning urn of burning funk. If that’s not bad enough. It. Never. Stops. And maggots. Don’t forget the maggots. Piper pulls no punches when it comes to the endlessness and hopelessness of this eternal nightmare. “Don’t think—don’t even let the thought linger in your head—that destruction means obliteration.”

Hell on Earth

On the other hand, some Bible experts believe Jesus isn’t actually talking about eternal punishment at all. He’s simply pointing to the garbage dump. Maybe they’re right. I kinda wish they were. But it sure seems like Christ uses it as a picture of hell on earth. Gehenna will seem like an all-inclusive resorts compared to the real deal.

Symbols of Something Worse

I can’t stand hell but I like how David Platt explains it. “You say, ‘Well, isn’t fire just an image in these passages? Aren’t these verses symbolic?’ Maybe. But if they are symbols, what are they symbols for? A wintry retreat or a summer vacation?

“No, these are symbols that stand for something so much worse. Surely burning fire and smoking sulfur are not symbols for a nice place to be. They are symbols for a terrifying place to be.”

When we take everything into consideration, Jesus tells the Twelve there’s really no choice. We’re better off heading to heaven with only one hand than spending the rest of time with both hands in the eternal broiler covered maggots. Yeah, I’m good with that.

Don’t Go to Those Places!

Ready for the next round of “Which Is Better”? Here we go. “If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off” (v45). I’m guessing you know how this goes now, right?

So how can my foot trip me up? Where do my tootsies take me that cause me big problems? Simply stated, where do I consistently go that trips me up and sends me down?

 

It reminds me of the old joke where the guy goes to the doctor.  The doc asks him to describe the problem. The patient says his arm hurts in two places. The doc’s response? “Don’t go to those places!”

Stop Playing Footsie

Stop playing footsie with stuff that you know is self-destructive. Make a 180 and get the heck outta Dodge! For instance, the Apostle Paul pulls no punches when it comes to anything that stokes the fires of your libido outside of marriage. “Run from sexual sin!” (1Cor 6:18).

If my feet are beating a path away from Christ, I need to make a change. And that change probably includes spiritual amputation. I can’t walk with Jesus if I’m walking in the opposite direction.

You’ll Shoot Your Eye out!

Time now for the final round our little game of “Which Is Better?” Sorry, but we don’t have any cool music like Final Jeopardy. That’s my bad.

The Lord warns against how what we look at can hurt us. “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out” (v47). Anybody else immediately think of what Ralphie’s mom said to him in “A Christmas Story”?

What Steals Your Attention?

Forget the Red Ryder BB gun. My wandering eye is a much more dangerous weapon. What are you looking at? WHO are you looking at? What catches your eye and eventually steals your attention?

I’m not just talking about porn. But if that’s your deal, you need to stop. I hear stories almost every single day from both men and women of how this garbage destroys marriages.

There are so many other things we look at that, if we’re not careful, we turn into idols. Put your phone down. Close the laptop. Turn off the TV. Shut down Netflix. I’m not saying these are evil in and of themselves. But when they dominate our lives, we’ve got a problem.

The Bird Box Challenge

What does Jesus tell us to do? Let’s just say you get three guesses and the first two don’t count. “It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell” (v47). You probably saw that one coming…even if you just using one eye.

So what should be our focus instead? We can’t simply take the Bird Box Challenge 24/7. The writer of Hebrews has a great suggestion. Look at the Lord. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Heb 12:2).

Meditate on Christ. Think about Him. Flip open your Bible and look for passages that describe His love, His grace, and all He’s done for you. Fill your field of vision with the One who left the comforts of heaven and came to our rescue!

Spiritual Surgery

So what needs to be amputated from your life? Here’s another great point from Hebrews. Allow God to do the spiritual surgery necessary in our lives. God’s Spirit uses the scalpel of God’s Word to perfectly slice and dice our sin.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Heb 4:12).

An Elective Procedure

Through Scripture, the Lord does laser surgery on His followers. Don’t wait to make an appointment with the Great Physician. That happens when we open His Word so that He can open our hearts and minds.

A couple of things to know about these operations. First of all, spiritual surgery is an elective procedure. God only goes to work on us when we’re willing patients. Secondly, He’s already picked up your co-pay!

The Seriousness of Self-Destruction

All Jesus’ talk of severing limbs, gouging eyes, never-ending flames, and flesh-eating maggots is disturbing. But that’s EXACTLY His point. He wants to realize the seriousness of our self-destruction.

The Son of God has something so much better for us than all this. He came to bring us a life so amazing that we can’t wrap our heads around it (Jn 10:10). It’s everlasting life. But best of all, that life actually starts on this side of eternity!

In the meantime, let me ask you a question. Need to consider a little spiritual amputation?

©2019

Jay Jennings