Figs, Faith, and Forgiveness

Dropped Calls

Phone problems are a pain. You’ve been there. “No service” just when you need it the most. Your call goes through but drops at the most critical time. It’s those times when the answer to “Can you hear me now?” is nothing but crickets.

Ever feel the same way about your prayers? You feel like there’s no service. Maybe you thought you had a connection with God but He suddenly seems like He’s not there. 

If it makes you feel better (and it probably won’t), I’m feeling you. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Eventually took the t-shirt to Goodwill.

Has God Blocked My Number?

So what’s the dealio? Preachers always tell us to pray. Talk to God. Tell Him what’s going on. Pour your heart out to Him. Let Him know what you need. 

Yet too many times it sure seems nobody is on the other end of the line. Or maybe you feel like you get through but there’s no response. Does God have your number blocked? What’s going on?

Keys to Answered Prayer

Well, Jesus gives us the answer in a crazy little story from Mark’s Gospel (Mk 11:20-25). While He and His team are standing around a dead fig tree near the temple in Jerusalem, He tells them that faith and forgiveness are the keys to the Father hearing and answering our prayers.

Let’s zoom out for a little better perspective on where this incident fits into the story of the Lord’s life recorded in Mark’s Gospel. It’s Tuesday of what we call Passion Week. We’re just four days away from the His betrayal and murder.

Could He REALLY Be the Christ?

John Mark’s bio of Christ begins with a big and bold statement. “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). The author makes our Hero’s identity crystal clear right from the get go.

But right after that, who He is becomes the hot topic. Other than His weird cousin John the Dunker (Mk 1:4-9), everybody and their brother tries to figure out just who Jesus really is (Mk 1:16-8:26). Could He REALLY be the Christ, the long awaited Hero from heaven?

Not the Kind of Messiah You’re Expecting

Eventually, the radical Rabbi/Carpenter tells the Twelve that He is indeed Messiah, just not the kind of Messiah they’re expecting. He won’t achieve His victory through military might or political power but by His own death and resurrection. 

Jesus tells them not once, not twice, but three times (Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). And each time, the disciples scratch their heads and can’t figure out what the heck He’s talking about. 

One time, Peter even tries to correct Christ and tell Him that’s not what Messiahs do (Mk 8:32). It doesn’t end well for Pete. You probably don’t want the Son of God calling you Satan (Mk 8:33).

An Appointment with a Roman Cross

Once He reveals that He’s the One God promised to send to the rescue, He heads straight to Jerusalem for His appointment with a Roman cross and an empty tomb. 

The Lord receives a hero’s welcome on Sunday when He hits town riding on a borrowed burro (Mk 11:1-10). There’s cheering, chanting, palm branches in the air, and coats on the ground. Post parade, 

He peeks into the temple and then heads back to spend the night in Bethany (Mk 11:11).

Lots of Leaves but Zero Figs

Monday morning, the Son of God and the Twelve are heading back to the big city when He sees a fig tree with lots of leaves but zero figs (Mk 11:12-14). When Christ curses the tree for having no fruit, you might think He’s just hangry. 

We soon see His curse has nothing to do with the tree and everything to do with the temple. It’s His way of pointing out how we camouflage our lives with phony religious activity to hide the fact we have no real fruit. 

Put a bookmark here at the fig tree. We’ll be back there in a moment after a stop at the temple.

Flipping Tables and Throwing Chairs

When He hits the temple courts, Jesus wastes no time cleaning house (Mk 11:15-19). He flips tables and throws chairs. He makes it clear that we should NEVER put obstacles in the way of people’s relationship with God. 

He wants everyone to know the temple’s days are numbered. There’s something WAY better right around the corner. After His death and resurrection, we won’t need it anymore (Jn 1:29; Heb 9:26-28; 10:10-12).

Supernatural Roundup

Which brings us back to the figless fig tree. Or at least what’s left of it. We pick up the action on early Tuesday. “The next morning as they passed by the fig tree He had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up” (v20).

Just 24 hours after Christ curses the tree, it’s as if He’s dumped a barrel of supernatural Roundup on it! It’s completely dead. Above the ground. Below the ground.

The fig tree isn’t just having a bad day and in need of a little TLC. It’s dead and not coming back. The tree is like Monty Python’s famous deceased parrot. It has ceased to be, rests in peace, has kicked the bucket, hopped the twig, and bit the dust. 

Dropping Peter’s Name

This Gospel writer lets us know that “Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day” (v21). Mark is the only one to mention how Pete brings up what happened the day before. 

Why is dropping Pete’s name such a big deal? It’s because Mark is telling Pete’s version of the life of Christ. Take it from Papias, one of the earliest leaders in the church until 130 AD. He said Mark’s source was none other than Simon Peter. 

And if you’re doubting Papias’ credentials, you should know he was close friends with John. Yeah, THAT John. The Apostle John. 

Pete’s Eyewitness Account

In his book “Jesus Is King,” Tim Keller points out that Mark mentions Peter more than any other Gospel writer. On top of that, he says everything happens when the former fisherman turned apostle is front and center.

My point? Mark knows “Peter remembered” because Peter told him. Consider the second Gospel to be Pete’s eyewitness account.

Class in Session

The disciple Jesus nicknames Rocky yells, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!” (v21). Why does He call Jesus “Rabbi” here? Maybe he’s asking Him to teach them what just happened?

“Then Jesus said to the disciples…” (v22). Sit back, boys. Pay attention. Class is in session. The Lord is about to drop some knowledge.

Not Figs but Faith

He tells them, “Have faith in God” (v22). Wait, what? The Lord doesn’t say a fig-picking thing about the deal with the dead fig tree. Instead He makes a hairpin turn and teaches about trusting in God. 

It’s just further proof that Christ’s curse on the fig tree back on Monday has nothing to do with the fig tree. Could He be talking about you and me instead? Apparently so. Specifically, our faith.

Fumbling Our Faith

I have a sneaking suspicion that a little closer look at the original language might help us out here. The word the NLT translates “have” is εχω/echo. It means not just to possess and hold onto something but to grab it tightly, seize and don’t let go.

It’s also in the form of a command. Jesus is like a football coach telling a player to hang onto the ball with both hands. Defenders will do everything possible to tear it loose. In case you don’t realize it, life continually tries to get us to fumble our faith. 

Grab Trust Tightly

So what exactly is faith? The Greek word here is πιστις/pistis. You can translate it as complete confidence, total reliance, or absolute assurance. I personally like to define it as trust.

Jesus’ bottom line to His boys? Grab trust in God’s goodness tightly with both hands and don’t let go! Double down on the fact that He loves you and wants His best for you no matter what.

Breaking the Universe

If we flip back to the opening pages of Scripture, we see our first parents failing to believe in His best. The satanic snake convinced Adam and Eve that God was holding out on them (Gen 3:1-5). 

It’s no understatement to say their failure to trust God broke the universe. As a result, our awesome heavenly Dad has been coming to our rescue ever since.

A Major Thread

This is why faith is a major thread running throughout the story of God. We see it everywhere. Before Jesus comes to our rescue, God blesses Abraham as a result of his total trust in Him (Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3). 

After the cross, we have a clearer understanding of what faith means. Pete tells us that whoever shoves all their chips in on Jesus will never be disappointed (1Pet 2:6).

Doing What We Could NEVER Do

We now know that trusting in God is going all in with what Jesus has done. He’s done for us what we could NEVER do for ourselves. 

He lived the perfect life that we’ve failed to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to the new life we don’t deserve. Trust in who He is and what He’s done and what He WILL do!

Grab trust in God’s goodness tightly with both hands and don’t let go!

God NEVER Fumbles

But let’s be honest. There are gonna be times when lose our grip and fumble our faith. What happens then? Here’s the best news about the Good News. God NEVER loses His grip on you (Jn 10:28-29; 2Tim 2:13)!

Mountain Moving Prayers

Back at the figless fig tree, or at least what’s left of it, Jesus continues, “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea, and it will happen’” (v23).

Several times Scripture teaches us that our prayers can be mountain movers (Mt 17:20; Jn 4:12-14; 1Cor 13:2). At first glance, that appears to be what Christ is saying here.

The Temple’s Clock Is Ticking

But not so fast, my friend. Jesus is not just talking about just any random mountain. He’s talking about “THIS MOUNTAIN” (v23 emphasis added). Folks much more skilled in the NT believe He’s talking about Jerusalem generally and the temple mount specifically.

Remember, the clock is ticking on the temple’s days when Jesus says these words. The Romans will demolish it in less than 50 years from the moment the Lord makes this statement. Spoiler alert! Something God has something WAY better in mind.

Where You Pray

First century Jews believe WHERE they pray is critically important when they pray. And in their mind, there’s no better place to do it than the temple in Jerusalem. Like a realtor, they think location is key.

That’s still the case today. Two thousand years later, people gather to pray at the Western Wall. Why? It’s the only part of the temple that remains from the destruction by the Romans.

ALWAYS a Local Call

Jews consider these ancient stones to be one of the holiest sites in their faith. It’s interesting to note that it was not part of the actual temple itself but a retaining wall on the very western edge of the larger complex.

But our Savior’s death and resurrection has erected an all new place to pray, and it’s NOT constructed by any human builders (Acts 7:48; 17:24). Location has nothing to do with prayer. 

Let’s just put it this way. For a follower of Jesus, it’s ALWAYS a local call. You’re never out of range. And there are no roaming charges!

Complete Confidence

With location out of the way, the Lord lets the boys what IS important when it comes to prayer. “But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart” (v23).

The word “believe” (Gr. πιστευω/pisteuo) is actually the verb form of “faith” we see back in verse 22. It should come as no surprise that it means to place complete confidence, total reliance, or absolute assurance in someone or something. Just to be clear, that Someone is God.

No Doubt

But this time, the Son of God wants us to know what faithful prayer does NOT include. We must “have no doubt in your heart” (v23). And He’s not dissing Gwen Stefani’s band either.

The Greek word “doubt” (Gr. διακρινω/diakrino) means to hesitate, waver, debate, take issue, or have a divided opinion. The phrase “doubt in your heart” (v23) describes an internal argument you’re having about God.

The Unbelieving Parts of Ourselves

On this side of eternity, there’s always going to be part of us that fails to fully trust in Jesus. Just as we must preach the Gospel to the unbelieving parts of the world, we must also preach it to the unbelieving parts of ourselves!

Christ is reassuring us that while I may not know the specifics of what He will do but I can be sure it will be whatever is for the good of people and His glory! Don’t pump your brakes when it comes to prayer. Punch the accelerator! Go all in!!

Name-It-and-Claim-It?

The Son of God sure seems to do just that. “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (v24). Anything?!? Is the Lord endorsing a name-it-and-claim-it prayer life?

The folks at bibleref.com have a GREAT point about this passage. This is not a promise without context. The Lord does place conditions and expectations on prayer.

Whatever we ask must be in God’s will to give us (1Jn 5:14-15). We must remain attached to Jesus in order to know His will (Jn 15:7). That makes it super easy for Him to deliver on our requests.

If You Knew Everything He Knew

Jesus’ kid brother James reminds us that we need to make the ask with the right motive (James 4:1-3). Greedy and selfish prayers are guaranteed a great big “NO” from God.

It should come as no surprise that Tim Keller sheds some light here. He says, “God always gives you what you would have asked for if you knew everything He knew.”

A.T. Robertson writes that this kind of faithful prayer sees the fulfillment before it happens. That’s why Rick Warren encourages us to see faith as thanking God in advance. Praying in faith means praying with an expectant heart.

The Horizontal Impacts the Vertical

There’s just one little box to check before hitting our knees. Jesus tells the Twelve, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (v25).

Nothing blocks our prayers like unforgiveness. In other words, the horizontal (our relationship with people) has a direct impact on the vertical (our relationship with God). 

When We Forgive Others

This is one of the big ideas in Jesus’ most famous sermon. He says before we attempt to worship God, we must do everything to make things right with those who hold a grudge against us (Mt 5:23-24).

A little later He says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will will not forgive your sins” (Mt 6:14-15).

Twice the Apostle Paul tells the followers of Jesus that we must forgive anyone since Christ has forgiven us (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).

Our Biggest Need and Hardest Task

I love how Darrin Patrick makes the connection.  He points out that forgiveness is our biggest need in our relationship with God and our hardest task in our relationship with people.

We can’t have one without the other. Placing our faith in Jesus is a plea to forgive our sin against Him. Once He does that, how can we fail to forgive what someone else has done to us? 

Guaranteed No Dropped Calls

The problem is that we want one WITHOUT the other. It just doesn’t work that way. Forgiveness is like pedals on a bicycle. It’s the bottom line to the story Jesus tells about the unforgiving servant (Mt 

18:21-35).

Want a strong and clear connection to the heavenly throne room? Nothing unleashes God’s power in prayer like faith and forgiveness. Guaranteed no dropped calls.

©2020

Jay Jennings

Justify

Paul has just described his confrontation with Peter in Antioch (Gal 2:11-14).  The man from Tarsus got in Pete’s grill when false teachers duped into buying a snake oil gospel of “do better.”  

This led to a hypocrisy that split the church down ethnic lines.  Paul warned the leader of the apostles that he wasn’t walking straight in terms of the Gospel.  These false teachers peddled a counterfeit message that said non-Jews had to first follow Jewish law in order to become true followers of Jesus.

Peter clearly repented of his sin after the “Antioch Incident.”  This only made his relationship with Paul stronger.  In 2Peter 3:15-17, Pete boldly proclaims his love for his “brother Paul” as well as his authority as an apostle.  In his own letter to believers, he warns us not to be suckered by false teachers as he was.  He cautions us not to allow “the ignorant and unstable to twist” God’s Word.

In verse 16, Paul drops a nuke on the idea of self-salvation through our own good works.  Three times he detonates the “J Bomb” of justification by faith in Jesus.  He begins by saying “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”  

This is a powerful statement that applies to any person.  The apostle takes it a step further and makes it personal.  “So we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law.”  He finishes his triple play by concluding with the absolute that “by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Let’s review...

• Not justified by works.
• Justified through faith in Jesus.
• Justified by faith in Christ.
• Not justified by works of the law
• By works of the law no one will be justified.

Get it?  Got it?  Good.

Three times Paul uses the Greek verb δικαιοω/dikaioo.  This is a legal term that describes how a judge declares the defendant not guilty and innocent of any charges.  When Jesus saves us, God rules that we are fully and immediately innocent of our sin and rebellion against Him.  Despite our sinful flesh that He must still sanctify, He pounds the cosmic gavel in our favor.  Not guilty!

Three times Paul uses this word.  Notice a couple of things.  First of all, each time it is passive.  In other words, we have nothing to do with the declaration.  This is God’s ruling from the bench.  We have provided no defense worthy of His verdict.  

Second, each time the apostle uses the verb, he uses a different tense.  The first time its in the past (the Greek aorist tense), “justified...through faith in Jesus Christ.”  The second time its in the present tense, “we believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith.”  Finally, he uses the future tense in warning that “by works of the law no one will be justified.”

• Past.
• Present.
• Future.

Get it?  Got it?  Good.

While Paul uses the legal language, a medical image helps me understand what's going on here.  Think of the law as CT scan, an MRI or an X-ray.  These are tools that doctors use to diagnose illness and disease.  These do nothing to treat us.  They simply tell physicians what's wrong with us.  That's exactly what the law does.  God provides it to us as a diagnostic tool.  But it doesn't heal.

When we put our faith in what Jesus has done for us, that's the cure.  Trusting in the truth that Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn't live.  Trusting that Jesus died the perfect death we should have died.  Trusting that Jesus rose to a heaven we don't deserve.  It's not about what we do.  It's not about obeying the law.  

Just like getting more and more CT scans won't cure us without treatment, trying to obey the law won't save us.  That's exactly what Paul means when he writes to his Roman buddies.  "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20).

The law is the diagnostic. Faith in Jesus is the cure.  Only putting our faith in the Great Physician provides ultimate healing.

Some of the great minds of our faith call this imputation.  That's a fancy way of saying we get Jesus' perfect righteousness and obedience while He takes our sin and disobedience.  

Not exactly a fair trade, is it?  Luther calls it the Great Exchange.  Paul describes it in one of his letters to the Corinthian crew.  "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2Cor 5:21).

That's the same message Paul also preached at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch.  "By Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39).  Instead of using legal or medical images, the apostle uses prison language.  Only Jesus can bust us out of the joint.

The apostle grabs Peter, the Galatians and us by the shoulders and gives us a hard shake.  He wants us to remember the amazing truth of our justification in Jesus.  

©2012

Jay Jennings

Going All Gangster

The Chicago Overcoat

If you’re a fan of gangster movies, you know what it means to go swimming in cement shoes. There’s also the infamous Chicago overcoat. No, these aren’t the latest in men’s fashion. Instead, they’re mafia methods to make someone disappear forever.

It goes a little something like this. Criminals attach some form of concrete to their enemies and chuck them into a body of water. Oh, and did I forget? They would do this while you still alive.

Going All Gangster

Not even Michael Phelps is a strong enough swimmer to survive. The massive weight drags you to the bottom, never to be seen again. Pretty gruesome, don’t you think?

Did you realize that Jesus actually threatens to do something even worse? In a conversation with His crew, Christ warns against getting in the way of someone’s trust in Him. When God gets done with the offending party, he’ll wish he’d gone swimming in cement shoes (Mk 9:42).

Yup. That’s right. I guess we can say the Son of God is prepared to go all gangster.

A Conversation with Christ

This threat comes as our Savior and His personal posse are meeting in Capernaum, the quiet fishing village on the northern shore of Lake Galilee (Mk 9:33). He starts the discussion by setting the boys straight on how God sees greatness. First is last. The lowest servant is the greatest leader (Mk 9:34-35).

Jesus then hugs a small child in front of His team and tells them anytime we open our lives to those who can’t do anything for us, we’re throwing out the welcome mat to both the Son of God and His Dad as well (Mk 9:36-37).

Competition in the Kingdom

That leads to a VERY awkward moment in the conversation. John brags to the Lord about the time the disciples shut down some dude who had the gall to drive out demons in Jesus’ name while not being on the active roster of the Twelve (Mk 9:38).

But Christ tells the guys there’s no competition in God’s kingdom. Anytime we see someone loving people and pointing them to Him, we should never stop never stopping them (Mk 9:39-41).

Dead Weight and Deep Sea Diving

Which leads us to Jesus’ rather menacing comment about dead weight and deep sea diving. “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in Me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck” (v42).

A Very Big Point

First of all, we need to know just who are “these little ones” He’s talking about. This is actually the Greek word μικρος/mikros. It’s actually where we get our term “micro.” You know, like microscope and microprocessor.

You don’t have to have a PhD in biblical languages to know this word means tiny or small. In other words, just like the kiddo He’s just wrapped His loving arms around (Mk 9:36-37). He’s about to make a very big point about “these little ones” (v42).

A Vulnerable Faith

Just like in that passage, it’s easy to think Christ is simply talking about small children. He is…but WAY more than just them. According to Heinrich Meyer, this is Jesus’ way of describing anyone who has a modest, simple, and vulnerable faith.

David Garland puts it like this. These are the people on the fringe. The ones no one misses when they’re not there. The ones who are tolerated but not embraced. You may heard people describe some folks as “EGR.” You know, Extra Grace Required.

Jesus wants us to know there are no insignificant believers in His eyes. Every single one has unspeakable value. Nobody cares more for them more than He does. How we treat “these little ones” (v42) is a BIG deal!

You. Me. Us. Them.

Our Savior gets a little more specific when He describes these particular spiritual kids as those “who trusts in Me” (v42). He’s talking about those who have a tender or simple faith in Him, just like a small child who readily and willingly trusts in Jesus to take care of them and do what’s best for them.

The Lord encourages children of all ages to have a childlike faith in Him (Mt 18:3, 14; Mk 10:15; Lk 18:17). The old Sunday school song is right. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. You. Me. Us. Them.

Believing in Jesus

So just what does it mean to trust in Christ? We throw that idea around a lot without much explanation. This is probably a good spot to pull over and unpack the concept of believing in Jesus.

First of all, it’s NOT about the strength of our faith. I mean, how strong is a small child anyway? It’s pretty easy to bully them into giving away what they have. But this is way more than stealing their lunch money. Since that’s the point of Jesus’ warning here, we’ll get back to that in just a moment.

The Object of Our Faith

It’s all about the object of our faith, not the amount of faith we can scrounge up. For instance, I can have all the faith in the world that I can start at center for Lakers. But that’s NEVER happening for this 5-foot-10, 60-year-old with the vertical leap of a hippo.

It’s about WHOM we trust. And there’s no better WHOM than Jesus. I trust that He lived the perfect life of obedience to God’s law that I’ve failed to live. I trust He died the brutal death for my sin that I should have died. I trust that He rose to the glorious new life that I don’t deserve.

The Great Exchange

My trust in Him doesn’t stop there. I place my complete confidence in Christ as the Lord of my life. That means doing what He says, knowing that He’s leading me with love and wants what’s best for me.

A guy named Paul makes the point that when place our total trust in God’s sinless Son, He exchanges our disobedience and rebellion for His goodness and perfection (2Cor 5:21). It’s been called the Great Exchange. Sure seems like a massive understatement.

God Never Lets Go

And get this, Jesus knows my own trust in Him will wobble and fail. That’s why Paul reassures fellow followers about our not-so-steady walk of faith. “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is” (2Tim 2:13). God NEVER let’s go of me, no matter how many times I fail.

Tossing Away Our Trust

Now that we have a handle on who the children are and what it means to believe in Jesus, the Lord warns us against causing them “to fall into sin” (v42). This isn’t the usual word we see in the NT for sinning or falling short of God’s standard.

The Greek verb here is σκανδαλιζω/skandalizo, which means to cause another person to stumble or lead someone into something wrong. And not just a little oopsie. This is enticing them to do something that causes them to keel over and toss away their trust in Christ once and for all.

A Spiritual Landmine

It comes from a root word (Gr. σκανδαλον/skandalon) which describes the trigger or trip wire of a booby trap or a stumbling block. This isn’t just stubbing your toe. It’s a hidden object like rock that you causes you to face plant. Think of it as a spiritual landmine hidden to do eternal harm.

And if you’ve been following along in the story, causing someone young in their faith to self-destruct is exactly the opposite of receiving them with open arms (Mk 9:37). Jesus will also use σκανδαλιζω/skandalizo in His rather gory description of spiritual amputation (Mk 9:42, 44, 47). So we might want to keep this handy.

A Tender Trust

 

So there you have it. Jesus warns anyone who tempts and terrorizes those with a tender trust in Him. The Message version cuts to the chase. “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” (v42 The Message).

Whoa. Can’t say we haven’t been warned. I don’t know about you but it makes me slam the brakes and wonder if and when I may have bulldozed folks with a fragile faith in Jesus. How ‘bout you?

It Would Be Better for You…

If so, the Lord lays it all out for us. “It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck” (v42 emphasis mine). Gulp. Trust me. It’s right there IN THE BIBLE!

It can’t mean that, right? Shouldn’t this be one of those times when digging into the original language actually reveals our Savior’s softer, gentler side? Yeah, good luck with that. Sure, I’ll bite. Let’s see what it says.

A Donkey Stone

We probably should start with that whole millstone thing, don’t you think? This is actually a pair of Greek words. The first is μυλος/mulos and describes the large, flat, EXTREMELY heavy stone you’d find in a mill to grind the grain.

The second word (Gr. οινικος/onikos) just reinforces the massive size and weight of this stone. It literally means “of a donkey.” The mill actually has two stones. There’s a smaller one on the bottom. On top, is one that’s such a monster that you need livestock in order to turn it. That’s the one that does the pulverizing.

Jesus is talking about that upper, bigger millstone. How big? There’s archeological evidence that these were as large as four to five feet in diameter. “Millstone of a donkey” is right. That’s a big ass stone!! (Oops, did I actually type that?!?)

A Two-Ton Necklace

But before we try to find a spotter and lift that bad boy, this won’t be a traditional workout with free weights. So put down the bar. This sucker will be “hung around your neck” (v42).

I’m not sure if your head goes through some hole in the center or if they may tie it to a rope or chain like a two-ton necklace. The phrasing here simply paints a ponderous picture of wearing something all the way around your neck. It puts the sink in synchronized swimming.

A Limestone Life Preserver

If you’re a baseball fan, you know how a player who goes hitless wears the collar. Let’s just say you’ll wish you had a bad day at the plate compared to this!

Once they fit you with your new neckwear, you’ll be “thrown into the sea” (v42). This is where that whole idea of swimming in cement shoes comes in. It’s basically like someone handcuffing you to a limestone life preserver and tossing you into the deep end from the high dive.

A Common Form of Capital Punishment

So where in the world did Jesus get whole millstone-man-overboard idea? Apparently this is form of capital punishment is all the rage back in the First Century. While there’s no evidence the Jews used it, the Greeks, Romans, and Syrians sure did.

As a matter of fact, some historians believe that’s exactly what happened to a rebel leader named Judas of Galilee. Gamaliel mentions how Rome snuffed him out in Acts 5:37. He would have gone deep sea diving against his will around 6 AD, so other Galileans like Jesus and the Twelve would know all about it.

The Better Option

Even if that’s not what Christ is talking about, the boys certainly get the picture. Remember, they’re in the fishing village of Capernaum when this conversation takes place. Most of them make their living on the water. The huge freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee is right outside the window.

They have no doubt that it won’t be pretty if someone makes the mistake of coming between God and His relationship with one of His more vulnerable followers. I don’t know about you but drowning seems like one of the most terrifying ways to go.

But here’s the deal. This is the better option than letting God get His hands on you. Think about that for just a minute. When we realize what our Creator is going to do, we’ll actually slip on the millstone choker and take a long run off a short pier without any encouragement.

The Best Big Brother

That’s exactly how much the Almighty cares about the not-so-mighty. It’s just how He rolls. He loves going against conventional wisdom by working through weak (1Cor 1:26-27). At His coming out party, Jesus says His Dad sent Him for the express purpose of rescuing the poor, the prisoners, the disabled, and downtrodden (Lk 6:18-19).

If that’s you, how great is it to know the Son of God has got your back! The best Big Brother in the history of the universe promises to handle any bully who pushes you around on this playground we call Planet Earth.

Caring for Our Kids

So if our Savior promises to protect “these little ones” (v42), shouldn’t we do the same? Darn tootin’. First of all, let’s start with the children He’s placed into our care, both in the family and in the local church.

As parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, we need to keep a watchful eye on our kids. That doesn’t mean duct-taping them in bubblewrap but only exposing them age appropriate activities. And all along the way, let’s be incredibly intentional in telling them all about the One who loves them even more than we do.

For the children God has entrusted to us in our churches, let’s go out of our way to make sure they are safe. What security measures do we have in place so that parents have peace of mind? Do we screen our leaders?

Spraying Spiritual Roundup

Beyond that, how do you respond to those who have a tender trust in Jesus? Are you protective of their faith? Do you simply ignore their vulnerability and do what you want?

In a letter to new believers at a church in Corinth, Paul warns we should not do anything could potentially trip up those who are newer in their journey with Jesus (1Cor 8:9-13). Too many times we spray spiritual Roundup when we should provide them protection like a greenhouse so they can grow and flourish.

God’s Got This

Let me be VERY clear about one thing. Jesus is NOT telling us to make sure we have a handy dandy supply of millstones and a few bags of Quikrete in the storage closet. When it comes to the punishment, He’s got this.

In the lyrics of one scriptural tune, the songwriter asks God to protect those who can't protect themselves. “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people” (Ps 82:3-4).

When the Lord comes to their rescue, He promises to punish those cause them pain. If you think going swimming with cement shoes sounds awful, think again. It’s the better choice compared to what God will do when He goes all gangster.

©2019

Jay Jennings