Thoughts for the Day

Temptations to Sin

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

These last verses from Chapter 9 in Mark's Gospel are full of picturesque language, but I want to look only at part of it - the first section above - that looks at things that might stop us getting into heaven and send us to "Gehenna" or as translated here, "Hell". Gehenna referred to a valley outside Jerusalem where King Ahaz had once sacrificed children, including his own son. Over time this valley had been declared unclean and had become a rubbish dump for the city and was a place where fires burned day and night. It was a truly terrible place, and became a symbol of somewhere the souls of the wicked would go to eternal torment.

To escape this dreadful place we should do all we can to stop ourselves committing sin. Jesus is not advocating that we cut off a hand if we find ourself using it to do some horrible action. He is trying to describe giving up something as important to life as a hand or a foot or an eye. After all sin is more about something of the heart and mind. Getting into heaven is not about reward it is about being willing to sacrifice our desires, denying selfish impulses, and being disciplined to do God's will.

Getting rid of bad habits may be hard, very hard, but the rewards of getting rid of bad habits will be to attain a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father. In the week before Ash Wednesday perhaps we can consider all our bad habits and use Lent as a time to "exorcise", that is cut them out of our life?

Heavenly Father,
help us to examine our lives in detail,
to decide which things we should change
because they are selfish,
or hurt other people,
or are contrary to Your wishes.
Give us the will to be honest with ourself,
and the strength to get rid of bad habits.
Amen.