Fwd: First newly written pericope: MARK 9:42

[R E LANGFORD JR]

Rejoice, our risen Messiah Jesus grants us time
 to repent and believe the gospel!
The Rev'd R E LANGFORD, FAPC, ELCA Pastor   ! retired !
 in glorious, downtown, historic, Charlestown, Maryland
@ the confluence of the North East River with the Chesapeake Bay
39.58°N by 75.98°W

My clarity of conscience and my purity of heart are undisputed evidence that my memory is failing me.

Poverty of spirit is a treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life, only a gift of The Spirit..

Murphy was an optimist.

`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸..·´¯`·...¸ ><(((((º> `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((º> `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.· ><((º>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: R E LANGFORD JR <r_e_lan...@ecunet.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 7:17 PM
Subject: First newly written pericope: MARK 9:42
To: "MARK, Bible Study" <mark-bible-...@ecunet.org>

EASTER GREETINGS!                                       Also posted APR. 1 - last year

Here is the first newly written sample of the next pericope in the study of the gospel tale of Mark for our reflection, meditation, study, and sharing.

Let us pray.
Bless us, O God, with a reverent sense of your Presence, that we may be still before you in your Word to us in Mark’s gospel, meditate upon your Word, and adore you; through your risen Son our Savior God Jesus the Messiah. Amen.

MARK 9:42
⁴² “What if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin? If he does, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. [NIRV]
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Jesus is speaking, yet as a “Teacher” addressing The Twelve inside the house, in private. He puts a test question to them. “What if someone leads one of these little ones who believe in me to sin?” Already just a few verses previously (vv. 36-37) he has taken a child who was present in his arms. The reference may be to such a child who puts his or her trust in Jesus. The point of the teaching seems clear. It is that to cause even those whom we (as mature believers) might consider to be the least of believers to sin is going to have nasty consequences. Causing someone else to lose their trust in Jesus will bring serious judgment. Here Jesus is expressing his own opinion or impression of the judgment to be incurred.

“If he does, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” The “he” in “if he does” is not gender specific, but refers back to the earlier “if someone leads,” thus showing that it is not merely males who can cause persons to lose trust. At that time, the “sea,” since Capernaum sits at the northerly end of the Sea of Galilee, and that is where the house is in which Jesus was teaching, probably means that local body of water. It is a symbol of chaos, tumult, and those forces which are “against” the Creator in much of the Tanakh. A “millstone” could mean a 30 to 40 pound stone turned by a person grinding just a handful of meal, but it is far more likely to refer to the large stone slab (of perhaps 300 or more pounds) turned by a donkey as bushels of grain are milled into meal.

We remark on the hopelessness of a person with such a millstone tied to his or her neck and thrown into the sea. Surely they would die by drowning. Jesus renders a verdict here: “It would be better. . . .” This is a powerful teaching, IMO. It warns all those who consider their faith and trust to be mature to be very cautious about leading someone whose faith or trust might be less or weaker into sin. . . , into losing trust in Jesus. It matters not at all who a person might be, nor their calling, nor their power and authority. Jesus has a very dim view, IMO, of the likelihood that such a one (who abuses his or her evangelical responsibility to share the good news and to teach the truth about the God who loves us) may live, let alone live in the coming kingdom.

This ends my first, clumsy and inadequate I suspect, effort to continue reflecting on the good news tale of Mark. If you do not make the effort to read the gospel aloud in a group of friends or family members, please do read the tale through at least once. If that two hour effort is beyond you, take some moments and read the ninth chapter of MARK aloud to yourself, or, if you are in some great hurry, read it silently.

Let us pray.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy: at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. [a fragment of PS 16, as appointed for worship on Resurrection Day, my wife did not recognize what we recited yesterday]
GLORY to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Reflect on Messiah's crucifixion & resurrection, now and always!
The Rev'd R E LANGFORD JR, FAPC, ELCA pastor ! retired !
39.58°N by 75.98°W

My clarity of conscience and my purity of heart are undisputed

evidence that my memory is failing me.