Lesson 2450

(Lesson 2450)(08-30-18) Mark 9:42-50
    “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”

   Today’s lesson is a very important one, often overlooked or misinterpreted. There are many who take the things that Jesus said herein literally, believing that if one’s hand were to be involved in something that it shouldn’t, Jesus herein requires that the hand be physically removed. That interpretation is erroneous and certainly not what Jesus intended. We know that a hand cannot sin without the command of the mind; Therefore, removing the hand would not remove the intent of an evil heart. Instead of demanding that a sinner should destroy the part of the body involved in the actual sin, Jesus was demanding that we should keep our minds clean of evil.
    It is very important to understand that the things that Jesus said in today’s quote only apply to those who have, in the final judgment, rejected the saving grace of God, those who do not have the perfection of Jesus Christ imputed into their hearts. ~