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The core of the Gospel is the Kingdom of God. The demands placed upon it are considerable. In Mark 9:43-48, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God and of cutting off one's hand and foot and plucking out one's eye if they lead to sin. But is the Kingdom of God truly so radical that one must undergo ascetic mutilation? How is this passage to be understood?
God's requirements are not small!
In Mark 9, Jesus instructs his disciples to cut off their hand if it causes them to sin (cf. v. 43). The same should be done with the foot or the eye if they lead to sin. It is better to enter the kingdom of God without them than to go to hell with them (cf. vv. 44-47). Immediately before this, Jesus calls for another judgment if one leads other believers into sin (cf. v. 42). Furthermore, Jesus sets out the standards for true greatness and service in the kingdom of God and speaks of mutual humility: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35) .
The demands are no less stringent in the next chapter, and Jesus points out that the divine intentions and order of marriage do not correspond to human expectations (cf. Mark 10:1ff). Shortly afterward, after having a conversation with a rich man whom he criticizes for clinging to wealth, the disciples, dismayed, finally arrive at the question that summarizes the requirements: “Then who can be saved?” (Mark 10:26). The biblical passages clearly show that life with Jesus is not a reckless decision, but requires complete surrender.
Mark 9:43-48 deals with the temptation to sin in this context—not with sin already committed. But does devotion go so far that, according to Mark 9:43-48, one must mutilate one's body in the face of temptation to enter the Kingdom of God? The question is not unjustified, since there are indeed people who hold this view or at least pursue an ascetic lifestyle for sanctification, abstaining from certain pleasures or sexuality. If one were to assume a literal amputation, one would have to gouge out both eyes, for example, to escape the lustful gaze. This would ultimately result in total mutilation.
And yet the images would remain in the mind, since, according to Mark 7:21, evil thoughts arise from the inner heart: “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts.” Thus, it can be stated with certainty that verses 43–48 are initially to be understood as metaphors (cf. Pohl 2011, p. 362). But how are these ultimately to be interpreted?
Dealing with seduction
Verse 42 makes it clear that temptation can be brought about by other people. Verses 43-48, however, show that temptation can also originate within oneself and affect oneself (Maier, 2018, p. 400). The biblical passage thus calls for us to be careful not to "lead ourselves from the right path" by practicing self-judgment (Walvoord & Zuck, 2000, p. 180). In a broader sense, this already means, for salvation, judging oneself so that one is not judged (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:31). This leads us to the cross of Christ, which preserves us from judgment if we deny ourselves and accept the work of redemption in faith (cf. John 5:24; Matthew 16:24). This is the work that is only possible through God and answers the previous question of who can be saved (cf. Mark 10:26).
Verse 42 refers to people who already follow Jesus. One can therefore conclude that the biblical text does not primarily refer to justification by faith through self-judgment, but more specifically to self-judgment in sanctification (cf. 1 Tim 6:20). A Christian's temptation can come through the hand that, as an instrument, brings our inner inclinations and desires to light (cf. ibid.). According to Mark 7:22, these inclinations strive for sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, deceit, debauchery, etc., and correspond to human nature (cf. Rom 8:3).
The fact that Jesus draws the same parallels to the eye and the foot in this passage shows that temptation has different faces and can be brought about through different instruments. Symbolically, the foot could represent our conduct, the hand our actions, and the eye the things we desire. It is important that the inclinations of our flesh do not become entrenched in our hearts and thus become one with our will. This leads to the evil in our hearts being carried outward and thus becoming manifest sin (cf. James 1:14-15).
A practical example: debauchery. Debauchery itself is sin. Our desire strives to indulge this sin. The instrument of this desire is our eye, which, through videos and images, for example, tempts us to uncontrolled use of our cell phones. Sin is finally born when we give in to this desire and debauchery takes root in our hearts. The fact that we no longer have control over our cell phone use reflects the obvious sin.
But how do I avoid the works of the flesh? The answer is found in the same verse: “Get out of here!” In other words: Examine yourself. Therefore, if there is a danger that something will become more important to us than Christ, or that something could separate us from Christ, then it is the Christian duty to tear these things out (cf. Henry 2017, p. 232). The exhortation in verses 43-47 is preventative in nature, so that we may be preserved from sin. In practical terms, this means limiting my screen time early on and abstaining from certain platforms.
The biblical text calls us to constant self-reflection: Are there other things lately that are becoming increasingly important to me and on which I am spending more and more time? Have I recently been investing more and more in my hobbies, my house, my work, or my appearance than in the Kingdom of God? If so, this doesn't immediately mean that I have to quit my job and give up leisure activities. But at the same time, we must address these things and either radically eliminate or radically limit them so that our faithfulness to Jesus is preserved.
If something threatens to separate us from Christ or become more important to us than He, then it is the Christian duty to
to remove these things. Image source: AdobeStock © exclusive-design
The consequence
Reflecting on our priorities and setting them demonstrates our responsibility in dealing with temptation. The biblical text also reveals the necessity of this responsibility, as our future depends on it. Jesus names two places we can enter: the Kingdom of God or hell (see verses 43-45). Jesus says, "It is better for you to enter life maimed than to go down to hell with two hands, into the unquenchable fire" (verse 43b). Verses 44 and 45 contain the same statement in relation to the eye and the foot.
Following on from the previous chapter, the message becomes clear: it is better to renounce certain earthly possessions in order to belong entirely to Jesus and thus enter into eternal life (cf. Walvoord & Zuck 2000, p. 180). However, if one consciously gives free rein to one's desires, they result in sin and, without repentance, lead to death and eternal damnation (cf. James 1:14-15).
For “hell,” Jesus uses the Aramaic word “geenna,” which derives from “gehinnom” (the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem) (cf. Maier 2018, p. 400). During the time of the Jewish kings, children were burned there for Molech (cf. 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3; Jeremiah 7:31). Therefore, this valley also became a place of judgment for God (cf. Jeremiah 7:31; 32:35). After Josiah’s reforms (cf. 2 Kings 23:10), a constant fire burned in this place to incinerate the accumulating piles of refuse containing vermin, including worms (Walvoord & Zuck 2000, p. 181). In verse 48, Jesus describes hell as a place "where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" (in some manuscripts, this statement is also added to verses 44 and 46). In Jewish thought, the worm and the fire were a metaphor for the future punishment of the wicked and, according to Walvoord and Zuck, illustrate the eternal inner (worm) and outer (fire) torment in hell (cf. p. 181).
Concluding thoughts – Implications for everyday life
The reference to hell as a consequence of sin should not motivate us to serve God out of fear. Jesus does say, "But fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Mt 10:28), so that we should always approach God with reverence. However, our obedience to Him arises from the highest commandment: love for God and our neighbor (cf. Mt 22:37-38).
Even though this love is firmly rooted in our hearts, we are still exposed to temptations (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). The Word of God calls us to be sober-minded and watchful (cf. ibid.). In this sense, the biblical text under consideration calls us to constant self-reflection and to removing all things that could divide our faithfulness to God. Our contribution to this is to practice the fear of the Lord so that sanctification may be achieved (cf. 1 Timothy 4:7).
God's far greater contribution, ultimately, is that He works in us both the will and the ability to do good (cf. Phil 2:13). This happens when He gives us, through the Holy Spirit, the necessary strength to symbolically tear out our eye and cut off our foot or hand (cf. Eph 6:10). Paul summarizes this in Galatians 5:16: "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
Marcel Kolbasa, Municipality of Molbergen
Unless otherwise stated, Bible quotations follow the Elberfeld Bible translation.
literature
Henry, M. (2017). The new Henry Matthew Commentary - Matthew – John. Waldems: 3L Verlag
Maier, G. (2018). Edition C Bible Commentary – New Testament. Holzgerlingen: SCM
Pohl, A. (2011). The Gospel of Mark. In Laubach, F; Pohl, A. & Stoll, C. Wuppertal Study Bible.
Witten: SCM R. Brockhaus
Walvoord, J. & Zuck, R. (eds.) (2000). The New Testament Explained and Interpreted. Holzgerlingen: Hänssler