Christian Living
“They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?” The silence was deafening—they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest. He sat down and summoned the Twelve. "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all." He put a child in the middle of the room. Then, cradling the little one in his arms, he said, "Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me—God who sent me." John spoke up, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn't in our group." Jesus wasn't pleased. "Don't stop him. No one can use my name to do something good and powerful, and in the next breath cut me down. If he's not an enemy, he's an ally. Why, anyone by just giving you a cup of water in my name is on our side. Count on it that God will notice. "On the other hand, 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. You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. "If your hand or your foot gets in God's way, chop it off and throw it away. You're better off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owner of two hands and two feet, godless in a furnace of eternal fire. And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it out and throw it away. You're better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell. "Everyone's going through a refining fire sooner or later, but you'll be well-preserved, protected from the eternal flames. Be preservatives yourselves. Preserve the peace." Mark 9:33-50 Message Bible
The silence was deafening when Jesus asked the disciples what they had been talking about, because they were embarrassed. We humans are always ashamed when we are caught red-handed in sin – doing foolish, immature things. When the Holy Spirit nails us we are often speechless. Christ said anyone who wants first place should serve the rest. It is interesting how much of this talk on greatness centers around innocence. The world ridicules simplicity and pureness, but that is the heart of heavenly greatness. Jehovah loves the virtue of a blameless child. And that is how children are before adults teach them to “grow up.” Children honestly tell her if they don’t like grandma’s pie, but then grownups train them to pretend. God doesn’t like any form of dishonesty. He treasures the innocence of a child. That’s why Jesus said if we embrace children we embrace Him. If we bully or take advantage of a child – or anyone – there’ll be a day we will be sorry. In a talk on greatness, Christ addresses how we treat the children or the vulnerable and says it matters - a lot. In other places He said whatever we do to another we do to Jesus, which is a solemn thought. Judas isn’t the only one to betray Christ – according to Jesus, millions have. Great people are humble, serving and considerate of the defenseless - always.
Jesus says anyone who isn’t an enemy is an ally. Many Christians don’t take that to heart, because they attack anyone or anything that isn’t exactly like they are. For example, we have how many different denominations, because “Christians” can’t follow the only command of the New Covenant – to love one another the way Jesus loved the disciples? I still think Christians may be more surprised in the judgment than the non-believers – because many don’t have a meek and humble heart.
Lastly, Christ talked about commitment. He said it would be better to enter life maimed than to go into judgment fire with all your limbs. For instance, how many “Christians” don’t even pay a tithe, yet they are deceived into thinking they are in right relationship with the Almighty. If you don’t trust God with your money and finances, you don’t trust God, period. Commitment is a big word, but it’s not hard to understand. If you are not taking up your cross daily, what makes you think you are a believer? If your heart hasn’t been transformed by His grace, who are you fooling? Jesus closed by saying we would all go through the refining fire; I guess that separates the real believers from the false. A lot of people claim to know the Master, but many have actually said “no” to Him by their actions.
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