"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."
Mark 9:43-48
Jesus taught these words in the New Testament. What it is teaching seems to be not self-mutilation, but symbolic self-sacrifice in the pursuit of something better. Sometimes we feel like some habit or lifestyle or sin is just a part of who we are, and it would harm us to give it up... it's just "who we are." And here, Christ advises us to give it up anyway.
Life is going to hurt sometimes. That's okay... we need to keep living anyway, and make the right choices even though it can be painful. Let's not accept that we are just bad at something, or claim to be unable to comply with God's requests because they just don't fit with who we are. And if it means losing something that is as precious to us as a hand, or a foot, or an eye--still. So be it. God will make up for anything we lose in the long run, and even in the short run, the point is well made here that it is better than hell. :)
Today, let's choose better than hell. Let's choose God over our weaknesses, and become the better people that we all can be. It isn't always easy, to be sure... but it is always, always worth it. That process of perfection is worth a little pain... especially pain that will be washed away and swallowed up in joy as we grow closer to God.
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."
Mark 9:43-48
Jesus taught these words in the New Testament. What it is teaching seems to be not self-mutilation, but symbolic self-sacrifice in the pursuit of something better. Sometimes we feel like some habit or lifestyle or sin is just a part of who we are, and it would harm us to give it up... it's just "who we are." And here, Christ advises us to give it up anyway.
Life is going to hurt sometimes. That's okay... we need to keep living anyway, and make the right choices even though it can be painful. Let's not accept that we are just bad at something, or claim to be unable to comply with God's requests because they just don't fit with who we are. And if it means losing something that is as precious to us as a hand, or a foot, or an eye--still. So be it. God will make up for anything we lose in the long run, and even in the short run, the point is well made here that it is better than hell. :)
Today, let's choose better than hell. Let's choose God over our weaknesses, and become the better people that we all can be. It isn't always easy, to be sure... but it is always, always worth it. That process of perfection is worth a little pain... especially pain that will be washed away and swallowed up in joy as we grow closer to God.
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