Reflection for September 30, 2018: James 3:5-10 and 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50, “Start by Giving Water”

Easterday

Our Gospel for September 30, 2018 is very strange unless you understand what Jesus is quoting. The critical words come towards the end of the passage when Jesus says, “Their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.” Now that is a strange phrase, stranger still when you realize that it occurs three times in this passage in older translations of the Bible like the King James Version. This phrase is from the very last chapter of the Book of Isaiah which ends with a dramatic contrast between the way God’s people live and the way the wicked live. Isaiah 66:22-24 reads:

For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make, shall remain before me says the Lord; so shall your descendents and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath all flesh shall come to worship before me says the Lord. And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people who have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.

Jesus is drawing a stark contrast between living for God on the one hand or living only for yourself on the other. And Jesus is telling his hearers that it is time to make a choice.

What does this new way of living look like? It means caring for the people that Jesus cares about. Jesus identifies himself with children (Mark 9:30-37), and from Matthew chapter 25 we also know that he identifies himself with the poor. In other words, to avoid hell and the worm that never dies and the fire that is never quenched, you must welcome these “stand-ins” for Jesus: the children, the poor, the strangers, the sick and the prisoners.

So, we are called to live the Gospel life rather than the selfish life, but it seems to get a little extreme when Jesus starts to talk about cutting off body parts. What is that all about? Well, Jesus does not mean that anyone should literally cut off hands or feet or pluck out eyes, but he is making a strong point that choosing God’s way is not easy. I remember talking to a wise, old doctor from South Carolina, who made a rather understated comment to me about human nature. He said, “You know Steve, some physical impulses are just difficult to control.” He had seen plenty of people do plenty of things with their bodies that were not healthy, everything from overeating to smoking to … well, use your imagination. “Physical impulses,” he said, “are just difficult to control.”

Jesus gave this teaching to help us to live better. And although this passage has within it the judgment of eternity, the main point has to do with finding abundant life here on earth by learning self-control. It is a difficult lesson to apply to your own life. After all, we live in a world of instant self-gratification. So how do you get started?

According to Jesus, you start by simply by giving a cup of cold water to one of the “stand-ins” for Jesus – to a child or a poor person or one who is simply thirsty. The Good News of this passage is that living a Godly life of service is possible, and it begins with offering a cup of cold water. I love that Jesus gives us this place to start. He knew it was difficult, so he gave us an easy place to start. Often when I get confused in life about what to do, I go back to this. I simply give a child, or a poor person, a cup or a bottle of water, and it gets me back on track. We can, every one of us, stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution.  Just give a cup of water and exercise a bit of self-control. If you live in this way, you will find both abundant life and eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

– The Rev. Stephen Easterday is co-rector at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melbourne.