Whatever we do, we should
not push others in the wrong direction. Here is a strong encouragement to avoid
doing damage to others, but especially those who might be designated as little
ones. As Vincent Taylor (The
Gospel according to St. Mark) points out – “the ‘little ones’ are the humblest members of the community.”
I wonder who are the little ones in our communities, and whether we take enough
notice of them.
A dire warning is offered to those who
might be considering doing things that would cause these folk to stumble.
I think, as Taylor suggests – “actual mutilation is not counselled, but in
the strongest possible manner the costliest sacrifice.” If we put this
thought against the backdrop of the early church and the persecution it
suffered, then we have an interestingly different perspective as Christians were
going to their death in the Roman arena. Losing a hand or an eye rather than
taking a false path becomes a reasonable challenge. As Taylor puts it – “This
teaching must have been greatly esteemed in the Roman Church during the days of
the Neronian persecution.”
The picture is stark, but it is clear that
God’s Kingdom trumps all. A millstone round the neck would mean the end. The
essential point is that no obstacle should be allowed to prevent the growth of
the Kingdom. Anything that does that is simply not worth it. I wonder what are
the obstacles that get in our way, and what we do about them; but I also wonder
what obstacles we place in the way of others, and what we do about those. Jesus
here has something stark to say about that.
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