"Take a Look at Yourself" - Mark 9:38-50
There’s a saying that I enjoy that goes something like, “If one person cuts you off on your way to work, he’s a jerk. If ten people cut you off on your way to work, it’s most likely that you’re the jerk.” It’s always easier to spot the flaws of others than it is to look critically at yourself.
In this week’s reading from Mark 9:38-50, the disciples are quick to tell Jesus about someone they think is doing it all wrong. “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” Jesus tells the disciples not to stop him, pointing out that whoever is not against them is for them. But then Jesus turns the discussion away from this outsider and towards the disciples themselves. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better if a great millstone were hung upon your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” Jesus’ point is clear - turning people away from the love of God is a grave and serious offense. Jesus’ followers are to go out of their way to welcome people into the family of God’s love - they are not to place obstacles in the way of any who seek to join them in following Christ. In their desire to exclude this outsider who is successfully following Jesus, the disciple’s themselves fail to follow in the way of Christ.
We are often every bit as eager to judge others as the disciples. We can be quick to point out the problems of those other Christians, or that other political party, or those other drivers in traffic. When we find ourselves doing this, I think following Jesus' lead and turning the attention back on ourselves is good advice. There is very little we can do to change the actions of others, but there is a lot that we can do about our own lives. Are we allowing things to keep us away from Jesus and his kingdom? What do we need to let go of to more fully devote ourselves to the kingdom of God? How can we be more welcoming, more kind, and more loving? We always do better at following Jesus when we focus more on what we can do and less on what others should be doing.
Rev. Andrew Greenhaw