Image from agnusday.org
John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell., And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. ‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’ (Mark 9:38-50)
Good Monday to you, dear Friend! I pray you had a wonderful weekend and you have been renewed, refreshed, and recharged for this week. I also pray that time spent with God through this devotional would speak to your heart and spirit. As we pray, please pray for Ms. Martha Jo Witt, having knee replacement surgery this morning here in Seguin. Prayers for 4 year old Emily Currie, who is in ICU here in Seguin as well. Prayers for Rev. Virgilio Vasquez Garza undergoing another eye surgery in San Antonio. Prayer for Mr. Bob Clark who was in ER after church yesterday. Pray for one another and pray for yourselves!
Today's passage comes from the Gospel of Mark. It is a quiet time in Capernaum between Jesus and His disciples. As they are discussing things, John asks about a man, not a disciple, who was casting out demons in Jesus' name. As the cartoon for this morning shows, it was not about their credentials, for the disciples were a jealous group; Jesus says that whoever uses His name for good is an ally not an enemy. And further stresses that even small acts of love and generosity done in His name count for good in the Kingdom of God. The Message versions says, "God will take notice." And then the topic switches to the area of temptation. Pastor Matt yesterday preached a marvelous sermon on that part of the Lord's Prayer where we say, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Jesus here stresses the importance of mastering our minds. He begins with the hand. "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut if off." This was figurative language. Jesus does not want us to cut off our hands; He wants us to master our mind. The desire may be to take something that is not yours; it is not the hand thinking on its own, "Hmm, this looks good; I'll take it and make it mine!" It's your mind telling your hand to take it. Master your mind to respect the property of others. The same with the eye. The eye may see something, and the thought processes within our mind may give us a perspective that is not holy or healthy. Jesus said, "And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out." Again, it is our ability to center our focus on the divine and the holy and thus bless our lives by thinking holy thoughts and living holy lives. And this is followed up with Jesus' warning about hell; "where the worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched." And in a passing reference to a longer discourse in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about salt and the role salt played in ovens in His day. Not only did salt give flavor to food, it was used to line the ovens as insulation spreading more evenly the heat needed to bake and cook things. The call is for us to be the positive flavor in life as well as insulation against evil in the lives of others. The last use of salt was for persevering things; we are called to preserve the holy and righteousness of God.
What we feed our mind usually determines the kind of mind we will have. A steady, long diet of Facebook or Instagram or any number of addictive sites on our phones, tablets or computers will not usually serve a good purpose. Many are comparing their lives to others as they see their friends on Instagram and so feel less than their friends and start going to great lengths to better themselves or their families just to compete. A great video on RightNow Media (that our church made available to our members and your church can as well!) is about a woman whose best friend always have the best pictures of her family together, sharing meals, having great fun in their back yard, etc. And the video then shows the behind the scenes reality of that "perfect family." The photos do not share the gripes and comments about having to pose for the family picture and while the delicious, several course meal is being served, everyone is saying, "We'd rather have pizza!" which is why the first woman was sad because she and her family were having pizza.
Strive to occupy your time and mind in the things of God. Seek to better your spirit and your life will be so much better blessed.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, bless my life with balance. I seek to be the person You would have me be. I thank You for what I have, especially loved ones and family; let me enjoy them and be a blessing to them. Guide me to maturity in You and towards a healthy and blessed mind that blesses my life and those around me. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the lord! For every minutes you spend on your phone reading FB or what have you, spend equal time in God's word or listening to Christian music! You'll be amazed at the blessings!
Eradio Valverde
