Mark 9:38-50 - Where's the Line? - September 26, 2021

The Word of God before us this morning contains some of the most difficult, most cryptic and enigmatic verses in Mark’s Gospel. When you first read it (or at least when I did), it just seems like a patchwork of random, unrelated pictures and phrases. There’s an anonymous exorcist driving out demons, a point where the better option is to have a millstone hung around your neck and be tossed into the sea and to cut off your hands and feet and gouge out your eyes, we have Jesus own horrifying description of what hell is like, and, perhaps strangest of all: everyone being salted with fire. Are these just random details of Jesus’ ministry that Mark somewhat sloppily pieced together? I don’t think so. I think that what ties all these random pieces together are Jesus’ final words: be at peace with one another. And where does Jesus want there to be peace? Well, given the context of the disciples bickering among themselves (Mark 9:34) and John’s criticism of an outsider – I think Jesus is talking about the visible church.

It’s no secret that one of the things that turn people off from Christianity is the fact that there are so many different denominations, so many different churches, so many different worship styles – and all of these denominations, churches and styles appear to be at war with each other. And I’m not going to argue that they’re wrong. From Luther’s day to today the Catholic church has consistently cursed the Reformation doctrine of salvation by faith alone through grace alone based on Scripture alone. [1] Lutherans, in turn, have consistently identified the Roman Catholic papacy as the Antichrist. [2] Mainline and Evangelical churches mock confessional churches for their “antiquated” and intolerant positions on marriage, gender, the inerrancy of Scripture and the Sacraments. Confessional churches criticize Evangelical and mainline churches for failing to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once and for all (Jude 3). Even within Lutheranism there are countless divisions and conflicts. It’s undeniable that the visible church is a mess. But the Bible tells us that there must be divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 11:19); Christians must be intolerant to some extent. The question is: where’s the line between sinful and biblical intolerance.

John brings up an example of sinful intolerance. John and the other apostles had tried to stop a man from driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Why? He wasn’t opposing Jesus or spreading false teaching or using Jesus’ name to harm people or for personal gain – he was proclaiming Jesus’ name and driving out demons. They weren’t judging him based on what he taught but simply because of who he was – or, better, who he wasn’t: he wasn’t one of them. To borrow the title of a movie I’ve never seen, the disciples were guilty of simple pride and prejudice. Pride, because they were among Jesus’ little chosen band – this Jesus who has just revealed his divine glory on the Mt. of Transfiguration to Peter, James and John (Mark 9:2-13); and, who, in their minds, was headed to Jerusalem to inaugurate his glorious reign. The apostles were special; they were “in” – and they didn’t want anyone else stealing their glory. That’s pride. And where there’s pride, prejudice is never far behind. They had judged this man, not because he was opposing the Gospel – but simply because they assumed that because he wasn’t with them, he was against Jesus.

Here’s Jesus’ review of his disciples’ pride and prejudice: Do not try to stop him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil about me. Whoever is not against us is for us. Amen I tell you: Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, will certainly not lose his reward. Jesus makes it clear: there is a line; you can be for him or against him – there is no middle ground. But if it’s a good work to simply give a fellow Christian a glass of water, why would you want to silence someone who was doing exactly what Jesus had sent the apostles out to do earlier – to cast out demons and tear down Satan’s kingdom (Mark 6:7-13)? This man was on Jesus’ side. Two things prove it: 1) He was driving out demons in Jesus’ name; and 2) he was successful; the demons were driven out. Jesus’ name is not a magic charm; unbelievers can throw it around all they want, but God won’t hear or answer them (Isaiah 59:2). In Acts 19, the seven sons of Sceva tried to cast out a demon in Jesus’ name and the demon-possessed man beat them up and sent them running away naked (Acts 19:13-16). It was nothing but pride and prejudice that led the disciples to reject and try to silence this exorcist. Opposing Christians who are preaching the Gospel simply because they aren’t one of us is sinful intolerance. It is unacceptable to Jesus.

At the same time, not all intolerance is wrong; some is Biblical. Jesus teaches about Biblical religious intolerance in these words as well. Jesus calls his followers salt. Salt is a potent spice that always has an effect. If you put it on your food, you will taste it. If you put it in water, your water will be salty. Salt both purifies and preserves. And here Jesus is saying that there are some things that his disciples must not tolerate – that they must seek to purge and purify; and other things that they must seek to preserve.

It is completely Biblical to be intolerant of anyone and everyone who causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin. It’s not wrong to refuse to tolerate those who lead others astray from the teachings of God’s Word. On the contrary, God demands it. In Romans, Paul says I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the teaching that you learned, and keep away from them (Romans 16:17). John adds if someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house. Do not even wish him well (2 John 10). God has called us to oppose anyone who leads others astray by teaching things that are not in agreement with God’s Word. The Lord has not authorized us to agree to disagree with those who defy, deny or contradict God’s Word. Rather, according to Jesus, it would be better for that person to have a millstone hung around their neck and dumped into the bottom of the sea.

That being said, there’s something we need to do before we climb onto the high horse of orthodoxy to expose and oppose false teachers. Do you know what that is? We need to look into the mirror. When God calls us to oppose everything that is contrary to his Word – that includes our own sinful thoughts, words and actions. What do you see when you look into the mirror of God’s holy Law? I see a hand that is always more eager to serve myself than others; a hand that is quick to point out when others are in the wrong; a hand that is quick to pat myself on the back for the few good things I do. I see a foot that wants to go its own way; not God’s. A foot that prefers to walk the wide, easy, pleasurable highway to hell than the narrow, treacherous, painful path to heaven. A foot that is tireless when it comes working and playing but has to be dragged to worship God for one hour. And I see an eye that loves to lust after forbidden fruit; that is blind to my own sins – but sees better than 20/20 when it comes to pointing out the sins of others.

So what are we to do with these sinful hands, feet and eyes of ours? Jesus says cut [them] off…pluck [them] out. Jesus uses this strong, vivid, gruesome language to describe how intolerant of sin we should be in our own lives. But here’s the thing: even if you did that – even if you cut off both hands, both feet and gouged out both your eyes – would that solve the problem? No. Even if you didn’t have any hands or feet or eyes with which to sin – you would still have a sin-filled heart that wanted to. Sure, it would be better to be maimed and blind than have your whole body burn in hell – but maiming yourself won’t get you into heaven. Going to heaven requires more than drastic cosmetic surgery – and more than merely changing your outward behavior. God requires perfect purity – inside and out – for admission into heaven. And this requires a heart transplant – a new heart, a repentant heart, a believing heart. How does the Lord give us one of those? By taking hands that had never hurt anyone, feet that had never wandered from the 10 Commandments, eyes that had never lusted or coveted – and submitting them to the horrors of hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. The only surgery that could save sinners like us from the hell we deserved was the one God performed on Calvary when he nailed the holy hands and feet of Jesus to a cross and shoved a Roman spear through his sinless heart.

By that surgical procedure – by the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and side – you are healed; you are forgiven. Jesus has paid for the sins you’ve committed with your heart, hands, feet and eyes. That’s why you can come here week after week and fearlessly confess your sins right out in public; you can come here and cut off those sinful thoughts, words and actions that you performed with your hands and feet and eyes and heart and lay them at Jesus’ feet. You can plead for God’s mercy – knowing that in Jesus God has had mercy on you. All those sins of the past that you can’t forget – God has forgotten them (Isaiah 43:25). All the wounds you have inflicted on others or that others have inflicted on you – Jesus bore them in his body so that you may be healed (1 Peter 2:24). The sins of habit that you can’t seem to overcome – Jesus has overcome them and he will help you to overcome them, too (Romans 6:1-4). And that starts right here and right now. Just as Jesus rose from the dead and left your sins buried in that grave – so you can leave here without your sins on your back, on your account, on your conscience.

And when that proper combination of Law and Gospel has knocked us off the high horse of religious pride and prejudice onto our knees in repentance where we belong – only then are we in the proper position to expose, oppose and be intolerant of those both inside our church and outside who lead others into sin and false belief and who refuse to repent. What’s important is why we do this; what our motivation is. We don’t expose and oppose them because, well, we’re right and they’re wrong – because in the end we’re all wrong in God’s eyes. We don’t judge others compared to our personal standards – but compared to God’s standards. We expose and oppose and are intolerant of sin and false doctrine because Jesus commands us to (Romans 16:17; 1 John 4:1) out of love: love for God’s Word, love for the souls who are being misled, and love for our own souls. He has made us salt through the power of his Word and Sacrament. Salt always has an effect. Salt always purifies and preserves. Salt – that is, true believers – must always burn off, purge out false doctrine and work to preserve true doctrine. And when we are salty, purging out sin and false doctrine and preserving true doctrine – then we will be at peace with one another.

A woman I recently visited reminded me of a joke about Christian denominations. A group of believers had died and arrived at heaven’s gate for intake. Peter was busy guiding another tour group – so Jesus himself stepped up to lead this tour. He led them down hallway after hallway, past hundreds and hundreds of doors. Above each of the doors was a sign indicating the denomination inside: “Baptist,” “Catholic,” “Evangelical,” “Orthodox,” “Non-Denominational.” And then, as he was approaching the last door at the end of the hallway – the one with the sign that said “Lutheran” above the door – Jesus turned to the group and said, “Shh, don’t make any noise…these Lutherans think they’re the only ones here.” Now that might be the stereotype – but that’s not what we believe or teach.

Although like John it can be tempting to view the situation in the visible church as “us” versus “them” – the real issue is not who is with us – that is, who is confessional Lutheran – but who is with Jesus and who is against him. We must repent of judging others based on anything other than God’s Word. And we must remain steadfastly intolerant of anyone who denies, defies or contradicts God’s Word in their teaching or life. Whoever is not against us is for us, Jesus said. Jesus and his Word are the line between sinful and Biblical intolerance – and only when we focus on him can we be at peace with one another. Amen.

[1] Council of Trent, Canon VIII, January 1547

[2] Power and Primacy of the Pope, 39-59