DIY Surgery

I was reading Mark 9, and came across a strange verse. Mark 9 verse 45-47 says “And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life cripples than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.” I hope after reading this no one decides to cut their foot off, and blind themselves (unless for some weird reason they really want to). Jesus doesn’t mean that He wants us to cut ourselves up whenever we sin. He’s making a point of what God wants. He’s saying that God doesn’t want anything to come between us and Him. Jesus is saying that if anything in our lives causes us to sin then it really isn’t worth it. Whether it’s that new CD, or new cable channel, or a certain friend, if it comes in between you and God then I think you should take a moment and ask “is this really worth it?” I am not saying I want everyone to lock themselves inside for the rest of their life, God wants us out there, He wants us to live and experience life, but He doesn’t want us to forget what we’re living for, He doesn’t want us to make Him a lesser priority. 1John says it clearly in chapter 2 verse 15 “Do not love the world or anything in the world.” There is a difference between liking our life, friends, property, job, school, and loving the world. I love my family, I like my school, town, I like watching the Red Sox (especially when they win), I like playing baseball, but it’s when I say I love it, when I love it with the love that is to be solely devoted to God that I need to take my knife and cut it off. Jesus isn’t saying “I want you to be shut-ins with no friends”, He’s saying “If anything comes in between you and Me, then it’s not really worth it.” It’s hard to do this, to examine your life and have to take things out, it’s like losing a hand, but then you ask yourself is a hand worth a heart, I had to ask myself this, but I’ll let you answer that one.