Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost; 26 September 2021; Proper 21B (RCL); Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22; Psalm 124; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50.
I did my Clinical Pastoral Education as a chaplain intern at the Massachusetts General Hospital. I was assigned to the rehabilitation floor, so we dealt with patients who had longer stays than most. One of the young men I encountered was a teenager (maybe 16), who was having his hand reconstructed. He had taken this passage literally, and laid his hand on a railroad track, because he did what teenaged boys do. I have a hard time hearing this passage, without recalling that young man.
So, the question is, does Jesus mean it? I would have to give a firm answer, “No, not literally.” Mark is using hyperbole to get a point across: what is it worth to enter the kingdom? And what impedes us on that journey? Mark has certainly read Paul, and Paul’s imagery of the Body: The hand cannot say to the eye, I have no need of you. Although Mark addresses “you” in the singular, I can’t help but think that Paul’s imagery is not far away. In 1 Corinthians, Paul essentially has the Corinthians “cut off” a man living in sexual immorality, and warns that it is better to be a vegetarian than to scandalize a weaker member of the Body by eating meat from the temple of an idol.
So, perhaps we can take this question at both a personal and corporate level: what hinders our vision of God? What prevents us from drawing nearer to God? These things we should eliminate. The desert fathers and mothers certainly hold up an example for us in this regard. We could turn it into a Marie Kondo type of question: does this help or hinder my vision of God? I think you can look at all of the sayings in this Gospel passage that way. Does someone else casting out demons help or hinder the kingdom? Do my actions help or hinder these little ones’ approach to the kingdom. Does this practice or habit help or hinder? The graphic language suggests that we need to be ruthless in our self-assessment.
James’ advice runs along the same lines. If a brother or sister wanders, work to bring them back. Their return will enrich our vision of God, and therefore cover a multitude of sins. In whatever circumstance we find ourselves, we should focus on the vision of God. Are any suffering? Pray. Are any glad? Sing. Direct everything toward the vision of God.
The story of Esther is an example of the wisdom tale: a Jew, through hard circumstance, becomes powerful at court (think of Joseph), and through craft, saves the people (the vindicated righteous one is another way of thinking of the wisdom tale). The story was popular in periods of exile, showing, as it did, that faithfulness to God’s people works out for the good of all (except for oppressors, like Haman).
What gets in our way?