Entering Life as a “Cripple”

There are verses in the Bible that we stumble over when we read them. Either we don’t understand them immediately because they are difficult, or we stumble over them because they seem a little too radical. At first glance, such verses seem more of an irritant than a treat. But when we understand them and want to obey the Word of God, they become hammered nails that give stability to our life of faith (cf. Eccl 12:11).

Let’s think about one of these radical statements:

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— where ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ 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, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where ‘Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:43-48)

Are these not strange requests? We should cut off or throw away our hands, feet, or eyes if they offend us. Surely, we are not told to mutilate ourselves if any part of our body causes us pain. Obviously, figurative language is being used here – and yet we sense how serious these appeals of the Lord are. Since He had before Him a mixed audience of converted and unconverted, of true disciples and false “followers,” He even mentioned eternal consequences. Even converted people, who, of course, cannot be lost, are confronted with these consequences in His speech, for the Lord presents the full seriousness of a sinful life.

But to what extent can a hand, a foot, or an eye offend us? As always, it is helpful to consider the context. In the previous passage, the Lord Jesus warns against giving offense to the small or the lowly, that is, against setting a snare for them. We understand this very well: it is extremely wicked and reprehensible to cause the weak to fall so that they are harmed or fail in some way.

Diagnosis: Sin is present in the believer!

But how can our hand, foot, or eye become a snare for us? This is not about things that others do to us; we have a certain problem with ourselves. Are there not certain character traits that (constantly) cause us trouble and that we can’t control? We have “desires for pleasure that war in your members” (James 4:1) that, if we give in to them, lead to wrongdoing, which the Bible calls sin. For example, one person’s “eye,” another person’s “hand,” or another person’s “foot” may bother them and lead them to sin. Usually, we know best what it is.

Therapy: Practicing Zero Tolerance

We have often realized that “in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Rom 7:18). But how do we deal with it? Have we resigned ourselves to the fact that we cannot get rid of the sin in us? Hopefully not! Otherwise, we would continue to dishonor our Lord. But what can we do? The scripture we have quoted urges us to “cut off” or “pluck out” so that we do not fall. So, it is not only a matter of repenting and confessing a sin that we have committed but also of rigorously avoiding things and situations that could cause us to sin. For sin not to occur in our lives, our desires must not be “conceived” (James 1:15). In this sense, we pluck out our eyes and cut off our hands or feet.

There are so many things that can tempt us to sin. For some, all it takes is a funny remark – and they react in an offended or abusive way. Others only need to open Instagram – and they lose themselves in dirty pictures and stain their souls. Still, others need only open a bottle of beer – and they can’t control themselves. Our tendency to want to look good – through our hairstyles or clothes, for example – can also be a trap. When lust tempts us and “has conceived, it brings forth sin,” and this is by no means limited to sexual desires.

What can we do? At the very least, we can “cut off” or “tear out” everything that has repeatedly become a cause of sin for us because we are weak in it. For some, this might mean giving up alcohol altogether; for others, it might mean uninstalling Instagram or giving up the ideal of beauty.

Result: “Amputated” but Happy

But doesn’t our quality of life suffer when we must cut back because we can’t indulge in one or two “pleasures”? Doesn’t this make us feel “mutilated”? At first glance, our lives may indeed resemble a crippled existence. But it is always better to enter life as a “cripple” than to end up in hell after having fully enjoyed life on earth.

Let us guard against short-sightedness! How foolish it would be if we were to enjoy the here and now to the exclusion of eternity. Or to prefer the “temporal pleasures of sin” to the “kingdom of God” and the “life” that the Lord promises to those who abstain from sin.

Do not think that we can do both: satisfy the desires of our flesh today and live in the glory of the Kingdom of God in the future (cf. Heb 12:14). The Lord wants His disciples to say no to sin consistently. Moreover, being a “cripple” on earth does not mean being unhappy. On the contrary, we have the approval of our Lord, and that makes us happy. We also await the “eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor 4:17). In return, we gladly accept to continue to live here as cripples. The future glory of God outweighs any present “handicap” many times over.