Gospel Reading for September 29, 2024 – Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48
THE FINAL SAY
At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'”
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What causes us to sin? Of course, we know that the wily devil is always on the lookout who to tempt, or who to trap. He is the one tempting us and we are the ones being tempted. But, has it ever occurred to us that THE FINAL SAY is still on us? Our decision is the LIMITATION of the devil. It is where he has no power, which is why goodness can always prevail if we seek the power of the Most High.
As they say, “Life is what you make it.” If we wish not to be tempted, then we have to avoid putting ourselves into occasions of sin. If we have drinking problems, we have to avoid occasions where we will be exposed to alcohol; If we have gambling problems, we have to avoid going to the casino; and so on and so forth. Before allowing things to become habitual, we have to seek professional help to be able to overcome unhealthy urges. Because when something becomes habitual, it will be difficult to let go of it and when this is the case, we won’t notice ourselves already wallowing in sin. This is when the devil has taken FULL CONTROL of us!
Lord Jesus, give us the strength you had when the devil did his best to tempt you in the desert!
