The Principles of Disciple Greatness.
| And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled 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, where "their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark9:42-48) |
He goes on to talk about how serious heaven considers it when a "little one" is led astray by someone claiming to be a disciple. The word He uses for "millstone" isn't the word used for the small household millstone that was turned by hand but the huge communal millstone turned by a water wheel or a pair of oxen.
This leads Him to talking about taking radical measures to deal with sin in our lives. While He uses hyperbole, it powerfully conveys the urgency of the principle.
There was a missionary in Africa who wrote "The Jungle Doctor Stories", which was a series of children's stories illustrating Biblical principles. One of them is about a tribesman who adopts a baby leopard in spite of the chief's warning that "Little leopards become big leopards and big leopards kill." Though they fed the leopard porridge and treated it like a pet, its hunting instincts awakened - and it killed.
In summary, the section we've been considering over the last few days started out with the disciples arguing about who was the greatest and Jesus' response. This is ultimately about Leadership as a Disciple.
Here are the key lessons about greatness as a Disciple Leader. (A leader who is a Disciple, not a leader of Disciples)
- Disciple Leaders have a Servant Heart.
- Disciple Leaders consider and welcome "the least" and the "little children" - the people society disregards.
- Disciple Leaders are not threatened by others but are delighted when Kingdom Work is done.
- Disciple Leaders don't cause others to stumble.
- Disciple Leaders deal radically with baby sins before they become big sins
Remember that Jesus didn't just preach this message: He lived it.
He is the ultimate Servant Leader who welcomed, protected, and dealt with sin at the cross
