Mark 9:42-48·~1 min

Temptations and Trespasses

Jesus warns that causing a believing little one to stumble brings severe judgment. He says it is better to enter life maimed than to keep both hands and go into hell.

B⁴²ut if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.

Jesus says it is better to enter life lame than to keep both feet and be thrown into hell.

⁴⁵If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.

Jesus says it is better to enter the kingdom with one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.

⁴⁷And 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, ⁴⁸where ‘their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.’

Section summaryJesus warns severely against causing believers, especially little ones, to stumble. He then uses body parts as examples of decisive rejection of sin, preferring loss now over being thrown into Gehenna and its unquenchable fire.

Role in the chapterThe warnings press for hard choices against sin and against harm done to the vulnerable.