Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words cut or gouge or tear.
Reading
Mark 9:43–50—Cut it off!
Optional Reading
1 Samuel 17:50-58
Keys for kids
- David cut off Goliath’s head—and Goliath was dead dead.
- Jesus wants us to kill sin dead dead.
- Jesus, helps us to kill sin dead dead.
Questions
- What did David do regarding Goliath’s head?
- What does Jesus tell us to do about our sin?
- How does Jesus help us put sin to death?
Notes
Three times in the David and Goliath account, the author of Samuel calls to our attention that David cut off Goliath’s head. Without a head, you’re dead. Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, had no more power to frighten Israel and her armies. He was dead.
Since the French revolution, beheading as an extreme capital punishment has fascinated and terrified us. Recent terrorism beheadings similarly terrify us. If you lose your head—no questions asked—you’re dead.
In our text today, Jesus doesn’t tell us to cut off anyone’s or anything’s head. But he does tell us to kill sin in us. It’s better, Jesus says, to live life crippled, lame, or half-blind than to be wholly in hell. Jesus is not advocating literal physical actions, but serious spiritual actions.
As we read yesterday, Jesus is also the one who enables us to overcome temptation and sin. As Hughes reminds us, Jesus never sinned, but he did suffer immense temptation. And his heart bears the blessed scars of sympathy. … What an encouragement to know that their Savior and high priest had known similar but far greater temptations, and that he had suffered more, endured, and was victorious. He understood! He empathized! He was interceding for them! He forgave them! And he wanted to empower them to persevere in their calling, come what may.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 22d, 119r
Prayer
- Ask Jesus for the help he promises for you to put sin to death.
- Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.