“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, 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 stumble, 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 stumble, 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 “ ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Mark 9:42-43 NIV, Mark 9:45 NIV, Mark 9:47-50 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.9.42-50.NIV
Christ made some melodramatic statements in this passage. He alluded to us choosing between a part of our bodies and our heavenly heritage. But it’s going to be a costly choice. If we choose to preserve parts of our bodies leading us to sin, then we succumb to judgement. If we cut them off and avoid sin at all costs, then we shall enjoy eternal life. We are at times led to sin by things, situations and places we find ourselves in. Take for instance a recovering alcoholic choosing to hang around a pub…or a man being delivered from sexual sin choosing to go into explicit sites…or a lady given to gossip choosing to sit idle discussing people with others. There are always those instances that make us prone to wrongdoing…that make us vulnerable to fall. Christ reminds us to ‘cut ourselves off’ from those situations…those associations. To deprive ourselves of these earthly pleasures so that we enjoy eternal life. But at the beginning of this passage, Christ reminds us about a very critical thing…deception. He uses the analogy of children being caused to ‘stumble’. He pronounces a very harsh punishment on such people. why? Because children are innocent…they are a blank page waiting to be written on. Their innocence is granted to be used to direct and nurture them towards Him. If we choose not to share with them the things of God, they’ll be taught the things of the world. But this doesn’t just apply to children but to those thirsty for God’s word. Men and women who flock churches in search of truth…in search of meaning…in search for answers to the life questions. Unfortunately there are preachers gifted by God who choose to lead people astray using false teachings. The innocence of God’s children shouldn’t be a ticket to take advantage of them. It should be an opportunity to do good to them as we guide them towards God. God protects the vulnerable. So let’s be careful how we handle the vulnerable around us. That we don’t manipulate them to get what we want but lead them towards God.
LIFE SCRIPTS 
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