What has one eye, one hand and one foot? Sounds like a joke until you read the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark where it is written:

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.

How does this principle apply to the life of discipleship? Is Jesus really advocating cutting off hand or foot or plucking out the eye? Nothing in His healing ministry suggests this. But there is a workable principle here: be decisive, even radical, in your choices, when it comes to your journey toward the reign of God. For example, in the context of the Christian covenant, commitment to a spouse means you need to cut off any other sexual relationship. If alcohol is addictive for you, drop it entirely. When the television, computer games or Facebook prevent normal family communication it is time to unplug. If the job compromises my conscience and the boss will not hear of any changes of policy, maybe I need to quit.

So, what has one eye, one hand and one foot? Spiritually speaking it would be half a Christian! And who wants to live life half heartedly? Embrace the Lord and all He says and does. Be a “whole” Christian. Be a holy Christian—body and spirit, creed and character, works and faith.

Joyfully,

fm