[Readings]
Today the Scriptures talk to us about sin and separation. These two things usually go together because sin leads to separation - separation from God and separation from other people, even a kind of separation from our true selves.
This has existed from the beginning. Adam and Eve committed the first sin - and then they hid from God and started blaming each other. The jealousy of Cain towards Abel leads him to murder his brother - and then he's sent off to wander the lands alone.
Sin pulls us away from God and our neighbors. It puts up walls of pride and envy that separate us and leave us all alone.
That's what's going on in today's first reading. Moses needed help governing the people of Israel - it was too much for one man - so 70 men were chosen to be his assistants. They were brought before God's presence and were given his Spirit to prophesy - that doesn't mean being able to tell the future, but to speak God's word to his people.
But these two guys, Eldad and Medad, didn't go with the others. They stayed in the camp - however, the still received God's Spirit and were prophesying. This makes Joshua, Moses' closest helper, jealous. He complains to Moses, he wants Moses to stop them.
But Moses says, "Are you jealous for my sake? ... Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!"
Moses is saying: don't be jealous because these two didn't do what they were supposed to and still received the gift of the Spirit. Something great is happening here.
We see a similar story in today's Gospel. John wants Jesus to stop a man who is exorcising demons in Jesus' name, but does not belong to their group.
Jesus response is interesting. First, he very gently says "whoever is not against us is for us." This man isn't doing anything wrong.
But then, he speaks about sin - and he talks about it in graphic, shocking terms.
If some one causes a little one to sin, it would be better if he was thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
What is Jesus getting at here? Is he serious?
Well, on one hand, it seems obvious that Jesus is using such radical language because he wants to get their attention - and our attention. BUT the truly radical message of this passage is - it is better to lose a hand, a foot, or an eye, than to lose our soul forever.
That's the reality Jesus wants us to consider. We all have great potential in us - the potential to give ourselves in love to God, to accept his love and share it with the world. But we also have the potential to reject that love - now and forever.
Nobody, including me, wants to hear about Hell. It's not a pleasant thought - but it is the result of sin, our sin.
Hell is not a punishment for breaking rules - it is separation, a separation that we choose by choosing against love.
Joshua in the first reading and John in the Gospel were both concerned about who was in the group and who wasn't. We can get into the same mindset of separation and division - it could be about politics or business or even in the Church.
The message Jesus so powerfully speaks to us is this: Our actions have consequences. Everything we do is a choice for or against the love of God.
Our sins pull as away from that love.
We have to choose.
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