In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     One of the things I appreciate about our catechism students filling out sermon reflection sheets each week is, I get the chance to see how the message is getting through. And in fact, through the years, I'd say 99.9% of the time, they get it...they summarize quite accurately the main point of the sermon. It's not the main message that's sometimes missed-it's often my subtle, witty examples, illustrations or comments made, that they don't get. Like two Sunday's ago-in the sermon form where I ask, "what was the main point of the sermon-they all understood and responded correctly. But under the question, "was there anything you didn't understand?", a number of the catechism students wrote, "what did you mean when you said, "seek your own path in life, grasshopper?" You see, I was quoting the master, who often said that to the young David Carradine character in the Kung Fu TV series that was popular years ago-when the master would tell the young student something like, "you must not follow me, but you must seek your own path in life, grasshopper." The master always called his student, "grasshopper". But the youth in our catechism class wouldn't know that, so the Zen-like reference was pretty much lost on them.

     And today, I'm going to make another reference that lots of our younger members won't understand, because I'm going to bring us yet another voice from the past-George Carlin. Yeah, if you're thinking now, "who's George Carlin?"-well, he's kind of a has-been, irreverent, raunchy comedian from a couple of generations ago, most remembered for his list of 7 bad words you can't say on television.

     Strangely enough, this holdover from the radical 60's and 70's was in town recently, performing a show. And the Gazette carried a big feature article on Carlin, listing a whole bunch of his irreverent, disrespectful comments that were supposedly edgy, if not very funny. In one of the quotes, Carlin said something to the effect, "I don't believe in a god, but if I did, I wouldn't believe in a god who supposedly saved us by being nailed to two pieces of wood." Obviously he was mocking Jesus, who was God incarnate, who was nailed to two pieces of wood, that shaped a cross...where Jesus hung, until he died, a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Obviously, Carlin doesn't get Christ, or Christianity. Which is fine, because ultimately, Christ won't get George Carlin, either-for eternity. And today, our gospel lesson records something else George Carlin won't understand or believe in, because today, Jesus is talking to us about sin, and judgment, and the urgency with which Christians are to live for the Kingdom of God.

     And we have to admit, a lot of us don't get what Jesus says in this passage. Oh, the first verses you can make sense of...someone is casting out demons in Jesus' name, and the disciples are put out with this fellow-so they try to stop him, and Jesus tells his disciples to leave the man alone-because anything done in Jesus name is worthwhile and furthers the kingdom-from casting out demons to offering a refreshing cup of water. This reasoning, we can understand-and it makes some sense to us. It's what's next that can leave people baffled, if not repulsed. Because next, Jesus says some things that would seem to fit better in some radical fundamentalist Muslim countries. (Oops, now I'm in trouble, I mentioned Muslims!) Jesus says, "if any one of you put a stumbling block in front of one of these little ones who believe in me, causing them to sin, it would be better for you to have a great millstone, a great big grinding stone hung round your neck-like cement shoes in New Jersey, before you are thrown into the sea to drown, rather than cause another to stumble or sin.

     Jesus goes on to say, "if you hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; if your eye leads you astray, pluck it out, because it's better to enter the kingdom of God maimed or lame or blind, rather than end up in hell, whole. Now, it's just this kind of teaching that causes people to either reject Christ, and Christianity altogether, or leads them to pick and choose between passages of Scripture, reading and heeding those passages they like, that are comfortable, and rejecting and ignoring those they don't find particularly pleasing. And this is no new reaction-this isn't necessarily an attitude that's cropped up during the baby boomer or Gen-X eras. In fact, St. John Chrysostom dealt with this very issue himself, in the early centuries of the Church. Evidently, some Christians in his time were asking, why not skip over such harsh passages as these? To which he replied, "Yes, I know a chill comes over you on hearing these things. But what am I to do? For this is God's own command....ordained as we have been to the ministry of the Word, we must cause our hearts discomfort when it is necessary for them to hear." See, it is just that "discomfort" that people want to avoid at all costs. The truth is, preaching both Law and Gospel, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, is what got St. Chrysostom arrested and exiled by the Empress who had been a supporter of his, until his preaching made her-you guessed it-uncomfortable. Chrysostom was relegated to an obscure, far off town where he wouldn't cause so much discomfort for the royalty and some of the corrupt clergy, and the well-to-do of the empire. In spite of the support of the pope, many bishops and the common lay people of his diocese, St. John Chrysostom was never allowed back into his cathedral in Constantinople, and died in exile, finally being buried in Rome-until, as you may remember, his bones were returned to the Orthodox by John Paul II in 2004. Without a doubt, these words of Jesus, and preaching these words of Jesus, and trying to live by them, can get you crucified. Which is why so many Christians today won't read or talk about Jesus teachings that seem to advocate things like, self-mutilation, and strict adherence to the faith, and what some might call, radical, fundamentalist Christianity. In most mainline, some now call us "sidelined" denominations, what is valued is moderation, acceptance, and compromise, which results in no one ever being held accountable, no one ever being called to account, for not preaching, both Law and Gospel, for not preaching the totality of Jesus' message of mercy and judgment. Put that together with a movement away from any talk of "sin"-and what you end up with is, not so much the Church of Jesus Christ, but ecclesial communities where anything goes, the Bible is not preached in its entirety, and people never hear the call to obedience, but only a sappy, sugary sweet corruption of the Gospel, which would, as Chrysostom warns against, "skip over" passages such as ours today.

     And I would like to say, I am blessed and honored to preach in a parish where that is not what people are seeking-not shorter, lighter, more saccharin-sweet sermons, but the Truth-the fullness of the Christian proclamation that is both, Law and Gospel. I appreciate that what you want, are sermons that don't skip over hard passages in Scripture, but deal with them straightforwardly, for your own faith and edification-so that you finally end up in heaven! So that you don't live a soft, comfortable, broadly spiritual life on earth, but then end up in, yes, hell, where Jesus says the fire that torments you is never quenched, and the worm that infects you never dies. I know that sounds harsh, but there it is-Jesus himself says it, and it's recorded for us throughout Holy Scripture, for our growth and strength in faith. So, given that you don't want to ignore such passages-what can be said about cutting off your hand if it makes you sin? How are we to understand this advice to pluck out your eye if you're looking at something in an ungodly manner?

     The first thing that must be said is, Jesus is not advocating self-mutilation. The early Church father, Clement wrote, "let none of you think, brothers, that the Lord is here counseling the cutting off of parts of your body. His meaning is that the (sinful inclination) should be cut off, not the physical members of the body." Clement cautions, "the causes to sin are to be cut off, in order that our thought, born up in the chariot of sight, may push toward the love of God, supported by the bodily senses. So, do not give loose reins to the eyes of the flesh," says Clement, "as if you were wanton horses, eager to run away from God's commandments."

     Let's be clear, first. The body and mind and all our parts, are gifts from God, never to be dealt with in ways that are not God-honoring. God has created life-itself-God creates every single life-so that life, and hands and eyes, are his, not ours to do with as we please. Unlike some religions which advocate violence like cutting off hands and chopping off heads-the Christian faith has never allowed such behavior, in spite of the fact that some emperors, crusaders and priests, have themselves misused and misappropriated the faith, for violence. Christian teaching, from Jesus on, has advocated peace, forbearance, and above all, love of self and neighbor, and Pope Benedict affirmed that recently, asserting that religion-no religion can ever reasonably justify or advocate violence. That's what the pope was trying to say, when he referenced Mohammed, and got himself into all kinds of trouble. That's what needs to be said, as violence continues, in Iraq, Afghanistan, the middle east, and yes, even in Bailey, Colorado-Christians need to affirm Jesus' teaching of peace, forbearance, and love. That being said, what then IS Jesus trying to say to us today?

     He's saying, "this is how seriously you are to take, sin, and obedience to God's commands. They are not to be dismissed or ignored. they can never be skipped over or marginalized. If, with our hands, we might be tempted to transgress against the commandment not to steal-if, we might be tempted with our eye, to look lustfully at another-or to covet our neighbor's home, or spouse or possessions, Jesus says, better to be maimed, or lame, or blind, thank to give our senses free reign to sin, and endanger our mortal souls. Jesus does not want servants/disciples who are mutilated, but he's saying, that's how seriously we are to view, and deal with, our own sin...so that, as his redeemed, loved, forgiven, baptized children, we may live lives of purity, chastity, obedience and yes, in so far as we are able, righteousness. The good news is, we are saved by God's grace, through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior. The good news is, we can not and we dare not think we can save ourselves by our obedience or perfection. In response to the gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit at work in us, we are called to live Christ-like lives-we are called to fight against sin, struggle against temptation, cause no one to stumble-that we may indeed, live salty, consecrated Christian lives, at peace with God, with ourselves, and with each other! That's what Jesus IS saying to us, this morning.

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.