Mark 9:42Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For many believers received gifts, and yet were, not with Christ, such was this man who cast out devils; for there were many of them deficient in some way; some were pure in life, but were not so perfect in faith; others again, contrariwise.

Or again, some unbelievers, seeing that the name of Jesus was full of virtue, themselves used it, and performed signs, though they were unworthy of Divine grace; for the Lord wished to extend His name even by the unworthy.

By which He shews, that he of whom John had spoken was not so far separated from the fellowship of the disciples, as to reject it, as a heretic, but as men are wont to hang back from receiving the Sacraments of Christ, and yet favour the Christian name, so as even to succour Christians, and do them service only because they are Christians. Of these He says they shall not lose their reward; not that they ought already to think themselves secure on account of this good will which they have towards Christians, without being washed with His baptism, and incorporated in His unity, but that they are already so guided by the mercy of God, as also to attain to these, and thus to go away from this life in security.

Let none of you, beloved, believe that the Lord has instructed for any parts of the body to be severed. In expressing these words, His intention is not to encourage the amputation of body parts, but rather to address the thoughts and motivations that give rise to sin. Consequently, our mind, which travels on the chariot of perception, will swiftly move toward the love of God, guided by our physical senses. However, our eyes, akin to playful horses, may attempt to steer away from the path set by their master; yet they must not release the reins or loosen the bridle. Let our physical sight be governed by reason, and may our eyes, created by God to observe and testify to His providence, not lead us into wrongful desires (cf. Matt. 6:23).

We must observe, however, that in our good works we must sometimes avoid the offence of our neighbour, sometimes look down upon it as of no moment. For in as far as we can do it without sin, we ought to avoid the offence of our neighbour; but if a stumblingblock is laid before men in what concerns the truth, it is better to allow the offence to arise, than that the truth should be abandoned.

And fitly the man who is offended is called a little one, for he who is great, whatever he may suffer, departs not from the faith; but he who is little and weak in mind looks out for occasions of stumbling. For this reason we must most of all look to those who are little ones in the faith, lest by our fault they should be offended, and go back from the faith, and fall away from salvation.

After discussing the importance of self-humbling and addressing the issue raised by John, the Lord continues to clarify our responsibility to ensure that we do not lead anyone, even the least of our brethren in Christ’s kingdom, into temptation. This may still be an extension of the reprimand regarding the disputes that arose during their journey, which could lead some to sin. Just as every act of kindness towards those receiving a messenger in My name is valued, even if it concerns a child, I also declare that there is great sorrow for anyone who dares to lead astray even the smallest member of My church.

E. Matthew's account omits the question posed by John, which momentarily interrupted Christ’s address. This omission does not alter the coherence or significance of Christ's individual statements within this passage as presented by Matthew. John's inquiry served merely to contrast the positive declarations made in Matthew 5. Christ instructs His apostles to warmly embrace the humble believers, demonstrating tender care and avoiding harshness that might alienate them from Him. The apostles' interaction with a secret follower of Christ prompts the Savior to caution them about the peril of leading fragile believers astray through their attitudes (Matt. 6; Mk. 42).

Jesus taught, "If your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and cast it away from you... and if your right hand causes you to stumble, sever it and throw it away from you... For it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell."

In reflecting on temptations related to our physical being, Saint John Chrysostom stated that Christ was not addressing physical members in this command; rather, He critiques the corrupt will, not the flesh itself. It is not merely the eye that observes, but rather what resides in the heart and mind. When our spirit is directed toward worldly matters, our vision can falter. Thus, not all misdeeds can be pinned on the eye's actions.

The Saviour, still cradling a child and using this imagery for His teaching, solemnly cautioned about the grave sin and peril of causing offense, temptation, or leading astray those innocent souls. He warned against imparting evil teachings or instilling harmful thoughts in these little ones, whose angels perpetually behold the face of His Father in heaven. He spoke with remarkable intensity about such malevolent deceivers, stating that their fate would be so dire that they would be better off tying a millstone around their necks and plunging into the depths of the sea. He emphasized that no sacrifice is too great to avoid the temptation of creating spiritual stumbling blocks for oneself or for others.