Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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I’ve been to Gehenna and back, quite literally. In 2018, I led nearly 100 people on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We began our itinerary in the region of the Sea of Galilee and ended our trip with a few days in Jerusalem. It is in there that we saw what remains of Gehenna — the old landfill and dump in a valley just outside of the ancient city of Jerusalem, which was often set ablaze.
When Jesus talked about Gehenna, he was using the image of that burning garbage heap to describe the conditions of hell. It wasn’t pleasant. His words scared those who heard his message of warning. They still do!
Have you ever seen children in poor countries scrounging for food and other essentials on top of mounds of garbage. It’s pathetic. It’s unnerving. It is a tragedy. No one should spend even one day on a pile of trash looking for something to eat, let alone a lifetime in Gehenna.
So, what to do?
Jesus uses exaggerated and disturbing images to catch our attention and make us listen more closely to his advice. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.”
What is he saying here? If everything that caused us to sin should be cut off from our bodies, we would all end up without any hands, feet, eyes, tongues and ears. How would that help to make us holy?
No, Jesus is not talking about removing body parts, but he is saying that radical change is needed if we want to find holiness. We need to separate ourselves from occasions of sin — stop hanging with the crowd that causes us to gossip. For those who have a hard time forgiving, stop listening to people who enjoy holding grudges. And the list could go on.
Jesus tells us that following him entails spiritual surgery — a cutting off from the past — a decision to remove those things that are keeping us from freely following him. Repentance and change are the requirements of turning to Jesus and following him.
May we have the courage and grace to amputate anything that causes us to sin, so that we will not be led into temptation again and again until we fall.
The ancient garbage dump of Gehenna in Jerusalem was no place to spend a day, let alone an eternity where the fire is not quenched.
And remember, our God is a forgiving God — but he is also good enough to give us fair warning. He is the loving parent who warns us to stay away from the hot stovetop, lest we get burned.
Have a blessed week everyone.