Jesus' teaching on the necessity of radical sacrifice for eternal life is illustrated by the example of the fiddler crab, which readily detaches its claw to escape danger. The sermon emphasizes that just as the crab sacrifices a limb to save its life, individuals must be willing to give up anything, even cherished possessions or habits, that hinders their relationship with Christ. The core lesson is that eternal salvation is of paramount importance, outweighing any earthly attachment or comfort. The message concludes with an urgent call to accept Jesus Christ as Savior without delay, highlighting that 'now is the accepted time' for salvation.
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Top of the morning to you. Welcome to Moments of Melody, five minutes of pearls and parables for you here at the beginning of the day. Did you ever see a fiddler crab? It's a small creature less than an inch long. It's excellent bait for certain fishes. This little crab has a long arm with a powerful claw at the end, which it holds upright like a fiddle, hence the name, Fiddler Crab. It has one striking peculiarity.
If you grasp this pair of pinchers in trying to hold the crab, it immediately releases the arm from its body. This brings to mind the words of the Lord Jesus in our Scripture today. It's better to lose an eye, an arm, a foot, than to lose your life. This is the lesson of the little crab. It's willing to sacrifice a part of its body in order to save its life. How many souls are lost because they allow some precious thing to keep them from coming to Christ? The rich young ruler loved his riches more than Jesus. He retained his wealth but lost his soul.
Out of my bonded sorrow and light, Jesus I come, please, I come. Land and light, please I come to thee.
Out of my dignity, and into thy word, out of my sin and into thy care. The Gospel According to St. Mark, Chapter Nine.
We're reading the translation of Monsignor Ronald Knox. If anyone hurts the conscience of one of these little ones that believe in me, he had better have been cast into the sea with a millstone about his neck. If thy hand is an occasion of falling to thee, cut it off. Better for thee to enter into life maimed than to have two hands. when thou goest into hell, into unquenchable fire. The worm which eats them there never dies, and the fire is never quenched. And if thy foot is an occasion for falling to thee, cut it off, better for thee to enter into eternal life lame, and to have both feet when thou art cast into the unquenchable fire of hell.
The worm which eats them there never dies, and the fire is never quenched. And if thy eye is an occasion of falling, pluck it out. Better for thee to enter blind into the kingdom of God than to have two eyes when thou art cast into the fire of hell. The worm which eats them there never dies. The fire is never quenched. Sober words we've had today. There's more in the Bible about hell. and about heaven. God wants to warn us of the awfulness of an eternity without Him and without His Son, Jesus Christ.
But there's still time now for you to believe. Yes, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior now. The Bible says, Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.