Salted with Fire - Mark 9:49

Mark wrote how Jesus said, “if your hand offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot offend you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. And if your eye offend you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched”, and in chapter nine and verse forty-nine of his book, Mark shared how Jesus said, “every one shall be salted with fire” where we read:

For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

The verse reads, “For every one shall be salted with fire, ...” Mark began with the words, “for every one” which means “because, since and on account that each individual, all people, the whole human race and everyone” “shall be salted” or “will be as ones sprinkled and seasoned with salt” “with fire” which means “with fiery burning fire” . Mark shared how Jesus said every person will experience the “salting” of “fire”.

The verse continues, “... and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” Mark added the words, “and every sacrifice” which means “and each, every, the whole and everyone of the acts or offerings of a victim” “shall be salted” or “will be sprinkled and seasoned” “with salt” which refers to “with the flavoring or bacteria killing salt”. Mark shared how “every sacrifice” or “offering” presented by people will be “sprinkled and seasoned” with “salt”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see Jesus use an metaphor to describe both the people who present “sacrificial offerings” as well as the “offerings or sacrifices” themselves. Each of these will be “tested” for their authenticity and true motive. People and their “offerings” to God will go through a “fire” and “salting” to examine what sort of works they are. Paul the apostle wrote, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire”. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) God desires to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they “sacrifice” to Him by “serving” Him, He will examine their “offerings” and reward those who perform them.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus says, “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will you season it?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".