by Perry Hall<\/p>\n
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another<\/em>” (Mark 9:49-50).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
“Salted with fire” (Mark 9:49) is a notoriously hard saying of Jesus. Context can help. Before this difficult text (Mark 9:42-50), there is a scene whose imagery lends the metaphors of fire and water. A demon-possessed son is being tossed into the water and fire (Mark 9:22). The father asks Jesus to have compassion for his son. Compassion will be exhibited by Jesus destroying that which is destroying the father’s son. Salt is the compassion of peace.<\/p>\n
Salted with fire is a sacrificial term (Leviticus 2:13). Sacrifices are holy when given up to God. Here though, we can become our own sacrifice by giving in to our desires. Then, we are simply destroying ourselves and those among us. When we examine our lives, are we sacrificing others or our desires and ourselves?<\/p>\n
“Salted with fire” means everyone will destroy something in their lives here and now. For those who are godly, it is through testing and triumphing over temptation. Trials are good when they are endured for the purpose of destroying the evil within ourselves. However, once the situation turns to evil, how can we turn it back again? By giving in, we have turned the testing into temptation and destroyed one another.<\/p>\n
We need to have salt among ourselves, meaning preserving the good within us. Here Jesus is switching the metaphor from salted with fire where salt is a verb, to salt as a noun and preserver. The connection between this switch in metaphor is we are to destroy with fire the evil within us, then we can have peace in ourselves and with one another. Notice how this conclusion is the opposite of how this section begins: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away …<\/em>” (Mark 9:42).<\/p>\n
Destroy what is in you so that you don’t destroy others. Destroy inwardly so you can have peace from compassion with others.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Perry Hall “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:49-50). “Salted with fire” (Mark 9:49) is a notoriously hard saying of Jesus. Context can help.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[121,188],"class_list":["post-61874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-mark","tag-trials"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62911,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/lacking-compassion\/","url_meta":{"origin":61874,"position":0},"title":"Lacking Compassion","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 23, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Compassion is the deep awareness of the suffering of another and the desire to relieve the suffering. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jesus illustrated compassion \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Matthew 14:14 - it was compassion that led Jesus to heal the sick \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Matthew 20:30-34 - the healing of two blind men \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mark 1:40-41 - Jesus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39028,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-was-jesus-talking-about-in-luke-1249-50\/","url_meta":{"origin":61874,"position":1},"title":"What was Jesus talking about in Luke 12:49-50?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear Minister, I am deeply interested in your thoughts on something Jesus said. I came to cast fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled.\u00a0I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished. The first is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33905,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-humble-servant-king\/","url_meta":{"origin":61874,"position":2},"title":"Jesus – Humble Servant King","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ross Ward Text: Mark 11:1-11 The king of the Jews enters Jerusalem Mark 11:7-11 - on a colt donkey Zechariah 9:9-10 - fulfilling prophecy Significance of Donkey Horse symbol of war Size Strength Speed Chariots - Zechariah 9:10 Donkey symbol of peace Jesus was not a conquering King taking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12721,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/baptisms-of-the-new-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":61874,"position":3},"title":"Baptisms of the New Testament","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 4:1-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How is it that Paul talks of one baptism in Ephesians 4:5 when the New Testament speaks of more than one? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Baptism means immersion \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You can have different baptisms depending on what medium something is being immersed into, who administers the baptism,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24448,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-meant-by-where-the-worm-dieth-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":61874,"position":4},"title":"What is meant by “where the worm dieth not?”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What exactly does the scripture mean in Mark 9:44,46,48 where Jesus said, \"where the worm dieth not\"?\u00a0 Does it mean that pain will never cease for a person who is in hell?\u00a0 Why the reference to a worm? Answer: \"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":57586,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-there-real-fire-in-hell\/","url_meta":{"origin":61874,"position":5},"title":"Is There Real Fire in Hell?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 2, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 34, Aug. 21, 2009. Question: Is there real fire in hell where the wicked shall go to be punished after this life is over? Answer: In answering this question, let us look at a couple of passages of Scripture. In Matthew\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/fire.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61874\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}