Mark 9:42-48 — Sin, Sea, or Salt?

Mark 9:42-48

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Comments:

Millstone in Capernaum, Israel

One of the verses that catches my eye is v. 42, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

Jesus warned the disciples of the peril of causing children who believe in him to stumble. God takes his children very seriously... he is jealous for their safety! We are not to do anything that would prevent a believing child to disbelieve. 

We are not to commit such sin by what we do (hands), where we go (foot), or what we watch (eye). Jesus used hyperbole to communicate that it would be better that we cut off that area of our life than that we should continue to contribute to our own damnation and the stumbling of the little children. I am reminded of the opening line of an old B-western movie, "Man, by his own misdeeds, kindles his own hellfire!" (Hellfire, 1949). Or, even a quote from the opening of the more recent Ironman III (2013), “We make our own demons.” 

Lord, I pray that I would never cause any child you would place in my care to stumble away from the childlike faith that you ordain. Help me to build and foster the faith that you place in them.

 

I also am intrigued by v. 49-50, "For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Photo: Greg K Dueker

How will we be salted or seasoned with fire? Will we be made stronger perhaps by the fire and heat of trials in this life the way steel and wooden baseball bats are tempered? Will we be made more effective witnesses perhaps by the flame of the Holy Spirit? Yes…maybe both. Old Testament sacrifices were to be seasoned with salt as a reminder of the covenant God had made with his people…not just as some kind of ancient barbecue tip. This saying serves to remind us that no sacrifice that we make (be it praise, thanks, holy living, or martyrdom) can even be offered to God apart from the work of Christ upon the cross. In the world, we need to be salt that has not lost its flavor (Matt. 5:13) so that our lives are still very much tasting of the work of Christ. We are to be salt, not to dry-rub ourselves in the wounds of others, but by bringing healing, preserving truth while as far as it is up to us, being at peace with others.

Certainly, Jesus was salty in the sense of sinlessly obeying the covenant, but yet he was also very gentle, caring, and compassionate. As Isaiah prophesied and Matthew quotes,

He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
    nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;

    and in his name the Gentiles will hope.” (Matthew 12:19-21)

He was not at all legalistic or overbearing, but he was holy and committed. If we have salt we will subtly be able to slow the spread of corruption around us and we will make life more enjoyable to those who would partake of our lives. Jesus certainly did. No one who tasted of him in faith was disappointed.