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- Oct 26, 2007
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"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. "Salt [is] good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." Mark 9:49-50 NKJV
Jesus brought serious challenge in Mark 9, starting with the hard aspects of His mission: His rejection and suffering, the lack of belief limiting His work, and how the greatest among them must be the servant of all. He addressed our tendency to overcomplicate faith by eliminating the childlike wonder at its core, and the divisiveness that results even among believers because of a desire for superiority.
Even when we believe that God is God and Jesus is His Son and our Savior, we still battle our sinful tendencies. Fortunately, by God’s grace, there’s a bigger picture—one where we overcome our old selves, learn to love serving others, and confidently express God’s great truth with equally great love.
All these challenges are what Jesus called salt, a refining fire that burns away everything that doesn’t ultimately matter and brings peace, both within us and with others. If we resist the struggle that comes with following Him, we lose our saltiness—our connection to His mission. It’s hard, but it’s worth the effort.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I receive both Your challenge and Your support. Bring Your salt into my life, preserving Your truth in me and enabling me to walk in peace and grace with You and others.
Jesus brought serious challenge in Mark 9, starting with the hard aspects of His mission: His rejection and suffering, the lack of belief limiting His work, and how the greatest among them must be the servant of all. He addressed our tendency to overcomplicate faith by eliminating the childlike wonder at its core, and the divisiveness that results even among believers because of a desire for superiority.
Even when we believe that God is God and Jesus is His Son and our Savior, we still battle our sinful tendencies. Fortunately, by God’s grace, there’s a bigger picture—one where we overcome our old selves, learn to love serving others, and confidently express God’s great truth with equally great love.
All these challenges are what Jesus called salt, a refining fire that burns away everything that doesn’t ultimately matter and brings peace, both within us and with others. If we resist the struggle that comes with following Him, we lose our saltiness—our connection to His mission. It’s hard, but it’s worth the effort.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I receive both Your challenge and Your support. Bring Your salt into my life, preserving Your truth in me and enabling me to walk in peace and grace with You and others.
