Mark 9:48-50

[FrankF]

I can’t seem to make sense of this passage from Mark…

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with on eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell
48 where
‘their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched’
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 Salt is good, but if it looses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.

Specifically, what is meant by “everyone will be salted with fire”? And how does this “salting” compare to the “salt” referred to in verse 50?

Thanks everybody! These boards are so helpful!

-Ed

 

[Nita]

The following is from the Geo Haydock Bible Commentary - haydock1859tripod.com
This is based on the Douay version where the verse reads: “For everyone shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.”

Ver. 48. [2]For every one shall be salted with fire. The sense seems to be, that every wicked unrepenting sinner (of whom it was before said, that their worm dieth not) shall be severely and continually punished, though not consumed by the fire of hell. — And every victim shall be salted with salt; that is, even good men shall be cleansed and purified by trials and sufferings in this world, as some victims were to be salted by the law. (Leviticus ii. 13.) (Witham)

From the Jerome Biblical Commentary:
“Salt and fire suggest the purification the disciples will undergo through persecution and suffering.”

This passage is only in Mark and I don’t have the Mark volume of the Navarre. Maybe someone who does can share what it says.

Regarding the connection between the “salt” in the two verses. There might not be a connection. Sometimes various sayings of Our Lord are just collected and given one after another.

Just from my own thoughts:
I would see the “fire” as pain, sufferings, that come into our lives. They serve as tests of our faith and obedience to Jesus teaching and as ways to follow Jesus’ example.
If we respond in accord with Our Lord’s will, our soul is “salted” (virtues are formed in our soul). We become “salted” by the “fire”.
If however, we do not continue to exercise these virtues, they become dormant, lose their “saltiness”.

I’m not sure how to explain “how can you make it salty again” in connection with the above thoughts. Have you got any ideas?

Nita

 

[banjo]

The Navarre Bible offers the following commentary:
St. Bede comments on these words: “Everyone will be salted with fire , says Jesus, because spiritual wisdom must purify all the elect of any kind of corruption through carnal desire. Or he may be speaking of the fire of tribulation, which exercises the patience of the faithful to enable them to reach perfection” (In Marci Evangelium expositio, in loc.).

Regarding “You are the salt of the earth;” it adds:
“These verses are calling to that apostolate which is part and parcel of being a Christian. Every Christian has to strive for personal sanctification, but he also has to seek the sanctification of others. Jesus teaches us this, using the very expressive simile of salt and light. Salt preserves food from corruption; it also brings out its flavor and make it more pleasant; and it disappears into the food; the Christian should do the same among the people around him.”

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible comments that salted with fire: “Probably a reference to the trials and temptations that face believers. Given the preceding context (9:42-48), it may include the purifying suffering of penance needed to avoid sin and turn away from impure habits. Such fire is meant to test the genuineness of our Christian commitment and lead us to perfection. …] In the end, those refined by the temporal fires of this world will be spared the unquenchable fires of the next.”

As for the connection between “salted with fire” and the salt in “salt of the earth”…personally, it reminds me of 2 Cor 1:3-5. God, in His mercy comforts the Apostle Paul in his sufferings and so he is able to comfort others in their afflictions. We can apply this to our Christian ministry. It also calls to mind 1 Pt 5:9 “Resist him (the devil), firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.” The words of St. James reinforces the connection between enduring affliction and growing in patience…“My brothers, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try to treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is put to the test to make you patient.” (Jerusalem Bible: Jas 1:2-3). St. Paul frequently mentions the “building up” of the Body of Christ, i.e., the Church. I think we can do this better if we can empathize with others because we too are afflicted in similar or identical ways.

 

[FrankF]

Thanks so much to both of you! This is a great help.

-Ed

 

[lak611]

I can’t seem to make sense of this passage from Mark…

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with on eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell
48 where
‘their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched’
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 Salt is good, but if it looses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.

Specifically, what is meant by “everyone will be salted with fire”?

From the Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 48. [2]For every one shall be salted with fire. The sense seems to be, that every wicked unrepenting sinner (of whom it was before said, that their worm dieth not) shall be severely and continually punished, though not consumed by the fire of hell. — And every victim shall be salted with salt; that is, even good men shall be cleansed and purified by trials and sufferings in this world, as some victims were to be salted by the law. (Leviticus ii. 13.) (Witham)

And how does this “salting” compare to the “salt” referred to in verse 50?

Also from the Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 49. Become unsavoury; i.e. if he, who has once received the faith, should apostatize from it, what is there that can possibly convert him from his wicked ways? since even the salt, with which he was salted, is become unsavoury, i.e. the doctrines he formerly received are no longer of any use. (Nicholas of Lyra)

 

[Huiou_Theou]

There is some variation in the wording of the sentence depending on the text used. The Byzantine majority text appears to support the additional words – and every sacrifice shall be seasoned with salt.

BYZ-MAJ πας γαρ πυρι αλισθησεται και πασα θυσια αλι αλισθησεται
TR – πας γαρ πυρι αλισθησεται

Crude / Literally.
“for the whole pyre salt-to be added”
and the Byzantine adds – redundantly, in clarification –
“every sacrifice/victim salt-to-be added”

The exact word for seasoning (in the future passive tense) is found here:
Leviticus 2:13.
and in the NT: Matth 5:13 – which incidentally, shows up paraphrased in Mark 9:50

These are the only places in all of scripture (Greek) where the same word and tense & mood are used.

An oblation meat offering is the OT context, where God commands salt be added as a requirement. Oddly enogh, salt used in covenants was not so much sprinkled on the victim as traded symbolicly. Salt added to a meal means that it didn’t taste good without it…

The puns are very interesting, although a bit lengthy to go into.

pyres are traditional sacrificial idea in Greek, but considering this is Mark, I think the author is trying to draw attention to light instead – or perhaps at the same time.

Salt in the context of covenant indicates permanence, so the recall of “you are the salt of the earth” in V.50, suggests that V49 might refer to another similar analogy – you are the light of the world.
Both of these sayings are about permanence.

Having the Byzantine majority add a clarification along the lines of sacrifice indicates that the sacrificial aspect of the shorter sentence was probably recognized by them too.

Remember, St. Paul offers his disciples as “a living sacrifice” in Rom 12:1 – and our offering of ourselves to God is one of the functions of the eucharistic communion at mass.

Thinking about it that way would make both 9.49 and 9.50 operate as an exhortation in summary of all that preceeded them – be committed totally to christ as an irrevocable sacrifice / covenant.

Hope that helps a little.