Mark

By Joyce Webb 2023

Chapter 9      Verses 41-50

Verse 41 Jesus said “Who ever gives a cup of water to drink, and he does it because he belongs to Me, — Christ Jesus, —that person will have a reward.” (reward– honor or blessing or some thing)

Verse 42 Jesus said “Who ever offends (hurts) one of these little ones (children) that believe in me—-it would be better for that person to be drowned in the sea —with a heavy stone around his neck.” (millstone–a large flat stone –used to grind corn, wheat or grain into flour)

Verse 43 Jesus said “If your hand offends you (makes you sin and do wrong)—then it is better to cut off that hand.

It would be better to go through life with one hand—than to go to hell because you are doing sin.”

Jesus said— Hell was a fire that could not be quenched (put out, stopped). Vs. 44 And the worm does not die.

Verse 45 Jesus said, “If your foot offends you (makes you sin) then it is better to cut off the foot and go through life with one foot—-rather than keep sinning and go to hell.”

Verse 47 Jesus said, “If your eye offends you (makes you sin) then it is better to cut it out—and go through life —-with one eye —-and enter heaven —rather than keep sinning with two eyes —and go to hell.”

Verse 49 Salted with fire—-meaning fire burns away trash —the bad things not wanted.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 13:12-15—-when we believers get to heaven—-every thing we have done—-will be put to the fire.

Some of the things we have done are things that have eternal value.
Those things are like gold, silver and precious stones like rubies, emeralds, etc.

Some of the things we have done have no eternal value. They were just doing things —busy things—that had no value for eternity.

Those kind of things will burn up. Only the things we did that had eternal value will go through the fire and still be okay—like gold can go through the fire and not burn up.

Verse 50 Salt is good. But if salt loses it saltiness and flavor—it is not good for anything.

As believing Christians, we are told to have “salt”, and have peace with each other.

Salt for a Christian means—– how we live and talk—should show that we are followers of Jesus’ teachings.

People should be able to see that we follow what Jesus taught. The way we live and talk should bring glory and honor to God.

If as Christians—we do not do this—then what good are we?

If we are not following Jesus’ teachings—then we are living like everyone else in the world—we would be no different.

We would have no “salt”—-there would be nothing in our life that shows other people God’s ways and truth.
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When Jesus was talking about cutting off the hand, foot or eye—-he was trying to show that if our body is making us sin—that it would be better to “cut it off” than to keep sinning.

The idea —is to stop sinning and doing wrong.
Doing sin is a serous thing.

It is so bad—that it would be better to cut off a part of our body—-if that would help us stop sinning.

We do not have to cut off a part of our body— –but we do have to stop sinning—if we want to go to heaven and not go to hell.

Jesus was using words to “draw a picture” of how serious doing sin is.
Many people do sexual sins and think it is okay. The Bible says that it is not okay. It is a sin.

Sex is to be for a man and a woman married to each other. That is the only sex that God allows to be okay. Any other sex act is a sin.

Sin takes you to hell.

Lying, cheating, stealing—-and other things are sins.

We can not do these things and expect to go to heaven.

Sin is serious. It can take you to hell. Don’t do it.

Know what the Bible—God’s word—says about what is sin—-and don’t do it.

We are human and we fail some times. When we do—we need to immediately go to God and ask for forgiveness.

To keep sinning—and not change our ways—-is not trying to obey God.
God sees it for what it is. We have not repented—turned from our sin.

If we truly want to obey God—-He will help us do what is right.