In 9:50, which is the Lord’s concluding word in this section, we see the real significance of this portion of Mark. In this verse the Lord says, “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltness, with what will you restore its saltness? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Here we see that the underlying meaning of this portion is that we should be at peace with one another.
We have emphasized the fact that 9:38-40 begins with John’s word about forbidding someone to cast out demons in the Lord’s name, because he did not follow the disciples. In response to John’s word, the Lord seems to be saying in these verses, “That one who cast out demons in My name did not follow you. But he is nevertheless one of My believers, and you should be at peace with him. However, you were not at peace with him because you regarded yourselves as greater than he. You also considered that you are closer to Me than he is. You think that you are better than he. This kind of thought causes him to stumble and also opens the door for the enemy to come in to cause you to stumble by using your lustful members.”
Actually, this portion of the Gospel of Mark is profound. Here we see the real cause of the divisions among today’s Christians. Christians certainly are not at peace with one another. In 9:50 the Lord says, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” But the entire situation among believers today is the opposite. We cannot say that the believers are at peace with one another.
The reason the believers are not at peace with one another is that so many consider themselves to be somebody and think of themselves as greater than others. The result is that others are caused to stumble, and the door is open for the enemy to utilize the lustful members of the believers’ body to cause them to stumble. Therefore, eventually the vast majority of Christians today have been caused to stumble.
Where are those Christians who have not been caused to stumble either by others or by their own doing? The situation is that the believers cause others to stumble, and then Satan comes in to utilize their hands, feet, and eyes to cause them to stumble. Hence, the believers cause one another to stumble, and each one causes himself to stumble.
Because of the situation among believers, a situation full of stumbling, we urgently need the vision of Christ that the disciples saw on the mountain of transfiguration. Mark 9:7 says, “And a cloud came overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, This is My Son, the Beloved. Hear Him!” We also need to hear Christ, God’s Beloved. We should not hear ourselves or anyone else.
We need a vision in which we see not only Christ but also His all-inclusive death and His resurrection. We need to be replaced by Christ through His death and resurrection. This means that we need to apply His death to ourselves and then receive His rich supply in His wonderful resurrection. If we are replaced by Christ in this way, we shall be healed of the “germs” within us. We shall be salted even in this age. There will be no need for us to wait for the coming age in order to be salted.
To be salted in this age is to be salted by grace through the death and resurrection of Christ. But if we wait to be salted in the coming age, we shall be salted by fire. If we salt ourselves today through the death and resurrection of Christ, we shall have grace.
In Colossians 4:6 Paul puts grace and salt together: “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” In Ephesians 4:29 Paul refers to words that give grace to those who hear: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for needful building up, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Grace is Christ as our enjoyment and supply. Our speech should convey this grace to others. The word that builds up others always ministers such grace to the hearers. For our speech to be with grace means that Christ is expressed through our words. This means that our words should be the expression and utterance of Christ. Every word should be the expression of Christ as grace.
According to Colossians 4:6, our speech should also be seasoned with salt. Salt makes things agreeable and pleasant to the taste. Speech seasoned with salt will keep us at peace with one another. This is the reason the Lord tells us in Mark 9:50 to have salt in ourselves and then to be at peace with one another. If our words are with grace and are salted, they will cause all things to be agreeable.
When we salt ourselves with Christ’s death and resurrection, we receive grace. But if we do not salt ourselves with Christ’s death and resurrection, we shall miss the opportunity to receive grace. As a consequence, we shall be salted by fire as a punishment in the coming age.
I would encourage the saints to pray-read 9:38-50. Through the pray-reading of these verses you will be enlightened. Then you will realize that you should never be divisive. You should not forbid others, and you should never force others to follow you.