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MARCH 6
Mark 9:30–50
Then they departed from there and passed
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through Galilee, and He did not want anyone
to know it. For He taught His disciples and 9:43 cut it off.Jesus’words are to be taken fig-
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said to them, “The Son of Man is being uratively. No amount of self-mutilation can
deal with sin, which is an issue of the heart.
betrayed into the hands of men, and they will The Lord is emphasizing the seriousness of sin
kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the and the need to do whatever is necessary to
third day.” But they did not understand this deal with it. life. The contrast of “life” with
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saying, and were afraid to ask Him. “hell” indicates that Jesus was referring to
Then He came to Capernaum. And when eternal life. hell. The Greek word refers to the
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He was in the house He asked them, “What Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, a garbage
was it you disputed among yourselves on the dump where fires constantly burned, furnish-
road?” But they kept silent, for on the road ing a graphic symbol of eternal torment. the
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they had disputed among themselves who fire that shall never be quenched. That the
would be the greatest. And He sat down, punishment of hell lasts for eternity is the
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called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone unmistakable teaching of Scripture (see Dan.
desires to be first, he shall be last of all and 12:2; Matt. 25:41; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 14:10,11;
servant of all.” Then He took a little child and 20:10).
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set him in the midst of them. And when He
had taken him in His arms, He said to them, than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into
“Whoever receives one of these little chil- the fire that shall never be quenched—
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dren in My name receives Me; and whoever 46 where
receives Me, receives not Me but Him who
sent Me.” ‘Their worm does not die
Now John answered Him, saying,
38 And the fire is not quenched.’
“Teacher, we saw someone who does not fol- 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it
low us casting out demons in Your name, and out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of
we forbade him because he does not follow God with one eye, rather than having two
us.” eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where
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But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no
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one who works a miracle in My name can ‘Their worm does not die
soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who And the fire is not quenched.’
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is not against us is on our side. For whoever 49 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire,
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gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.
because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how
to you, he will by no means lose his reward. will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and
“But whoever causes one of these little have peace with one another.”
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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. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. 9:50 Salt is good.Salt was an essential item in
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It is better for you to enter into life maimed, first-century Palestine. In a hot climate, with-
rather than having two hands, to go to hell, out refrigeration, salt was the practical means
into the fire that shall never be quenched— of preserving food. Have salt in yourselves.
where The work of the “word of Christ”(Col.3:16) and
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the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23) produce godly charac-
‘Their worm does not die ter, enabling a person to act as a preservative
And the fire is not quenched.’ in society.
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And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter life lame, rather
DAY 6:What essential element is Christ looking for in our character?
To be directly confronted by Christ with sin in your heart, as the disciples were in Mark 9:33,
must have been powerfully convicting and embarrassing.We are told that “they kept silent”—they
were speechless at His inquiry.They were caught in a dispute over “who would be the greatest”(v.
34), possibly triggered by the privilege granted Peter, James, and John to witness the
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