Mark 9:14-5014And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 15And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. 16And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? 17And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. 19He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. 20And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. 21And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. 22And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. 26And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. 27But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. 28And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 29And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. 30And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. 31For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. 33And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. 36And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, 37Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 38And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. 40For he that is not against us is on our part. 41For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. 42And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 49For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. (Mark 9:14‑50)
In the land north of Galilee the people refused to honor God many, many years, although they knew His care and power. One king placed a gold calf for them to worship (2 Kings 12:31). They followed the way of Satan until even children suffered by wicked spirits.
When Jesus came to Caesarea, in that land, there was one poor boy dreadfully troubled by a wicked spirit, which caused hint to be deaf and dumb, and to hurt himself, even to fall into fire. His father heard of Jesus and brought his son to see if Jesus could help him. But Jesus was then up on the mountain, and the disciples could not help so dreadful a case.
When Jesus came down from the mount, the man begged Him to help, he said
“If Thou canst do anything... help us.”
This man did not know that Jesus was the Lord, and that there was no case too hard for Him to cure, or he would not have said “if.” Jesus ‘told the father to believe, and commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy, and not return, and the boy was freed. This story shows how awful is the power of Satan, who has no kindness for any, and would even harm children. How different from the Lord Jesus, who did good to all, and was tender and kind to children. He came to earth to break the power of Satan, as was promised (Gen. 3:1515And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15); Heb. 2:1414Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)).
But sin and Satan still cause the suffering of war; and all other evils. Jesus spoke plainly of the end of sin. He spoke of the hand, or the foot, or the eye “offending,” the word offend has the meaning, to sin against God. A person’s hand may take what is wrong, his foot go to wrong, or his eye see evil: unless the sins are stopped, “cut off,” the whole body is soon in sin, and the end is a place of suffering named, Hell.
The Lord spoke of the suffering of hell as “fire,” which causes the most severe suffering we know. But fire here can be put out, but Jesus said that “fire” is not “quenched” (put out); the sorrow there will not end.
This lesson of Jesus’ is the saddest of all, and some think there is no place of punishment. But He spoke plainly and repeated the words, “the fire is not quenched” several times, so we must believe Him. At another time He said the place of suffering was prepared, not for people, but for Satan, and the wicked (Matt. 25:4141Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)). And this lesson shows that those who always want to follow, Satan’s ways, must share that place of suffering.
But let us remember that Jesus Himself died to bear the punishment for sins for all who believe Him. He now urges, by His Holy Spirit, men, women, boys and girls, to let Him save them.
Jesus said His people were to be “salted,” kept for Him, by “fire,” (judgment), that He bore on the cross. He also said they should “have salt in themselves.” To keep right in themselves, for Him, they must judge their sins; to judge, means to decide against our sins, which we should all do, in our hearts and minds each day.
ML 04/02/1944