Salted with Fire

I’ll be reading from the end of Mark 9.

Today, as we prepare ourselves for communion, we turn our hearts to the penetrating theme of self-sacrifice—a theme that echoes through the narratives of history and it whisper to us from the pages of the gospel. We find this theme embodied in the lives of extraordinary individuals who have walked among us, their stories are not just tales of old, but beacons that guide us toward our calling. Let us first remember Irene Sendler, a Polish social worker whose courage shone as a defiant light in the darkness of the Holocaust. She smuggled 2,500 Jewish children to safety, crafting for them new identities, new lives, and a future beyond the shadows of death. Even under arrest and torture by the brutal hands of the Nazis, her resolve never wavered. In silence, she didn't divulge a word, faithful to all who would have been harmed by her confessions.

Then, there was Arland Williams, whose fear of water could not drown his spirit of selflessness. As a young man, he was gripped by anxiety over the impending swim test while attending the Citadel Academy, but he pushed through it. When, in 1982, fate cast him into the icy waters of the Potomac River on board the doomed Air Florida Flight 90, he, who once feared the cold embrace of the pool, became a lifeline to others. Each time he passed the life-ring, he chose others over himself, until the icy waters claimed him. His legacy is etched in the annals of heroism, for his sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard’s Gold Life Saving Medal.

And we find inspiration in Chen Si, the guardian angel of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. His weekends and holidays are spent patrolling the bridge, not as a silent sentinel, but as an active savior, reaching out to those teetering on the edge of despair. Over 300 lives have been pulled back from the brink by his words and deeds—a testament to the power of presence and compassion. His sacrifice of his time, vacations, emotional currency, and even his own savings to help his neighbors has left an indelible mark.

These stories of Irene, Arland, and Chen are not mere narratives; they are dim reflections of a greater sacrifice, a perfect offering—our Lord Jesus Messiah. As we sit here today, let us reflect on this: How do their stories inspire us to act? How do they mirror the self-sacrifice of Jesus and what does this mean for us?

Our Personal Rescuer

Jesus is our rescuer. Although, we don’t deserve it, and we often dishonor it.

[This is where I’ll share the shortcomings in my walk]

Sacrifice and Salt

I love this passage in Mark 9, it captures the evangelistic focus of Matthew’s, “You are the salt of the earth.” and Luke’s emphases on counting the cost and finishing strong. However, here Mark adds another element—fire—the fire of testing.

Mark 9:49–50 CSB

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its flavor, how can you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

(Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24)

This would have been a powerful picture to those who heard this first hand. They would have made the connection of the salted grain offerings and meat sacrifices required by the old covenant. In the Mark 9, we are reminded that ‘everyone will be salted with fire.' Like the sacrifices of old, seasoned with salt to be pleasing to the Lord. We are called to be both the offering and the salt. In the middle of our testing, to offer ourselves for others, to preserve them and oneself from spiritual decay, and to ensure that our sacrifice is a sweet aroma to the Lord. There is a sense of consistency and finishing strong, until he comes back to call us to his side—keep your seasoning.

As we dwell on this scripture and the essence of our gathering here to take communion together, let us hold on to these stories of self-sacrifice. Let them stir within us a desire to be more than we are, to reach higher than we have, and to love more deeply than we ever thought possible. For in the end, it is not just about remembering a sacrifice—it is about becoming it.