Who and why will be “salted with fire” (Mk 9:49)?

Abstract

Who and why will be "salted with fire" (Mk 9:49)?Kto i dlaczego zostanie "ogniem posolony" (Mk 9,49)?Keywords: the Gospel of Mark; the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem; the symbolic meaning of fire; the symbolic meaning of salt.Słowa klucze: Ewangelia św. Marka; podróż Jezusa do Jerozolimy; ogień: symbolika; sól: symbolika.Abstract. The paper analyses one verse from the speech of Jesus which takes the central place both in the whole Gospel of Mark and in its section dealing with the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. This context helps to understand the difficult verse as an exhortation to maintain the peace inside the community of the disciples and benevolence towards those outside it, even if it requires sufferings and sacrifices. Various symbolic meanings of fire and salt are also presented, including their connection with the sacrament of baptism.Streszczenie. Artykuł analizuje jeden wers z mowy Jezusa zajmującej centralne miejsce zarówno w całej Ewangelii Marka, jak i w jej środkowej sekcji, opisującej podróż Jezusa do Jerozolimy. Ten kontekst pozwala zrozumieć trudny do interpretacji wiersz jako wezwanie do utrzymania pokoju wewnątrz wspólnoty uczniów i życzliwości dla osób spoza niej, nawet jeśli oznacza to konieczność cierpienia i ofiary. Omówione też zostają różne symboliczne znaczenia ognia i soli, uwzględniając ich związek z symboliką chrzcielną.T he logion of Jesus from Mk 9:49 is one of the most obscure passages in the Gospels. It has been rarely commented; hardly has it been used in liturgy: the only moment when it appears in the present-day Roman Catholic liturgy is Thursday of the seventh week of the ordinary time (which is sometimes omitted, depending on the date of the Easter). As a result, this one of the most poetic expressions of Jesus is largely forgotten. There have been only few studies dealing specifically with this verse, and likewise the comprehensive commentaries on the Second Gospel have given little attention to v. 9:49, which was overshadowed by the neighbouring verses and often hardly treated at all.