“Salt is good; but if the
salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned” (Luke 14:34)
Within a theology class in seminary, the
professor changed the format one day into a round table discussion
involving the entire class. He used today’s verse in Luke and a similar
one in Matthew – “You are the salt of the earth;
but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?...”
(Matthew 5:13). He asked us, “What did Jesus mean
by saying we are ‘salt?’ or we are LIKE salt, or if you prefer? What are
the properties of salt as it relates to these verses?” Each of us
had some kind of response, including:
It flavors food; makes it taste better
Salt is a preservative; it slows the
process of decay in food
It has antiseptic qualities and will help
to heal a wound
The substance will provide traction on a
frozen roadway
Some salt intake is necessary for life
There were more responses, but that will give
you the idea. As I’ve pondered that theology class in the decades since,
I have believed that the first simple answer is the one most reflective
of Jesus’ intent: Salt makes food taste better, just as we carry the
Holy Spirit to a tasteless world. But there’s more. Here’s a quote from
a recent “Upper Room Daily Devotional Guide”
– “In Vietnam, Bill had been captured by the Viet
Cong and held in a bamboo cage. Bad food, polluted water and the
constant tropical heat made Bill deathly ill. He was dying from
dehydration and he knew it. One of Bill’s guards saw him on his knees in
prayer. At the risk of his own life, the guard smuggled some salt into
Bill’s cage and pressed it into his palm. The salt saved Bill’s life.
Later, the guard slipped Bill pieces of fresh fruit when no one was
watching. ‘Why are you helping me?’ Bill asked him. The guard looked
around before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black
book with a cross on its cover.”
The article continued, “Salt
was so valuable in the ancient world it was often used as money. It
seasoned and preserved food, helped heal wounds, and prevented
dehydration; however it could not be stored indefinitely. Salt lost its
savor when it went unused or became contaminated with dirt. Jesus calls
us to be salt in our world, regardless of our situations. A handful of
salt saved Bill’s life, but it was the compassion of a fellow Christian
that gave him the hope to survive. As salt we season, preserve, heal and
provide hope to those in despair.”
I remember a geology class and laboratory taken
in college. In the lab, we often were called on to test minerals, after
which WE were tested to find out if we had correctly identified them.
One type of rock had a whitish but clear appearance and it was found in
not only the rock form, but also in a crystalline form. It was called “halite,” and the most crucial test to determine what it
might be was simply to taste it. Halite tastes like and is – salt.
“Halite” is from
the old Greek word, “halas,” a form of the
word “salt” in today’s Scripture. W.E.
Vine, author of the “Expository Dictionary of New
Testament Words,” was an excellent student and teacher of the
languages of the Bible. Here’s what he said about the word for “salt” in Luke 14:34 – “Being
possessed of purifying, perpetuating and antiseptic qualities, salt
became emblematic of fidelity and friendship among eastern nations. To
eat of a person’s salt and so to share his hospitality is still regarded
thus among the Arabs. So in Scripture, it is an emblem of the covenant
between God and His people…” Vines then cited Numbers 18:19 as an
example that God wanted salt to accompany the sacrifices of Israel. He
also quoted Mark 9:50, “Have salt in yourselves,
and be at peace one with another.”
The context of today’s Scripture is found within
a group of parables given by Jesus after He was leaving the house of a
Pharisee where he ate dinner (Luke 14:1 & forward). The Pharisees were
offended because He deliberately healed a man at that Sabbath meal. He
responded with parables and kept sharing more of them after He left the
house. Jesus told the multitude who had gathered around Him to
essentially “count the cost” in following God. In a Scripture
reminiscent of Matthew 6:33, where Jesus said, “Seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you;” He told all of us that we’ve got to love
God even more than our own families… Our life, He said, will be like it
is on a sort of “cross,” for many will
regard the one who follows Him as some kind of criminal… and we are to
decide if we can finish what we started when we committed our lives to
Him (Luke 15:25-35).
The reality is, we CAN’T finish what God has
started in our lives. But God in us can do it. We find that we don’t
have the strength, the will or the knowledge to fully do God’s will.
When we strive to accomplish it in our own strength, even our desire
will eventually fade. As Jesus said, “Salt is
good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned”
(Luke 14:34). Vine said about it, “When salt is
used to fertilize soil, an excess of it on the ground produces
sterility.” Our human efforts tend to become sterile. We need the
Lord.
But God takes those grains of salt that seem to
be useless and resurrects them in the power and the Love of the Lord.
Are you tired? Do you feel like salt that has lost its usefulness? Take
your heavy heart to God and He will make you new once more. It isn’t
merely your prayers that will restore and heal – it’s His power that is
the active agent. It’s not only your faith that moves mountains; it’s
His faith in You that seasons and changes the world. When you think
about prayer, what is it? – It’s faith in ACTION. “Without faith it is impossible to please (God), for he who
comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
How do you effectively come to God? – through
believing prayer. This is not some kind of work in which you believe you
can do something. It’s belief in HIM, that He is able to do whatever is
needed, that He is willing to do it, and that He loves you enough to act
on your behalf. It’s trusting in His character, that He is a “rewarder” of people like you and me.
For a human being to become like “salt (that) has lost its flavor,”
or “savor” in some translations, is to be
discouraged in your walk through life. It’s when you lose hope that
things will ever get better. You’ve tried to bring the “flavor” of God to others and you feel rejected to the
point where you wonder if you are not like some kind of “salt” that has been cast out on the road and are no
longer useful. You need HIM.
The “salt” needed
by this world is not something a mere human being can offer. It’s like
the “light” of Matthew 5:14. You are called
to be “the light of the world,” but when it
feels like your little “light” has gone
out, remember John 8:12, where Jesus said, “I
am the light of the world.” Jesus is the “salt”
and the “light” we need. He is the sun, we
are the moon, and through faith He is reflected out of us into a dark
and tasteless world. Let’s trust in Him anew.
Heal me and restore me, Lord. Let godly trust
and faith fill me that I might be like “salt”
to a dying world, in the power and love of God. In Jesus Name. Amen.
