“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavour, how do you make it salty again? Flavourless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Luke 14:34-35
This segment occurs in the other Synoptic Gospels as well:
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:13-16
(in Matthew this segment comes after the beatitudes)
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. [‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.‘] If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. [‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’] And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’ “For everyone will be tested with fire [and every sacrifice will be salted with salt]. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavour, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”
Mark 9:43-50
So what do we make of the fact that Luke doesn’t associate the salt with light as Matthew does? It is totally separated from the concept of light and is appended here to the end of this series about discipleship. Why? What point is Luke or Jesus making here? Luke hasn’t followed Mark’s prior use, nor has he followed Q or oral tradition to position it with Matthew. Note that it doesn’t go with what follows in Chapter 15. So these sayings about salt go with the two illustrations before – building a tower or going to war. Or it is a throw-away line that Luke wanted to put somewhere and decided he would squeeze it in here? What do you think?
The other thing we have to do with a unit like this, is to work out what point of comparison is being used here. What aspect of salt is in focus? That is for you to sort out overnight. But don’t let what you cook up lose its flavour in the morning. Ok! Let’s dissect it in the next Gem. Well, maybe dissect is the wrong word to use. That belongs on the operating table or the morgue. Maybe best if I say chop it up, dice it, slice it, fillet it or mince it, but whatever you do, don’t forget the salt.
I would like now to add something more in preparation for what follows. We are going to be moving on to Chapter 15 in a couple of days. By way of advance warning, I suggest you read Chapter 15 in its entirety a few times first. Yes, a few times! Not just once. You will get the most out of it when you read it multiple times. My Greek professor said seven times before you really understand it. That is my challenge to you. Read Luke Chapter 15, seven times before we start to pull it apart. We have a lot of dissecting to do with this section. But of course, you know it so well. So, why would you bother to read it multiple times? Ian, this is one of my favourite parts of Scripture. I know this section well. Do you? The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Did you add salt? Ian! Don’t you know you don’t add salt to puddings? Oh really! Sometimes I guess what we think we know, we just don’t know that well after all. With those thoughts, I will leave you to cook up something flavoursome.
If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.
R Steven
Learn how to enjoy where you are, on the way to where you’re going.
Joyce Meyer
Life is like listening to our favourite song; the purpose is not to reach the ending, but to enjoy every note along the way.
Sidney Mohede
Keep your mind going in the right direction, and your life will catch up with it.
Joyce Meyer