Salting the Roads
If you live in an area where it snows, you know all about salt trucks. When the forecast calls for frozen precip, the folks at the DOT are out spraying a salty brine on the highways. After the snow falls, they’re back on the road spreading salt.
Road crews do this to improve driving conditions. Snow and ice cause us to slip and slide. The next thing you know we’re spinning out of control. Salt on the road helps us get a grip and keeps us out of the ditch.
Salting our Food
When it comes to cooking, many chefs insists that salt is their important ingredient. Sure, doctors want us to limit our sodium but it does have it’s place when. When we use it properly, it can bring out the flavor of the food.
Now if you’re hoping we’re about to take a deep dive into Himalayan salt, I’m sorry to disappoint you. But I certainly won’t stop you from reading this by the light of your salt lamp.
The Importance of Salt
On more than one occasion, Jesus also talks about the importance of salt. One of those in the Gospel of Mark. In a conversation with the disciples at their home office in Capernaum, Christ encourages His followers to fill up with salt and keep spreading it and shaking it wherever they go (Mk 9:49-50).
A LOT of Different Opinions
Okay, all cards on the table. Bible experts have been wrestling with these words of the Lord for a couple of thousand years. I’m not going to pretend to have some amazing new breakthrough here.
Some even believe John Mark went rogue and added these two verses on his own. I guess that’s possible. The only problem with that idea is Jesus actually said most of this salt talk in other Gospels (Mt 5:13; Lk 14:34-35). So there’s that.
So there are a LOT of different opinions and interpretations about what the Messiah means. We probably won’t know completely on this side of eternity. But let’s give it a shot together. You with me? Great. Here we go.
Who Is Jesus?
We’re a little over halfway through Mark’s bio of Jesus. A big theme of the first half is the true identity of the Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. Right out of the chute, the author tells us, “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1).
From there, Mark let’s the Hero of his story do His messianic thing while everybody else tries to wrap their heads around who He is. (By the way, big thanks to the people at the Bible Project for their breakdown of Mark’s Gospel. For more, go to https://thebibleproject.com/.)
The first eight chapters take place in Galilee as Jesus teaches, heals, and performs crazy miracles. Along the way, both His followers and foes wonder who He is. Trust me, there’s no lack of speculation.
Not That Kind of Messiah
That all changes when Jesus asks His personal posse for their take. Peter finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together. “You are the Messiah” (Mk 8:29). Our Savior confirms Pete’s conclusion but rocks the disciples’ world by saying He’s NOT the kind of Messiah anyone expects.
He’s come to serve us through rejection, suffering, and dying (Mk 8:31). Oh, and don’t forget the resurrection part. You don’t want to miss that. The Lord doubles down on His prediction of dying and rising from the dead a second time (Mk 9:31).
A Sneak Peek of Glory
Sandwiched in between is a wild story about the time Jesus takes His inner circle of Peter, James, and John for a mountain meetup with Moses and Elijah, two the OTs power players (Mk 9:2-13). While they’re on the peak, the Savior gives the guys a sneak peek of His glory. If that’s enough, God the Father gives His Son the ultimate attaboy.
A Staff Meeting
Back home in Capernaum, Jesus pulls the Twelve together for one last staff meeting before hitting the road one last time (Mk 9:38-50). There are just a few important points He needs to make before heading south to Jerusalem.
Big time Bible guy Albert Barnes breaks it down for us. First, the Son of Man teaches His team that others who aren’t part of the Dirty Dozen might also be His followers (Mk 9:38-39). Second, we’re to give other folks the benefit of the doubt that they’ve put their trust in Christ if we see the slightest evidence (Mk 9:41).
Third, we must handle with care anyone with a fragile faith (Mk 9:42). Fourth, we need to take drastic measures to remove anything that gets in our way of spending eternity with Jesus (Mk 9:43-48).
Our Savior’s Salty Language
Which brings us to our Savior’s salty language. No, the sinless Son of God doesn’t start cussing like a sailor. I’m guessing the commercial fishermen on His crew can do that without any coaching.
“For everyone will be tested with fire. Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other” (v49-50).
Who Is Everyone?
One of the questions about what Jesus is saying in these verses is just WHO the heck is the “everyone” here in verse 49? Theologians have been scratching their heads over that one for a couple of thousand years.
Who do I think they are? Sorry but you won’t catch me throwing a bunch of Bible experts under the bus on this one. Is it just Jesus’ followers? I’m going to guess that “everyone” might just mean…well…everyone.
Smoking or Nonsmoking?
In other words, how each of us respond to the fire will determine our eternal direction. Smoking or nonsmoking? As Mark Driscoll likes to say, “Hell is hot and forever is a long time.”
But the identity of “everyone” is not a hill I’m ready to die on. One thing I do know, our eternity IS a hill Jesus was willing to die on for you and me. And that’s a VERY good thing! He lived the life we failed to live. He died the death we should have died. He rose to new life we don’t deserve.
Salted with Fire
Here’s a little something this verse we don’t see in the NLT. The word they translate
“tested” (Gr. ‘αλιζο/halizo) actually means to salt, sprinkle with salt, cause something to taste salty, season, or restore flavor.
A LOT of translations actually read that folks can expect to “be salted with fire” (KJV, NIV, NASB, ESV, NRS, CEV, HCSB, NET, ASV, emphasis added). We’re not saying the NLT is wrong. As a matter of fact, it provides a little color to Christ’s words.
A Saltshaker-Flamethrower
What in the wide world of sports is Jesus talking about? Is this some sort of saltshaker-flamethrower 2-in-1 combo? While that bad boy might come in handy at your next cookout, the Lord has something else in mind.
Jesus Predicts Fire
Pardon me while I nerd out on a little grammar here. The Greek verb ‘αλιζο/halizo is actually future passive indicative tense. Future simply means it WILL happen. Passive tells us will happen TO you. Indicative describes an objective fact (in other words, this is NOT a command). You can take it to the bank.
So what’s Jesus predicting? When He says “tested with fire” (v49), Jesus appears to mean that the suffering we experience will make us that much more effective in our community.
Turning up the Heat
It seems pretty clear that there are plenty of times when God turns up the heat in our lives. But wait a minute. If He’s so good, why would He do that to us? So glad you asked. It’s actually BECAUSE of His goodness that He raises the temp.
We need to remember that God’s use of discipline is actually a sure sign of His love. The wisest dude who ever walked the planet puts it this way. “My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you. For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights” (Prov 3:11-12).
A Divine Autoclave
Throughout the various documents of both the Old and New Testament, spiritual fire both cleanses and preserves. It’s like a divine autoclave that purges the stuff that both does harm and wastes our time from our lives.
In a letter to fellow believers, Peter writes, “Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world” (1Pet 4:12).
Bitter or Better
It’s how we react to the heat of heaven that’s the determining factor. There’s an old saying, “The same sun that melts the ice, hardens the clay.” God’s fire of discipline will either make us bitter or better. What’s it gonna be?
We need to remember that He’s making us holy, not making us happy. The Lord never promises an easy life on this side of eternity. Don’t make the mistake of thinking a following Jesus means nothing but rainbows, herds of unicorns, and endless supply of Skittles.
God’s Blast Furnace
Allow pain and suffering to humble you. It results in brokenness. You see, humility has a way of opening doors to
those around us. Folks really don’t need someone who has all the answers. Believers are simply beggars who’ve figured out where to get the Bread.
You can bet those who are ON fire for Jesus have been THROUGH the fire. That’s because they know He’s with them in the middle of the flames. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan 3:24-25). Let God’s blast furnace make you better.
Not Too Attached
Some of you may be wondering how we went from talking about salt to fire. What’s the connection? Well, some of our Bibles include the tag “and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.”
I hope you’re not too attached to that phrase. Chances are that it wasn’t in the original version of Mark’s bio of Jesus. Somebody dropped it in later to help explain what’s going on here.
God’s Flaming Grill
Christ is actually connecting His words to the instructions God gave Moses about temple worship. In the OT, priests were to salt every single sacrifice before they tossed them all on the God’s flaming grill.
“Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings” (Lev 2:13). Salt would remind God’s people that He’s totally committed to them forever.
Wiggling off the Altar
Martin Luther cooks up an image to help us try and wrap our heads around what our Savior is saying to His disciples. He says the Gospel acts like the salt and fire of the temple sacrifices. It burns and sears away our old self as new self becomes the true sacrifice.
This connects with Paul’s picture that a follower of Jesus should “be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him” (Rom 12:1).The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps wiggling off the altar! That’s why we need to crawl back on God’s altar every single day.
Jesus Grabs the Saltshaker
It’s at these point that Jesus grabs the saltshaker goes crazy. “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other” (v50).
Our Savior spreads a LOT of salt here. How much? If you break it down in the original language, He uses a some form of the word “salt” a grand total of five times this one verse.
Bringing out the Flavor
First of all, Jesus says, “Salt is good for seasoning” (v50). Here we see the basic Greek word ‘αλας/halas we translate as…you guessed it…salt. A couple of thousand years later, it’s hard for us to understand just how important salt was back in the day. It’s kind of a big deal.
In the time of Jesus, people would use salt in a variety of ways. Similar to today, they would sprinkle it on food to bring out the flavor. It has the power to make a mundane meal just a bit better.
Salt as a Preservative
They would also use salt as a preservative since nobody had a fridge or deep freeze in the First Century. It was your only chance of keeping your foods from spoiling quickly. As a result, salt became a symbol of a lasting agreement.
Making Life Better
As the followers of Jesus, we’re to spread salt wherever we go. We’re to be like the seasoning to bring out the
flavor and make life better for those around us. Are we a blessing to our neighbors, our coworkers, and our community?
We see a classic example of that in God’s instructions to His people after He’s sent into spiritual timeout in Babylon. In Jeremiah 29, He tells them to make themselves at home while they’re there.
Supernatural Saltshakers
Build homes. Plant gardens. Get married. Have kids. Ultimately, they are to “work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I send you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare” (Jer 29:7).
Are believers today really all that different from the captive Israelites? We could pout and mope that we’re not where we eventually want to be. Or we could be add seasoning to our community by being supernatural saltshakers.
Bland and Flavorless
Then Jesus asks the boys a question. “But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?” (v50). In doing so, He uses another form of the word salt. The phrase the NLT translates as “loses its flavor” (Gr. αναλος/analos) actually means to be unsalted.
It’s the idea of becoming bland and flavorless. What’s the most tasteless food you’ve ever put in your mouth? For me, that’s easy. Tofu. Okay, I know there tons of tofu lovers out there. If that’s you, pick something else. That one thing you hope never occupies real estate on your dinner plate.
Losing Our Flavor
It’s what happens when the followers of Jesus lose our flavor. We lose our effectiveness when we pull up the drawbridge and seal ourselves off from society into our own little holy huddle. No salt gets spread to the outside world from inside our apocalyptic bomb shelter.
When we shut out those around us, we never have a chance to be a blessing. We lose any opportunity to tell them about Jesus. We lose our flavor.
Cheap Chewing Gum
Another way we become like used cheap chewing gum is when we act just like the world around us. God calls His people to be holy. There’s a lot behind that word. But in the simplest sense of the word, holiness means to be completely different and unlike anything else.
When we fail to understand His call to be holy, we end up being just like everybody else. We’re no different. Instead of providing flavor and acting as a preservative until Christ comes back, we lose our effectiveness. That’s when our salt loses it’s flavor. We lose our influence.
Getting a Grip
Think of it this way. God loads each of us up with His salt so that we can be like those DOT trucks that hit the roads before and during a winter storm. We travel around, provide traction, and make things safer. The salt we spread helps people get a grip on life and keep folks from spinning out of control.
“Stay Salty, My Friends”
That’s why our Savior wants us to not lose our flavor. “You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other” (v50). He tells us that just as important as being salty, is staying salty.
Remember the dude from the beer commercials known as the Most Interesting Man in the World? His catch phrase was, “Stay thirsty, my friends.” Let’s face it. Jesus is WAY more interesting than that guy. His tag line for us could be, “Stay salty, my friends.”
Saying What Needs to Be Said
Kinda makes sense when you put it together with something He said in His most famous message, a little something we like to call the Sermon on the Mount. Christ calls His followers “the salt of the earth” (Mt 5:13).
Apparently staying salty is key to folks getting along. But adding flavor and being a blessing to those around us doesn’t necessarily mean not making waves. It’s saying what needs to be said and wrapping it a thick layer of love and grace.
He Won’t Waste One Bit
Here’s how the Apostle Paul connects living in peace and spreading salt. “Live peacefully with each other. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone” (1Th 5:13-14).
If you’ve placed your trust in who Jesus is and what He’s done for you, He’s calling you to be a salt spreader. He’s correcting you because He loves you. He won’t waste one bit of what He’s allowed you to experience.
Hit the Road
As a result, we’re to be a blessing to those around us. Add flavor and taste to their lives. Act as a preservative of all that’s good. When we spread God’s salt wherever we go, it provides traction so people are much less likely to spin out of control. We need it to stay out of the ditch.
But here’s the deal. We’ve got to get out there to do it. God can’t use us to make a difference if we don’t get involved. The DOT can’t spread salt if the trucks never hit the road.
To paraphrase Ol’ Blue Eyes, start spreading the…salt.
©2019
Jay Jennings
