Saltiness of Words

The Harvard School of Public Health website says,

“Salt flavors food and is used as a binder and stabilizer. It is also a food preservative, as bacteria can’t thrive in the presence of a high amount of salt. The human body requires a small amount of sodium to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. It is estimated that we need about 500 mg of sodium daily for these vital functions. But too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.”

People and animals have always known the value of salt and found various ways to harvest it from nature. Most agrarian cultures gathered seawater in large areas and let the water evaporate until salt was left behind. Then, the salt was purified and used for cooking. This natural salt lost its saltiness when left open, partly because it drew moisture from the air, which diluted it.

Knowing this, the Lord Jesus asked his disciples,

“Is salt good if it loses its saltiness? If it does, how can it be seasoned again?” (Luke 14:34)

The answers would have been, “Oh no, it isn’t good if salt loses its saltiness,” and “No, it can’t be seasoned or made salty again by any means.” Without waiting for answers, the Lord continued,

“It would be fitting for the field or the dung pile; it would be tossed out there” (14:35a).

Although such insipid salt would not have been suitable for human consumption, it had other secondary purposes. First, it was used as fertilizer for harvest fields. Second, it was thrown at dung piles to slow the decay and suppress the smell.

Having said this, the Lord didn’t give any application. Instead, he said, “Those who have ears, let them hear” (13:35b), a slogan that meant, “Pay attention to these teachings.” We can surmise that he meant, “Be as salts with saltiness.” Elsewhere, Paul said, “Let your words be always with grace, seasoned like salt, knowing how you must answer in every situation” (Col 4:6). Perhaps the Lord had a similar application – the disciples’ words should be seasoned with grace.

We have a clue in the Greek text. Whereas Mark used the natural word for salt going tasteless – analos = an “without” alos “saltiness” – Luke used moranthe “become foolish” (the root for “moron” – a stupid or foolish person). One would not expect this word in this context, which caused many early scribes to give an alternate word – maranthe, an Aramaic phrase meaning “Come, Lord!” (1 Cor 16:22), which really didn’t make any sense in this verse. Most likely, Luke used an unusual word for losing saltiness that also included the interpretation of what that cliché meant in that culture – “to act as a fool.”

In other words, the disciples who lost their saltiness, i.e., control of their tongues, would act like fools. Seasoned tongues, however, would come from hearing Jesus’s teachings carefully with their ears and practicing them. Paul captured this idea and wrote it to the Colossians (4:6) so we, too, might season our words and lives with grace.