If I had to choose my favorite of the four Gospels, and if John is not available for me to choose, and Matthew and Luke are likewise not open for consideration as my favorite, I know I would choose Mark. Mark is so very concisely written that Jesus’ work and the essential underlying themes of Christianity stand out as if written in "Bold." Someone might answer me by saying, "Yes, but how very enriching is the elaboration of Matthew, Luke and John!" I would not argue against that; I nevertheless love Mark’s Gospel. I find myself occasionally caught up in thoughtful perplexity about something written therein. I know there is a deeper meaning that should be seen with the eyes of the heart. And that for me is the glory of Mark’s Gospel: He demands our attention to ancient culture and Scripture and an understanding that springs forth in living application.
Mark 9: 49, 50: Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
Ever wonder what Jesus meant when He told us we’ll be "salted with fire." Then the phrase about having "salt in yourselves" also deserves some pondering. We know what salt is, yet until we stop and think about it our definition of salt is sort of a child’s definition. To state the obvious, salt is a preservative and it gives flavor to the food we eat. The need to preserve meats and other foods from spoiling in the warm middle east climate in pre-refrigeration days made salt an essential and cherished household substance. Think also of the important industries of that day surrounding salt. It had to be extracted; it was of crucial importance to the transportation industry. Imagine the poor camel caravan drivers hauling fish from Galilee to the population centers in the summer without salt preserving their product. The odor would soon make even the camels suffer and they are reputed to be not the most sweet smelling of animals. The Jews had a maxim, not necessarily one of their holy sayings, that "the world cannot survive without salt."
At this point I haven’t mentioned the delicious savor of salt bringing out or enhancing the flavor of certain foods. That is for me and many of us an important part of salt’s characteristic. I am blessed with low blood pressure so I tend to sprinkle salt generously. So now we know all about salt!
Yet for the context and deeper understanding, I’ll continue. Jesus is constantly teaching The Twelve and perhaps multitudes in other times and places. The original Apostles had responded to Jesus’ call, left their homes and occupations. The Messiah had called them! They traveled with Him, saw the signs and miracles. Other disciples gathered along the way and listened as Jesus taught about Himself and His mission and how Christians should live. Yet Jesus doesn’t refer to Himself as salt of the earth; the label belongs to the disciples. For the sake of the world, the disciples must be salt. No, wait! Jesus did not say, "You must be salt."
Oh, so when He sends them or us out to teach the Gospel to the world, the salt goes with us in the form of the Word that is carried and taught! Uh... no, Jesus didn’t say it that way either. Matthew 5:13 records Jesus declaring to His followers: "You are the salt of the earth."
Is this merely a helpful expression? There are many gems of wisdom in the Bible, aren’t there, so why do I write a blog post about salt? I say being salt is the essence of our life in Christ. Hang with me, please, as I sweep through Leviticus 2. The instructions emphasize the proper preparation of the offerings. We find the priest burning portions of it. In vs 3 and 10 the "rest of" the grain offering "belongs to Aaron and his sons [priests]; it is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire." Now we find in verse 13 "Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." [Catch that? "The salt of the covenant of your God!" His covenant preserves; it gives meaning and sweet savor for life.]
Ezekiel 43:24 gives instructions concerning the sin offering. I’m totally certain Ezekiel wasn’t just thinking of salt keeping meat from turning green at the time of sacrifice when he referred to a young bull and a ram, "You are to offer them before the Lord, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord."
Exodus 30 would seem to make clear for us that making the sacrifices and producing sweet aromas are holy things, Spiritual things as well as literal. Right attitudes were of the essence. What they did and how they lived for Him were to be "pure and sacred," without corruption. Yes, salted! Exodus 30:34,35: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices ... and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred."
So, Gringo is spouting Old Testament junk about the animal sacrifices. How does that relate to us? Well, the salt was not featured in the animal sacrifice as being some literal need. I’m sure of that. No, we offer our sacrifices of work for Him, of self-denial now and then, of exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit because that is just the way we are. Yes, our attitudes and motivations are of the essence. We don’t add salt to our surroundings, we are salt. Animal sacrifices with salt are not my topic. Nope, I’m talking about purity and freedom from corruption in our lives. Paul refers to our "Spiritual worship." In Romans 12:1ff we are taught that every disciple is to be a sacrifice for God. It is worth printing a few of those verses here: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.
We do not want our living sacrifices to God to be spoiled and it isn’t something that we must hurry to sprinkle with a dab of salt. The sacrifice is us; the salt is us. Saint Frances of Assisi is reported to have said, "Preach constantly; if necessary use words." We don’t have to wake up and resolve to be, or to do, or to say something better this day, because: If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. 2 Cor. 5:17
Faith is active to produce good fruit. One of my ‘modern’ day heros of the Faith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, has said it well: "The call of Christ makes those who respond to it the salt of the earth in their total existence."
I’ll post another, and hopefully shorter blog, to present more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the man that spoke God’s Word, lived God’s Word and died being God’s Word. I’m not saying this man was sinless. No, but maybe we can be encouraged by the faith of one of our almost contemporary disciple brothers. In Bonhoeffer’s total existence he has given us a practical application of what it meant for a man of Faith to be "salt of the earth."
4 comments:
I guess I still don't get what the salt on the sacrifices was meant to stand for.
I really get driven batty by mixed metaphors (have salt in yourselves, but you are the salt...)
Well ... either Gringo is in the process of composing the most unbelievably dazzling response to that comment, or he just sort of said, "Aah, hang it." Perhaps using a somewhat more colorful term than "hang".
I know what Gordan means by the mixed metaphors. They drive me nuts, too. But i'm pretty sure that wasn't exactly a criticism of this post, so much as probably a general comment about how the Bible's utilization of (and apparent rules for) metaphors tends to clash with the ideal preference of our logical Western brains. I notice that about the Bible -- that it sort of requires us to loosen up our own mental rules sometimes; otherwise lots of stuff in there doesn't "stretch" as far as it sort of needs to, in order for its inerrant perfection to remain intact.
(btw - I think what Gringo was saying about the salt on the sacrifices is that it represents us, in light of Jesus' informing of that symbol, and the self-sacrifices required by an obedient life.)
Hmm, quite a lot of salty discussion...
Good blog, Gringo. Ever had salty french fries with ice cream?
Yeah, the mixed metaphors can be a catalyst for battyness.
Hey, when Carmen starts writing it is time for me to come alive. Okay, fellows and young lady (I hope calling someone a lady in this age is not an insult), I report that I have a blog about ready for posting. Was interrupted too much yesterday to finish...and I'm tired all the time.
No, I did not take Gordan's question as an insult in any manner. I suspect all of us give thought to straightening out our metaphors. I searched the internet with the question, what's a metaphor. The answer was: It's a place for sheep to graze.
Oh, no more moaning and groaning out of any of you! Sure, I know it's an old joke, but the youngish group has perhaps not before encountered anyone foolish enough to tell such old jokes. Therefore, the jokes to them are new!
I realize my great delay in writing may have cost me millions of readers. I have some great excuses and some I should never mention. At the office the secretarial staff has utterly failed to schedule deaths in their families well and suddenly there are days when I'm alone here fighting for truth and justice and having all that extra time consuming work on my schedule. It's been a mess for a couple of weeks.
Then, when I'm home after a long full day it is easier to read relaxedly as opposed to racking my brain and writing. Did you all ever try to blend and coordinate the works of two fine Theologians writing books on the same subject. It's a great way to learn, but very difficult to keep a post to about two pages. I've now hit upon the fantastic idea of maybe using the material for a half dozen blog posts--maybe.
Anyway, I'm about to spit out a new blog post.
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