Salt Without Taste Is Worthless
Luke 14:34-35
34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Observations and Reflections
Matthew and Luke both contain this metaphorical message by Jesus. However, the two gospel writers used the phrase in very different ways. Matthew included the saying during the sermon on the mount, as an encouragement to the audience to be the salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16).
Luke uses the metaphor during a block of text in which Jesus is condemning the religious elites and (believed by many) the Jewish people. In other words, Jesus is saying that the Jews had one job and like the barren fig tree, without it’s fruit it’s worthless. The barren tree and the tasteless salt have become worthless to the one in whom they are meant to serve.
The two drastically different usages of this passage by Luke and Matthew can seem concerning to some. In Matthew it would appear that Jesus is suggesting that one can lose their salvation (a view held by many denominations), while in Luke it appears that Jesus is telling the Jewish people that they are no longer of any value to God. While it might be difficult to unify these two thoughts, allow me to suggest that whether Jew or Christian, if we are not walking with the Lord then we are walking away from him and we should not test the patience of our creator. After all, the Lord says in the Revelation of John,
[to the church in Laodicea] So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)
We must pick a road, either of life or death. Let us always choose life.
As Christians we need a daily reminder of the message of the Gospel and its impact on our lives. Having the Gospel at the forefront of our hearts each day keeps us active and filled with a joy that is daily being filled with what God has done for us. Without making sure that we are immersing ourselves in God’s word each day, we will begin to loose our joy in Christ and the effectiveness we can have on others.
Jesus Christ is pointing at something very simple yet profound. Without the Salt having its main use, which is to flavor its food, it then becomes useless and one may wonder how something that is meant to flavor something, ever be useful again. In the same way, when we are not making an effort to grow in our walk with Christ, what use are we to ourselves and to others.
Each day is a new opportunity to be reminded of what God has done for us. It is a chance that we have to continually grow in our walk with Christ and strengthen our faith in Him. Do not grow deaf to God’s word and the lessons He has in store for you. Instead, pursue Him with all your heart and watch as your life begins to grow and become a vessel that is useful for Him.