Luke 14:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

NIV: "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?

NASB: Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

CSB: "Now, salt is good, but if salt should lose its taste, how will it be made salty?

NLT: Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again?

KJV: Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

NKJV: “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?

To teach about the kingdom of God, Jesus started by applying the situation to spiritual truths through parables. When invited to a banquet, you should never presume honor but wait for the host to bestow it (Luke 14:7–11). If you give a banquet, do not invite those who can return to favor; invite those who can't and let God repay you (Luke 14:12–14). Know that God will invite many to His feast at the resurrection, but only those who accept His invitation will enjoy it (Luke 14:15–24).

Jesus then warns the crowd that if they wish to follow Him, they must carefully consider what it will cost them. They must be willing to give up everything they hold dear if those things and people do not fit into God's plan (Luke 14:25–33).

The idea of salt losing its saltiness is foreign for most of us now. In Jesus' time, people got salt from dried pools at the Dead Sea. The salt was not purified; "salt" included gypsum and other minerals from the surface of the ground. Sometimes, the mixture got wet and the salt washed away, leaving the dirt and sand behind. At that point, the mixture was useless and thrown away. Another way to think of this is that salt is only useful because it is "salty:" it's not pretty, or valuable, or useful other than its chemical properties. If the distinctive quality of the salt is gone, it's devoid of any value.

Jesus isn't talking about salvation; salvation can't be "washed away." He's encouraging the crowds to seriously consider whether they want to be His disciple: whether they are ready for a potential lifetime of sacrifice and hardship. They mustn't follow Him because He heals and provides food. The discipleship life isn't about what they can get out of it, but what they will give. If they can't remain faithful, sacrificial, and generous, their title as Jesus' disciple will be useless.

Of course, we all experience times where we are discouraged, tired, and unmotivated. That is when we most rely on the Holy Spirit to provide us with the "salt" we need.

Luke 14:34–35 finishes Jesus' teaching on the serious consequences of following Him. His followers need to be willing to sacrifice their families, their lives, and all the possessions they own (Luke 14:25–33). Here, Jesus explains that it does no good to jump into the Christian life and then slowly drift away. Citizens of the kingdom of God need to remain "salty"—be strong in the faith. If they don't, at best they are useless; at worst they prove they aren't really Christians. Next, Jesus presents three parables about how God actively seeks the lost. This metaphor of salt is also in Matthew 5:13.

Luke 14 continues Jesus' doctrinal march to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke 14 and 15 contain the second grouping of one miracle and a series of discussions about the kingdom of God and salvation; Luke 13:10–35 is the first. Next will be a collection of warnings about rejecting God's kingdom (Luke 16:1—17:10) and two more sets of lessons about the kingdom and salvation, each beginning with a single miracle (Luke 17:11—18:34; 18:35—19:27). After this comes Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.