Salt and peace

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.  – Mark 9.50

Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with each other.

What could that possibly mean? How does salt in ourselves go with peace with others?

We need to look at salt first. When these people heard the word ‘salt’ they did not picture the nice refined table salt that we think of when we hear the word. Their salt was rough and course and mixed with all kinds of impurities. It could be processed and used for seasoning, but mostly it was used to preserve meat.

However, is salt was not cared for the actual salt could leach out of the ‘salt’ leaving nothing but the impurities. That salt was worthless. Jesus says here that as His people we are to ‘have salt in ourselves.’ In another place He said that we are the salt of the earth.

But saltiness can be irritating at times as well as be healing and seasoning and preserving. I think that is why Jesus says to have salt, but remember to be at peace with each other. Like so much of our Christian lives we balance our saltiness with striving for peace.

Don’t lose your salt – but be peaceful about using it.