Salt, of course, was already a preservative in the world of Jesus’ day, but if mixed with gypsum when brought from the Dead Sea, it would be flat and insipid and would not serve the purpose people wanted to use it for. The disciples, then, are seen as the world’s salt, a preservative in the dying carcass of a world. If they lose their savor, the world truly stinks and dies. Salt that loses its pungency is worthless; it no longer preserves anything. Saltiness, then, seems to refer to the radical commitment to discipleship that stands above personal honor or preferences. Thus the closing saying means to preserve that character of disciplined life, of being servant of one another, preferring the other, and so being at peace with one another. Here we find something of an inclusio with vv. 33–37 with the repetition of the theme of the disciples as being status conscious. But it is just possible that Schweizer might be correct that this saying could be about being ready to be sacrificed, just as salt is thrown into the fire. For it is only the true, pure salt that is used for such a sacrificial ritual. The suggestion that the disciples should have salt in themselves and be at peace with one another likely draws on Lev[iticus]: “Do not let the salt of the covenant of your God be lacking from your cereal offering.” [Numbers too] speaks of a covenant of salt. Thus to share salt with someone is to share fellowship or even to have a covenant relationship with someone. Thus the point of “have salt in yourselves” would be that the disciples must stop disputing and have true covenantal fellowship among themselves. We have thus come full circle from the beginning of this passage, which mentions the disciples’ disputing[]. --B. Witherington, III., Gospel of Mark: a socio-rhetorical commentary
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 03:40:28 +0000
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