Tasteless
Reflective Reading: Luke 14
At first glance, Luke chapter 14 is a puzzle. The last verse especially doesn’t seem to fit. We’ll start with the last two verses, then work our way from the beginning. Jesus closes saying:
“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Lk 14:34, 35).
Before I comment on the meaning of salt losing its savour, we need to see how Luke introduces this amazing chapter. Verse one reads:
“And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.”
There are two points that interest me. The first is that Jesus is eating at a Pharisee’s house, and the second is that he is being watched. Why are they watching him? The next verse helps to answer the question:
“And, behold, there was a certain man before [Jesus] which had the dropsy.
Dropsy is a condition where fluid is retained in the tissues and cavities of the body. In modern day vernacular, this would be akin to kidney or liver failure. In Jesus’ day, this would have been terminal. It appears that someone in the Pharisees’ circle has tried to set Jesus up to see if he is going to heal on the Sabbath day. I like how Jesus responds:
“‘Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?’ And they could not answer him again to these things.”
This is the first of six important lessons—that of hypocrisy. Jesus heals the man full of fluids to rebuke the Pharisee and the honored guests, who are filled with hypocrisy. They are more concerned about their “chief” positions and their attitudes of superiority than they are about this man’s physical and spiritual condition. The healing of a fluid-filled man is easier than the healing of a hypocritically filled man.
Jesus teaches the next lesson by telling a parable which reflects the way they have chosen the chief seats and chief rooms. He says:
“But when thou art bidden (to a feast), go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Lk 14:10, 11).
Lesson one was about hypocrisy. Lesson two is about humility (which is the cure for hypocrisy).
Next, in verses 12—14, Jesus teaches about partiality or favoritism. Following up on privileged seating, Jesus teaches that if one wants to be blessed in the kingdom of God, then they need to invite guests that are poor, maimed, lame, and blind. Jesus emphasizes that festal celebrations are for everyone. This directly confronted the Pharisees regarding their “exclusive club” mentality.
About thirty years ago, I attended Summit Baptist Bible Church in Pennsylvania. I was attending seminary, and we were homeschooling. The church was thriving! The hallways were packed with joyful Christians, and there was an abundance of children. As our church grew, so did our outreach. One Bible study was held at a residential care facility that was filled with elderly and handicapped individuals. One of those individuals was George.
George was in his 40s and was severely handicapped. When he was in his early 20s, he was a very athletic and handsome young man. A car accident changed everything. His body would never be the same—nor would his soul. What changed most was that George came to know Jesus as his Savior. George then spent most of his life after the accident coordinating schedules and inviting people to the Bible study he started. As George grew weaker in body, he grew stronger in delegation! During this time, he enlisted countless men from our church to conduct the Bible study.
Attendance grew, and then something happened! The men of our church started to bring the handicapped individuals from Bible study to church on Sunday morning. Each Sunday, you could see men like Carl and Mike carry men and women from their wheelchairs into the church. The aisles started to be filled with wheelchair attendees! It really was a sight to behold. It may have been a lot of work, but those were the best years our church had ever seen.
Lesson one was about hypocrisy. Lesson two was about humility, which is the cure for hypocrisy. Lesson three is about partiality—and the best way to overcome it is to serve those who can’t repay or reward such kindness.
Lesson four connects to lesson three nicely. Jesus continues with his “invitation to supper” theme by sharing a story about three guests who had been invited to a feast but make excuses as to why they cannot attend.
The first said unto him, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.”
And another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.”
And another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
This fourth lesson is that of excuses. It has been said that 80% of the work in the church is done by 20% of the members. Whenever I have an important assignment to delegate, I always give it to my busiest staff person. Why? Because they are the one I trust the most to get the work done. When I need a carpenter or mason, I always contact the busiest and most reputable craftsman. They are never at a lack for work because they availed themselves of the opportunities they were given early in their career. What powerful spiritual implications these truths hold! When there’s something that needs to be done or an opportunity arises that you have the time and talent to fulfill, move on it without excuse!
I will never forget the time I was asked to speak on behalf of a small Christian school in Iowa. They wanted me to speak to parents to help raise money to build a small school building. I told them that fundraising was not my gifting. They didn’t care. They said all they wanted was for me to come and reach the hearts of parents—the funding was secondary.
This would be a long trip, flying out to speak for one hour just to fly back the next day, but I agreed. I once told the Lord that I would walk through any door he opened—regardless of the cost. That small Christian school also told me that they could not promise that I would be paid for my services but would give me an honorarium of 10% of the money that was raised that night. My thought was that this group of maybe 20 parents might give a total of a $1,000. Christian school parents don’t have a lot of money, and they are already paying tuition.
The money didn’t matter. It was an incredible time of sharing God’s Word and seeing lives change through genuine repentance. God’s grace penetrated in a powerful way that evening. The next day, I opened the envelope and to my shock, the 10% came to a total of $10,000! Only God! I learned a valuable lesson that day. Go where God wants you to go and serve those God wants you to serve, regardless of how much they can pay or how well-to-do they might be. Don’t make excuses when God opens doors!
In Jesus’ closing statement regarding excuses, he says:
“For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”
Don’t miss out on what God has planned for you! When God is prodding you and opens a door—go! Run! Note also the word “taste” in the above text. This word connects beautifully with the four lessons we have been talking about. So far, everything Jesus has taught takes place at a dinner/feast. This theme of “taste” appears here and in the conclusion of the chapter.
Let’s now move on to our fifth lesson—counting the cost. Jesus desires for his group of hearers to know that enjoyment of God’s duty and rewards require us to count the cost. This lesson is not an easy pill to swallow, but it’s an essential one. Jesus continues by saying:
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26, 27, 33).
This brings us to the last lesson— that of salt and savour. Jesus says:
“Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Lk 14:34, 35).
How does this fit with these previous five lessons?
Lesson #1 — Hypocrisy
Lesson #2 — Humility
Lesson #3 — Partiality
Lesson #4 — Excuses
Lesson #5 — Counting the Cost
Lesson #6 is that of lost “savour.” The meaning of the word savour is not what you might expect. It is the word for simpleton! It is closely linked to the word moron. The Greek word literally means insipid or the act of becoming a fool. The word insipid, as an adjective, means to lack flavor, taste, or exciting qualities. It describes food that is bland or a person, book, or idea that is dull and boring; a person who has a tasteless existence.
The Christian life needs to be lived in full-color; full of flavor, creativity, and excitement! Jesus is teaching his listeners that a person who is alive and full of flavor and aroma is one who doesn’t wear a mask, daily humbles himself, gives himself to others, doesn’t make excuses, and is willing to do anything God requires because he has counted the cost. These are the people who live life to the fullest and get to enjoy all the blessings and rewards God has planned for them. Furthermore, if they live a salty life, they bring flavor and enjoyment to those around them.
This brings me to some final thoughts. Salt cannot lose its flavor! But it can lose its “savour”! God has called us to be the salt of the earth. The only way that salt can lose its flavor is if the salt has become polluted. When salt becomes filled with dirt and other polluted substances, it is good for nothing but to be used as road salt or weed killer (trampled underfoot). There is one way, however, to get the pollution out of salt. You must immerse the dirty salt in water; then you can separate the dirt, evaporate the water, and extract the purified salt.
Friends, if you have become a tasteless Christian, the way back is to immerse yourself in the Word. Little by little, your taste or “flavor” will return. Little by little, you will become more attractive, more appealing, and more aromatic to others. The Apostle Paul wrote:
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life” (2 Cor 2:14—16).
The Greek word for “savour” that Paul uses here is the opposite word for savour that Jesus used in Luke. The word in 2nd Corinthians carries the idea of a sweet fragrance. When we are immersed in the knowledge of God, we become a sweet fragrance to those around us—and that fragrance lingers after we are gone. Most importantly, we are a sweet fragrance to God himself!
When we walk with humility, don’t make excuses, count the cost, and do whatever it is that God has called us to do, God is enjoying the fragrance of our lives just like we would enjoy the fragrance of a rose during the day and honeysuckle by night.
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.
Recommended Reading and Listening:
The Basket of Flowers book/audio drama (Ages 8+)
The French Fugitive (Ages 12+)
The Artist (Ages 14+)
Through a Needle’s Eye (Ages 14+)
Charlies Choice book/audio drama (Ages 6+)
The Wanderer book/audio drama (Ages 10+)
