GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 950
Substitutes
There are many substitutes. Beside my desk is a box labeled “Rubber Bands.” The box is probably ten years old. The rubber bands are now stiff and break easily, unlike classic rubber bands made from natural rubber. Manufacturers make most modern rubber bands from substitutes—synthetic rubber, a petroleum-based material. For weight-conscious individuals, there are several sugar substitutes. For those with conditions such as high blood pressure, there are salt substitutes, also known as low-sodium salts. Advertisers claim these substitutes retain a flavor similar to natural salt. Salt substitutes first appeared in the early 1900s, when scientists began experimenting with potassium chloride for individuals needing to restrict sodium intake. They entered the wholesale market in the post–World War II era, coinciding with a growing interest in dietary health.
Jesus concluded his lesson to his disciples about avoiding things that destroy faith by warning against substitutes, saying: “Salt is good, but if salt becomes unsalty, by what will you season it? Have in yourselves salt and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50) Here, salt serves metaphorically as a cleansing and preserving agent. The people to whom Jesus spoke believed that if they left salt out in the weather, it would lose its saltness. Mark’s term for denatured salt is “saltless” (ἄναλον, analon—saltless, tasteless, insipid, or lifeless). If the cleansing and preserving presence of God in one’s life is lost, how will one be cleansed and preserved?
One substitute for the cleansing and preserving work of God in life is behavioral change. An individual addicted to alcohol can marshal resources and break that addiction. Someone addicted to cigarettes can break that addiction. One who easily loses composure may struggle to control their emotions. These admirable behavioral changes, however, are not the cleansing and preserving work of the Holy Spirit, which comes from outside the individual and brings about essential spiritual change. Thus, Jesus told his disciples—who had been disputing among themselves about place and privilege in his kingdom—to have salt and be at peace (these words are imperatives) with one another. Those who listen carefully can still hear these timeless commands: have salt and peace.
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