Salt

[pete_bowes]

Saint Mark 9:41-50.

“Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”

Is the salt of a man his measure of courage?

 

[1Lord1Faith]

I believe the man who keeps the salt in him shows his measure of perseverance. It does take courage to keep the purifying nature of the holy Spirit in him.

 

[pete_bowes]

Amen to that.

 

[jcrichton]

Saint Mark 9:41-50.

“Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”

Is the salt of a man his measure of courage?

Hi, Pete!

…in a round about way:

12 This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends, if you do the things that I command you. (St. John 15:12-14)

…though not courage in the human sense (vets, warlords, ninja masters and the works); rather, the salt is directly related to God: salt = peace; as with the poor widow:

1 And looking on, he saw the rich men cast their gifts into the treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in two brass mites. 3 And he said: Verily I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God: but she of her want, hath cast in all the living that she had. (St. Luke 21:1-4)

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (St. Matthew 10:21-22)

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:14-17)

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[pete_bowes]

Salt preserves. Salt seasons.

 

[Nelka]

Ver. 49. Become unsavoury; i.e. if he, who has once received the faith, should apostatize from it, what is there that can possibly convert him from his wicked ways? since even the salt, with which he was salted, is become unsavoury, i.e. the doctrines he formerly received are no longer of any use. (Nicholas of Lyra)

 

[Todd977]

Seems to be anyone’s guess.

Here’s a link to St Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea, Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, link. Commentaries on verses 43-50 appear in the last quarter of the webpage.

Here’s a link to the Catholic Biblical Association’s 1942 A Commentary on the New Testament, Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, link.

Here’s a link to the New American Bible, Revised Edition, Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, link. Footnote commentary on verse 49 is near the bottom of the page.

 

[kdbueno]

Salt symbolizes the infinite mercy of God. Light symbolizes the perfect achievement of divine law.

 

[BobCatholic]

Salt seasons and flavors. This is the salt impacting others.

But if the salt does not season or flavor, it takes on the seasoning and flavor of the other stuff near it.

In other words: Impact or be impacted. There is no third choice.