We can toss around slights such as “moron” and “dim bulb” tastelessly, but we should take great pause when such words take center stage in a major teaching from Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus).

In this third part of a deep dive into the Sermon on the Mount and Sermon on the Plain, we explore His parables of salt and light, digging into the lessons they give for how the Kingdom will operate at the time of the “a new heavens and a new Earth” (Isa. 66:22-23; Rev. 22:1-2) and right now.

Salt of the earth: To everything a season

“’You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.’” (Matthew 5:13 NASB)

Luke recorded Yeshua recitation of this parable in a different context (Luke 14:25–35). The punchline parable on salt was part of a multilayered teaching in Luke 14 that started with Yeshua’s healing a man on Shabbat and included people jockeying for position, status and honor at the event meeting. 

Mark recorded Yeshua told the parable of salt while rebuking His disciples for blocking children from “barging in” on Yeshua’s teaching and for wanting to stop an “outsider” who was calling on the power of Heaven in Yeshua’s name. 

“’For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’” (Mark 9:49–50 NASB)

Saltless

Unsalty in Mark is translated from ἄναλος analos (G0358), which is simply without ἅλας halas (G217), or without salt. The context of the passage is to be content with the standing of others before God and of yourself before God.  In other words, having this “salt” means to have a similar view of other people that God has of them.

Tasteless

Tasteless in those Matthew and Luke passages is translated from μωραίνω moraino (G3471). 

Μωραίνω comes from μωρός mōros or μωρόν moron (G3474), from which came into English in the early 20th century as “a medical term denoting an adult with a mental age of about 8–12.” 

What we would call a “moronic” statement is a statement that makes the situation worse. It doesn’t improve the conversation or enlighten those who listen to it. 

Μωρός appears again in Matt. 5:22, where calling someone that carries with it the sentence of being thrown into “fiery hell,” literally “Gehenna of fire.

Uses of μωραίνω in the Apostolic Writings and the Septuagint illustrate just how “salt” can become “saltless.”

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart [ἀσύνετος asunetos, G801, “without understanding”] was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools [μωραίνω], and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:18–25 NASB)

Do you know the law or just talk about it? Do we profess to be wise while speaking like a moron?