Lent Day 32 - Saturday
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it
has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and
trampled underfoot as worthless.”
(Matthew 5:12-14)
Last Sunday at the
Tybee Church, Julie Livingston gave the Gospel Lesson from this passage in the
Sermon on the Mount. This has always been one of my favorite sections of the
Bible, has been the source of many of my soapbox moments and I feel one of
those moments coming on. However, Julie used an illustration that simply
“wowed” me and brought this verse into simple understanding. She had ordered a
votive candle holder made entirely from pure salt. As she spoke, she mentioned
that a friend of his wasn’t sure it was all salt, so he licked it and quickly
agreed that it was definitely salt. Of course, “Doubting Jimmy” had to do the
same thing and, yes, it was definitely a big chunk of pure salt. I was drinking
water most of the way home that afternoon.
Anyway, Julie talked
about how we are to make the difference in our world because of the Light of
Christ which burns in our lives. As she talked, she lit the candle and the salt
holder began to glow with the softest, most beautiful subtle light ever seen.
The holder itself was a whitish, orangish color, but when the candlelight began
to shine through it, all manner of hues of red, coral, orange, beige and
everything in between showed through. It was a beautiful thing. The light
inside the salt made the all the difference in the light at the altar.
We, as the Church,
are to be this glowing and beautiful receptacle. The light inside is not from a
simple votive candle, but from Christ himself.
We are here to show the world and people around us that there is a
difference between us and them. If we live the life that God wants us to live
and set the example that God wants us to set, then people will be attracted to
our glow and want it for themselves. However, too often, Christians begin to
water down their beliefs and faith to “fit into the world.” We begin to accept
and even practice behavior, language and moral standards which the Bible speaks
strongly against, because, well…we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and we
disguise it with “God loves us all.” And, God DOES love us all, but He does not
like, nor approve, nor accept immorality and impure actions or thoughts.
In the passage above, Jesus gave us the instructions to be
the salt in this world. To be the flavoring. To be the seasoning that makes
living better. Just as my french fries are intolerable without a ton of salt,
so would this world be without Christians providing the seasoning of God’s Love
for all. Even though all of us mess up. Christians as well as non-Christians.
God still loves us and rushes to forgive us if we only ask.
There are rules in life. God gave us the rules by which to
live. Rules which are not negotiable. Rules are rules. And if we obey the
rules, all goes well. But, when we stretch or adapt the rules, well, sometimes
we get caught and lose the game or else we have to deal with the repercussions
at a future time.
During this season of Lent, I have been very struck by the
inconsistency of professing Christians, with myself at the top of the list. Am
I setting the standards that God would want, or do I keep quiet for the sake of
avoiding conflict? I realized today that I need to continue making changes in
my life so that I can be the best salt shaker possible. Regardless of the
consequences. So….that’s where I am today. And, yes, I bought a salt candle
holder for myself as a daily reminder.
And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according
to Jimmy. Blessed be the Name of the LORD!
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