Devo 32
01/09/01
Here we go, the first devo of the official new millennium. This has been a good month for me, I've learned a lot; about God, and about myself personally. I hope the winter break went well for those of you that had it, and that the coming semester will be your best--no really I do!
"Preservers and Purifiers"
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13
For me, this has always been a passage that I only barely understood. Beyond the vague understanding that being salt is something good, I've never really understood why Jesus would refer to me as salt. Well, He wasn't speaking directly to me when He said this, but not many would disagree that today's Christian should be able to identify with this verse. In fact, the phrase 'salt of the earth' has become so common that a lot of people wouldn't recognize it as coming from the Bible. It's just a nice little phrase that is to be taken as a compliment that no one really knows the meaning of. Well, what does it mean? We use salt today to bring out the flavor of foods, so as the salt of the earth, am I supposed to bring out the earth's natural flavor? The naturalists and humanitarians would like that interpretation; embrace diversity, celebrate our differences. I don't know. I agree with the basic ideas there is beauty in our differences and that it would be better for humans to live in peace than be at war. But is this all that Jesus was saying? Was this statement an allegorical plea to his listeners to flavor the earth, to bring out its natural distinctiveness and live at peace with each other? (Mark 9:50) Maybe partly, but I think to leave it there would be to miss the deeper flavor of this passage.
"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Leviticus 2:13
As near as I can tell, this is the first reference to salt in Scripture, and what a reference. God is telling Moses and the priests that all offerings brought before God must be seasoned with salt. The passage doesn't explain the details of what the salt does, but I think we can reasonably deduce at least some of it. Do you remember what meat merchants used to prevent spoiling when they had to transport their meat across the country before the ice machine was invented? That's right, salt. Salt has long been known as a kind of preservative. Somehow, by treating a piece of meat with salt, the processes of decay would be slowed. I'm guessing that it does this by killing off bacteria that may be living inside the meat. In this way, the salt not only acts as a preserver, but as a purifier as well. Not only is the meat preserved, it is purified of the bacteria that would cause decay.
Is this what God had in mind when He gave Moses this command? Hard to say, but I think the applications are still valid. Read through the books of the law some time and you'll notice the extreme importance God places on Holiness and purity in all aspects of life. Well, why not in the sacrifices as well? If placing salt on a sacrifice serves to purify the meat or grain, it makes perfect sense that God would command this of the offerings brought before Him. And I'll bet the Jews listening to Jesus on the mount would have understood this as well, or at least recalled the Levitical command. 'You are the salt of the earth.' You are the preservers and purifiers of the earth. As a member of God's family I act as both a purifying agent and a preserving agent. And these two go hand in hand. Without purification, preservation can't happen.
But what's this about losing my saltiness? The salt that has lost its saltiness will be thrown out, it's not good for anything anymore. Can you remember a similar statement from the book of John? "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch...and burned." John 15:6 This verse is from the 'Vine and Branches' passages. The passage says that any branch (believer) that does not remain on the vine will not produce fruit and will therefore be pruned and finally burned. The branch that loses it fruitfulness will be burned; the salt that loses its saltiness will be trampled underfoot. But the branch that remains on the vine will produce much fruit, and the salt that retains its saltiness will not be thrown out.
Being the salt of the earth means much more than just being 'flavor-crystals' sprinkled among humanity. Being the salt of the earth means being the very agents of purification and preservation that our world so badly needs. Does that seem too lofty a calling for a mere human? Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." John 15:16 And Paul tells us that we are ambassadors for Christ. The message of the New Testament is clear; God want to use us, His children, to spread the good news of the Savior to the world. Through Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, death no longer has power to those redeemed by grace, and it is our job, as purifiers and preservers, as the salt of the earth, to go out and drive away the death and decay so prevalent in this world.