Have you ever been to a market and seen clothing that is around half the price of what you would pay in stores? You soon discover they are fakes – knock offs. They have the same branding – they look the same – and you can’t understand why the real brands cost so much more when there doesn’t seem to be any difference. But over time you begin to see the difference. When you wash them and they fade or go out of shape. They break down soon after buying them. But you can’t tell the difference when you first buy them by looking at them.
I heard an interesting comment that you don’t learn what is fake by studying them looking for faults. You study the original – the real ones and you can then quickly discover the fakes once you are very accustomed to the real product. The same can be said of the Christian faith. Many people are disillusioned with the Christian faith because what they see doesn’t really represent what the Christian faith should be. And that happens when the Church believes that its mission is to be like the world it lives in. That is not what we are called to do. Jesus says we are called to be the salt of the earth.
Salt has various functions which can also represent the mission of the church. Salt is used to flavour. Could you imagine fish n chips without salt? It would be so bland. In fact many people don’t taste food first to see if it needs salt – they reach and add salt automatically. But imagine if you reached for the sugar by accident. It looks like salt but you would immediately notice the difference when you taste it. Likewise the Church brings flavour to the world when it teaches true Christian principles. Forgiveness instead of retribution – turning the other cheek. Unconditional love – even loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. Sometimes that becomes counter-culture when we have to call out injustices and don’t accept the changes of the world as we point out error. Just think how counter-culture Jesus was when he asked his Father to forgive those who were crucifying him. When he ate with sinners – when he touched lepers – associated with Samaritans. But forgiveness doesn’t mean overlooking or accepting sinful behavour but seeing reconciliation with God as always an open path – like the woman who was caught in adultery. She was not condemned but told to ‘sin no more’. But Jesus points out that following God’s commandments are not only important but essential. As Jesus says: Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
And that’s where another quality of salt comes in – to preserve. Even with modern methods of preserving food such as refrigeration, salt is God’s gift of preserving food by creating a hostile environment for bacteria. Likewise the Church preserves the beauty of God’s world by preserving God’s presence in the world. We only have to look at what happens to our world when God’s presence is ignored. Immorality and unethical behaviour prevails and in fact confuses people where evil is called good and good is called evil. Sin is called ‘fun’ – progressiveness – enlightenment – modern times.
It’s like buying a product on the internet – the picture looks like the real product – they even use the authentic brand names – but it’s so cheap. So you buy it and when it arrives it sort of looks like a real product but then over time it begins to become faulty. Likewise, through sin, we don’t recognise the path we are going on when we start to reduce our time with God. We don’t realise the harm it is doing to our relationship with God. Life looks the same but – We don’t’ worship as much – we don’t pray as much – we don’t read God’s word as much – and soon we can’t tell the difference between the ways of the world and the ways of God. And that’s where God’s presence reveals the way we’ve been heading and it can be a real shock to understand what we have allowed our lives to be affected by. We don’t realised how far we have strayed from God.
And that’s the 3rd use of salt – to heal. Salt has strong healing qualities. Many gargle salt water to heal a sore throat.
Salt water can be used to heal infections. But salt can also hurt when it does its healing – as the saying goes – rubbing salt into a wound. It stings – but so too God’s healing can be painful as we realise what we have done. Repentance is not easy which is why it’s easier to justify ourselves rather than have God justify. It is easier to remove ourselves from God so we don’t experience guilt. Which is what Adam and Eve did – they hid from God. John’s revelation said he saw a double edged sword coming out of Jesus’ mouth in the vision of Jesus that he saw. Jesus himself said – Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Likewise the book of Hebrews says – For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Jesus’ words – his law – is like a surgeon’s scalpel that needs to cut deep in order to heal. And it can leave scars – as Jacob discovered after his wrestle with God. He received his blessing – he received his new name – but he walked away with a lifelong limp. His name became Israel which means one who struggles with God.
Likewise our lifelong journey with God can be a struggle as we are constantly called back from our sinfulness. But then comes the healing. The Grace of God that comes from the cross – the new tree of life whose leaves are the healing of the nation. And this is what God has called on us to reveal to the world as his light. Sometimes it is easier to keep our faith private. It’s safer. We’ll just go to church – feel secure about our salvation. But Jesus needs our faith to be seen. Jesus says: You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Even Paul experienced the nervousness of proclaiming his faith despite his personal experience with Jesus. He said: I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Let us remember – the church doesn’t need the world to accept it. The world needs the church to be the salt and light of the world. It needs a true Church not one that has lost its saltiness. It needs a Church to shine in the world so the world will give glory to God and know the true healing that he brings. And just like salt enhancing the taste of your food – as King David said in Psalm 34. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
