Tag Archives: Discipleship

What are you looking at?

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No, I don’t mean it like that.

I’m still reeling a bit from yesterday’s sermon (every now and then even I preach one that messes with me).  It was Transfiguration Sunday, and of course the text for the day was Matthew 17:1-8.

If you’ve been in church a while, you know the story.  Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on the mountain to pray.  While there, Jesus is transfigured, that is, His face shone like the sun, His clothes were white as light.  For a moment, the disciples actually caught a glimpse of Christ in His glory, radiant in splendor.  There with Him were Moses and Elijah – and Peter, and there are endless possibilities for his motive here, said let’s build a tent.  Then a bright cloud surrounded them, and they heard a voice from heaven saying, “This is my son, whom I love, listen to him.”  Peter, James, and John fell on thier faces, knowing they were in the presence of God.  Then Jesus comes to them, touching them and saying, “Rise, have no fear.”  Then Matthew tells us, when they lifted their eyes, “they saw no one but Jesus only.”

That last line really hit me.  Who have I been looking at lately?  What are you looking at?

I hear friends stressing over thier relationships, worrying about what other people think about them, why they never feel accepted. 

I hear others who are so overwhelmed by the circumstances of life, they know they don’t have the strength to go on, and they wonder if God really even cares about them.

I hear some who want to grow closer to the Lord, but struggle with daily discipline, keep facing set-backs in their fight against sin, and wonder if it’s worth all the effort.

I hear some who think that the previous sentence is pointless – that the only sin that really exists is the judgment others have placed on us, or that we place on ourselves, that true savlation comes in learning to accept ourselves and others – and that’s what Jesus is about.

I hear pastors pondering if the church as we know it is dead or worth reviving, if perhaps we shouldn’t look to new “emerging” models of being the church.  Shelves are filled, key words buzz around, innovative speakers get paid well to sell their idea of what the church should be.

I hear all this, and I wonder, “What are you looking at?”

Are you looking at what the world thinks of you, or what Jesus thinks?  Are you measuring yourself against the standard of the world, or in the grace and mercy of God in Christ.  Are you placing yourself under the judgment of the law, or are you living by the Spirit of Chirst?  Are you considering the cross of Christ which purchased your pardon from sin and death, so that you may no longer be a slave to the old way of life, so that you can live in the new life He has given?  Are you looking to Christ, who gave His life so that His bride, the church, could be cleansed and preserved for Himself?

Are you looking to the world, or are you looking to Christ.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

SDG

The Salt of the Earth

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“You are the salt of the earth…” (Matthew 5:13)

In its modern day usage, this phrase suggests an “everyman” quality – hard working, humble, and lacking pretension.  Since salt is such a common yet ubiquitous element, it is easy to see how we would interpret the phrase in this way.  Nor would it be hard to imagine Jesus calling His disciples the salt of the earth.  They were average, ordinary guys who followed Jesus, fishermen, farmers, and tax collectors.  There were no princes in His entourage.  And this is good news for those who follow Christ today.  We don’t have to be powerful and well-known to be His disciples.

Still, I believe this common understanding of “salt of the earth” has lost something in the modern era.  Today, when we think of salt, we see table salt, used sparingly to bring out the flavor of our meal, or perhaps rock salt used to melt away the ice and snow off of our sidewalks.  But at one time, salt was a precious commodity, sold and traded in the market at high value.  Not only did salt enhance the flavor of food, but before refrigeration, it was used as a preservative.  Salt even had cleansing and healing properties.

So when Jesus said, “you are the salt of the earth,” it would stand to reason that he had these qualities in mind.  Those who know Christ and the power of His resurrection, having their sins forgiven and their guilt washed away in the blood of Jesus, are now to be the salt of the earth.  Jesus’ disciples are to bring the flavor of life to those who have tasted only the bland hopelessness and despair that a fallen world can offer.  Jesus’ disciples are to be an influencing and preserving agent in the world, a positive influence of love and grace for the world to see.

Sometimes, though, the salt of the earth loses its saltiness.  Now, technically, it is impossible for salt to be not salty.  However, when mixed with impurities the salt can leach away and thereby the salt content is diluted.  When this happens, the salt is useless; you cannot eat it, you dare not use it to preserve your food, all it is good for is being thrown out on the road to be trampled underfoot. 

As we consider the call to be the salt of the earth, here are some questions to consider:

  1. Have I polluted myself with the things of this world: godlessness, rudeness, fighting, selfishness, lying, anger, envy, gossip, passions, etc, so that I can be the salt of the world?
  2. When I am around others who don’t know the Lord, am I a positive, purifying influence in their lives?
  3. When people hear the things I say, see the things I do, do they “taste and see” that the Lord is good?

May God grant you the grace to be the salt of the earth today.

Grace and peace,

SDG