On Monday I closed that blog with the words “Brother and sisters, we are the Church. Be the Church today.”
Just wondering how that’s going for you?
Jesus said to His followers “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). He said this just after His teaching on what we today know as the Beatitudes… that list of virtuous character traits and the blessings that come to those who manifest them. (See Matt. 13:1-12).
The Beatitudes are called that because the term derives from the Vulgate where in Latin these verses begin “Beati sunt…” i.e. “Blessed are…” The traits they extol include poverty of spirit, compassion, meekness, desiring righteousness, mercifulness, purity of heart, peace-making and patient endurance of persecution.
In Galatians Paul itemizes the familiar nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Other lists of blessings, fruits and gifts which manifest through believers from Christ are found throughout the New Testament.
I rather think that Jesus may have had these and other aspects of the character of the Father in mind as He told His followers “You are the salt of the earth.” As if each were a particular grain dropped by a particular saint at a particular time in a particular situation… multiplied by that individual’s many instances and opportunities, responses and attitudes through each day… then multiplied again by all believers “being the Church” in this world day to day, year to year…
No one grain of salt can take credit for the tastiness of any dish, but all the grains having their individual saltiness do wonders.
- Salt is white, indicating its purity before God.
- Salt enhances the flavor of things, as we make Christ attractive to an otherwise bland world.
- Salt stings in an open wound, thereby revealing what needs attention.
- Salt creates a thirst, a thirst for that which is soul-quenching.
- Salt serves as a preservative, restraining God’s wrath and giving lost souls more opportunity to find life.
- Salt as electrolytes transmits power… electricity, as God the Holy Spirit works through us.
Be salt. Be the Church.
Press on…
thebrokenrunner 
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