Prayer Pointers:
To joy in living the Salty Life
For those growing in faith
For peace with neighbors
Today’s text: Mark 9:42-50
THE FIRST HEARERS of Jesus’ words would have caught the allusion to the Temple and its sacrificial rites. Burnt offerings were liberally salted as a sign of cleansing and of whole-hearted devotion, as salt was an incredibly precious and valuable commodity in the ancient world. From this reference, Jesus is calling his disciples to practice what we might call the “discipline of salt,” living lives that extend hospitality, speaking words seasoned with wisdom, and understanding that they themselves are the “sacrifice” being prepared for God. Jesus as the Lamb of God prepares the way so that each of his followers can be an acceptable sacrifice to God. In other words, the Christians were the first to live the Salt Life!
Being a “salty Christian” means accepting that the way and path we walk will cause us to stand out from our neighbors. We are kind, not cruel or scornful to those who are growing in knowledge and wisdom. We share freely who we are and what we have been given. We bear our errors and failings ourselves rather than make others scapegoats. We live at peace with our neighbors, even as we are at peace with God. We are not dismayed as our lives are “salted with fire,” refined away until what is essential and true gleams and shines like fine gold. In all of this, we live the “Salty Life of Jesus” and discover God’s wonderful blessing.
May your day be grace-filled ~ Pr. Dave Brooks