Shortly after I got married, I began to play disc golf regularly. During a round at Brandywine Creek State Park, my friend Dave and I threw a couple of discs into high grass. Prior to the rise in Lyme Disease cases, checking for ticks never entered my mind. Oddly enough, each of us contracted this debilitating condition. While on vacation in Montana, my skin revealed the classic bullet, an obvious sign of Lyme Disease. Unfortunately, Dave’s condition went undiagnosed for months. Although Dave eventually recovered, he permanently lost his sense of taste.
“Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? – Luke 14:34
A first century doctor refers to a spiritual condition in the passage above. Jesus uses the analogy of expired salt to illustrate this point. Tasteless salt is similar to a Christian who does not practice the principles of the Bible. According to Jesus, disciples should add spiritual flavor to the lives of outsiders, those unfamiliar with the concept of Christianity. When believers blend into the world like chameleons, Jesus refers to these individuals as tasteless.
It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words,” Luke 14:35.
Sometimes the truth hurts, especially when you are called out by a co-worker, friend or mentor. In this case, unsalted Christians are useless, like trash needing to be thrown away. When joking around with my sons, my video game skills are often described as trash. Since I know this to be true, rarely practicing, I can laugh along with my children. However, when Jesus calls lukewarm believers tasteless and trash, this is no laughing matter. If this blog finds you struggling and unproductive in your faith, may the Holy Spirit inspire you to refuel by studying the Bible daily, praying and seeking to worship God seven days a week.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 