In this digital age that we live in, it seems like nearly everything revolves around one single thing: energy. It was hardly a century ago when everything that you used was powered not by electricity, but was powered manually. Clocks, for instance, were made with all sorts of gears and springs and needed to be rewound regularly to ensure that they would continue to run. There are still clocks like this today, but most clocks now are either plugged into an electrical outlet or have a battery that powers them.
Speaking of batteries, those are something else that have changed over the years. I can remember a time when the sight of a rechargable AA or AAA battery in a store was an uncommon sight. I can remember this because in order for me to power my many remote controlled cars, I would need to grab 2 4-packs of non-rechargeable AA’s from the store and insert them into my toy: 6 into the car itself (having 2 left over) as well as a 9v battery for the controller. As these cars were some of my favorite things to play with, I went through A LOT of batteries. Sometimes every two days I was changing those dead batteries out with fresh ones, and as a result I was left with ice cream buckets full of dead AA’s.
Do you know what I did with all of those dead batteries? I threw them into the trash. They weren’t good for anything anymore. I couldn’t recharge them like the batteries that I use today. They were junk.
Thinking about this made me remember this passage in Matthew 5, about a parable that Jesus used about salt.
Matthew 5:13-16 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Imagine taking a cob of corn and sprinkling some salt on it, but when you took a bite you didn’t taste any of it. It would be kind of disappointing, wouldn’t it? Salt is used for it’s flavor, but if that flavor isn’t there, it is good for nothing, but to be thrown out.
Here Jesus was teaching and explained that we (Christians) are the salt of the Earth, having the “flavor” of Christ. But if our salt doesn’t “taste” like Jesus, meaning that if we don’t act, live, mirror the teachings and life of Christ, then what kind of a Christian are we? We would be no different than those who don’t claim to be Christians at all. If we lost our saltiness, how could we be re-salted?
The same goes for a light bulb. If a bulb burns out, what are they good for anymore? You throw them away. We are the light of the world, Jesus taught. Just as a light bulb draws it’s power from the electricity and glows, Christians draw their light from the Light, Jesus, and show that light to others so that they may see, and can come to the Truth.
The kingdom of heaven will be ready and waiting on that glorious day that Jesus returns for His faithful followers, and as His followers we need to set an example to others how we need to live. We need the world to see the love of Christ working in us, and bring glory to God. We are the salt of the Earth, seasoned in Christ’s words, not a bucket full of dead batteries. Have salt in yourselves.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 