Luke 14:34-35 (NIV) “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Salt was among the most valuable things in the world in Jesus’ day. Salt was rarely used to season food. Instead, it was valued for its use in preserving food, especially meat. The salt would be rubbed directly into the meat, or the meat would be soaked in brine, and then dried, helping it to last for weeks.
But salt was often found in an adulterated state, mixed with other chemicals and compounds right from its source. And those other chemicals were not as effective at preserving meat from decay as pure salt was. The adulterants were often white, beige, or gray, just like the salt itself, so it was often very difficult to tell how pure the salt was. Of course, if the salt added to meat failed to preserve it, if the meat rotted, the salt was proved to be bad, to have “lost its saltiness. ”Since there was no way to purify badly adulterated salt at that time, it was thrown out as irretrievably bad.
This is an effective illustration for the church, God’s people. One of our key functions is to act as a preservative for the societies in which we live, preventing them from sliding into decay, anarchy, and dysfunction. However, we can only do that in our pure state. If we allow ourselves to become adulterated, diluted, worldly, then our effectiveness can be limited, or lost altogether.
One way God’s people can become adulterated is on an individual level. Where sin is allowed into a Christian’s life, it has a terrible effect on the power that is available in that person’s life. And before long, if those sinful Christians have any effect on the society around them, on their friends, family, or fellow Christians, it is a detrimental one.
But the other method of adulterations that happens in the Church, and the one that Jesus was referring to in context, is corporate: bringing people into the Church who have not counted the cost of becoming a disciple and determined to pay it. Such people tend to have worldly viewpoints, and worldly goals. And if there are enough of them, they dilute the Church’s witness in the world, and limit its power to be an effective preservative for society.
This is not to say that churches need to isolate themselves from society. Salt cannot preserve meat unless it gets intimately involved with it. And the Church cannot preserve society unless it is willing to meaningfully interface with it. But in the midst of desire to grow in numbers, Churches must ensure that they don’t covert people to a no-cost, benefits only version of Christianity that has no power, and no ability to preserve. Instead, each person must be clearly shown not just the benefits of a relationship with Jesus, and they are many, but just as clearly be shown the cost of discipleship BEFORE they are asked to make that commitment. And they must be willing to say yes to that cost BEFORE they are given authority and responsibility in a congregation.
To fail to take these essential steps will, at best, water down and adulterate the Church’s ability to preserve. At worst, it could leave many devastated when the cost of following Jesus does become apparent (and it will), leaving them to try to rationalize something that they weren’t expecting, or to decide that the cost is too high and turn away from following Jesus at all.
Father, we often think about this illustration on an individual level. Rarely do we clearly see the possible implications at the corporate level. Jesus Himself was conscientious about this, and for very good reason. Help us to be open and up-front about the cost of following Jesus, like He Himself was, so that we can move Your kingdom agenda forward in Your power, and so that we can be salt to preserve our society from decaying. Amen.