We looked to the fifth chapter of the gospel of Mark to discover Jesus’ total disregard for facts. In this one chapter, we found three unique and unrelated accounts of individuals who desperately sought to change the facts of their reality. Each case study contained significant details which would negate the likelihood of change. To change an unchangeable fact is outside the realm of reality. We, like the characters in Mark 5, rejected typical reality based solely on facts. We believed that our righteous Judge could and would overrule the facts in order to establish His trademark justice which is lovingly steeped in mercy.
Demon possession, insanity, hemorrhaging, sickness, death; all of these issues were factual information. The facts of each case were well established by many witnesses. The demoniac was known by the townspeople as a stark raving lunatic. The hemorrhaging woman was diagnosed and treated by several physicians. The severity of Jairus’ daughter’s illness was confirmed by her prominent, well-respected father. Her subsequent death was confirmed by his servants and the mourners at the home.
We discovered plenty of facts which presented themselves as evidence. We knew that facts typically make very compelling arguments. However, we also saw in each of these three cases, that the unchangeable facts were, in fact, changed.
When we claimed the powerful declaration of Christ, “Tetelestai,” over our sickness, poverty, strained relationships, and criminal records, we were, in essence, asking Jesus to override our human facts in preference to His divine truth concerning our true purpose and potential.
We found the facts of the first story, concerning a demon possessed man who cut himself and lived in tombs, to be tragic and disturbing. We also identified with him in a way that few others can. This man was out of his mind and everyone knew it. The historical facts had proven that human power was no match for a demon. Evil was an entity to be feared and avoided.
When we were lost in our addiction, we were self-destructive, violent, fearful, crazy, and more conspicuous than we cared to believe. The demoniac man is one we relate to with deep heartbreaking empathy. We walked his path. Like him, our path led to Jesus. And in like manner, Jesus called out our demons, and returned us to our right minds.
In a world of competition and comparisons, you sometimes wonder if your value is measured by what youdo, rather than by who youare.
This is a concern for many human beings. Some struggle to do more, or to be better than everyone else in order to feel significant. Others think that money, talent or popularity will make them feel important. Sadly, these schemes are worthless.
Knowing that you are handmade by the Creator of the universe assures you of your value. Since you are so special to God, He designed you in a unique and wonderful way. Before your mother even knew you existed, God was already weaving together the strands of your DNA.
Imagine His excitement as He selected your eye color, your voice tone, and your sense of humor! He gave you a love for animals and the ability to connect with them on a level other humans may not understand. He infused you with a high level of curiosity and compassion.
He placed within you, specific gifts and talents which you are just beginning to discover.
Your value is far beyond what you do or say. You are much more important than your achievements or your awards.
You are a person with a destiny; designed by the God of the galaxies.
You play an important role in the future of humanity. Each day you spend on this planet becomes a significant part of history.
God knows the value of your unique human spirit. He knows that your heart is filled with compassion, determination, and enthusiasm. He has given you a mind, body, and temperament which will are ideal for your journey.
Long before anyone knew you, God was sketching out a plan; designing you perfectly for the destiny which will be yours.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing. It must be thrown out for people to walk on.
Matthew 5:13
Jesus compared His followers to an element which never loses its purpose or potency. Could this verse reveal a hidden message of hope and fresh perspective for those who feel they have lost their purpose?
Purpose
Some foods stand the test of time well. Salt is one of them. Can salt go bad? The answer is both yes and no. Natural salts without any additives can never go bad. After all, salts have been around for thousands of years, and they were used for food preservation in ancient times. That means salt can actually prevent bacterial and microbial growth in meat and other foods. Foods spoil only when bacterial, fungal, and microbial growth take place.
That was for the ‘no’ answer. What about the ‘yes’ part?
If salt goes bad, how can salt lose its saltiness? Although natural salts can never spoil, table salts with additives can lose their flavor and texture over time. Refined table salts contain iodine to enhance flavor and health properties and anti-caking agents that protect it from clumping.
What would qualify as an ‘additive’ in the spiritual sense?
This verse in Matthew was first spoken by Jesus, long before the periodic table of elements had been developed. The disciples understood what Jesus said, based on their own experience and knowledge. We, however are able to gain deeper meaning from his words, based on the extra 2000 years of scientific study we have at our disposal.
Thus, because creation and science go hand in hand, we look at Jesus’ words from a scientific perspective. His feet walked the paths of ancient Palestine, but His knowledge of biology and chemistry was far more advanced than any of the most brilliant scientists known to us today. He was present when the minerals were hidden under rocks. He stood at His Father’s side when the salty ocean waters were gathered together; held in place by sandy shores.
Therefore, he understood much more about the chemical make-up of Sodium Chloride than the first century believers, but he used it as an object lesson which would inspire them and mystify future generations.
Salt, the Multi-Purpose Mineral
As a Seasoning
Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (New International Version)
Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person. (Common English Bible)
Beginning with the most common use of salt, we examined the basic facts. As a seasoning, it just makes things taste better. It enhances flavors in different, yet distinctive ways. Salt magnifies the unique essence of food. Adding salt to something bland makes it more interesting and enjoyable. Shaking a little salt on certain fruits, such as watermelon, deepens the flavor, while putting it on sour fruits, such as grapefruit or tart apples, causes them to taste sweet.
Salt is quite versatile when it comes to creating tasteful results. It’s not very good by itself, but when it is blended with other flavors, there is a noticeable improvement.
Jesus has called us the salt of the earth. From a food perspective, this means we are the subtle influence which brings out the best in people, groups, or organizations. We are called to enhance, but never overpower.
To Promote Healing
Salt can aid in the healing process for sinus infections and dental procedures when a small amount is dissolved in water. However, salt is never to be used full strength on an open wound.
The water of the word, warm and clear, infused with a dash of salt disinfects, soothes, and restores balance.
To Promote Buoyancy
Why can people float in Great Salt Lake?
There are around 4.5 billion tons of salt in the lake. This gives the water a density that is approximately ten times more than a normal ocean. This density is higher than the mass of a standard human so you become buoyant.
Based on this information, what are we as believers called to do for those around us?
As a Preservative
How does salt preserve food?
Picture what happens when you sprinkle salt on a sliced cucumber; within a few minutes, the salt is dissolved in a pool of cucumber juice. That’s because water flows through food cell walls towards greater concentrations of dissolved particles, proteins, and pigments. When you rub salt on a vegetable or meat, it dissolves in the food’s exterior moisture, creating a concentrated solution that draws more water from the interior to the surface.
This process illustrates salt’s role in preserving meat for jerky, ham, or hard-cured salami. The salted meat is placed in circulating air, which evaporates emerging water so the meat dries out. Because microorganisms need moisture to survive, drying meat makes it inhospitable to molds and bacteria, thereby lengthening the storage life of some sausages and hams for months.
If we are the Salt of the Earth, what are we called to preserve?
We believe in the scriptural principle of sowing and reaping. We see the effects of this principle in the natural realm as well as the spiritual. We are certain that an oak tree will not grow from a thistle seed. Therefore we do not expect to receive hope and healing by speaking of our addiction as a lumbering giant which threatens to steal our sobriety.
We dare not speak of relapse, as this seed grows into a massive, poisonous vine which produces an itchy sensation known as irritable, restless, and discontent syndrome. We dare not speak of our past indiscretions as a boastful or laughable matter, for this seed will grow into a field of dandelion memories, brightly colored egotistical blooms which turn to hollow shams of fly away seeds, searching for another ego to embed. We dare not speak of our resentments, for this is the thicket which depletes our energy and slows our progress.
The words which produce a harvest we don’t want, ought never be sown by our voice.
Eventually, we found true stability within our New Normal. The old comfort zone had become uncomfortable. Our former stability had become unstable. The discomfort we felt was assurance that we were changing. We learned to embrace our instability, for it revealed the cracks in our old foundation. We grew to appreciate the sounds of disharmony, for in its chaos, we discovered what was out of tune.
The winds of change swept through our own valley of dry bones, breathing life into what was dead inside. Slowly, methodically, our powerful army of gifts and talents began to rise, and we were finally able to identify some of the unique character qualities which had been gifted to us by our Creator.
But we were also faced with the dilemma of what to do with the decomposing compost heap of our past, which should never be called back to life? What of the crimes, the addiction, the lost relationships, and wasted years? We certainly didn’t wish to see those rising up like zombies from the swamp.
Through this conflict, we discovered the significance of fossil fuels. As the hardened skeletal remains were good for a resurrection of our gifts, the fossil fuel, made from decomposing waste, could be purified, and used as fuel to propel us into our destiny. A criminal history could be transformed into fuel which would activate a prison ministry. The struggle with addiction and relapse could fuel a new recovery program. A failed relationship could provide the energy for personal growth in matters of romance and respect.
The writer Mark tells us that this group of women went to that tomb expecting to find a corpse, but they still went. I suggest to you that Jesus works this way, even today. If you have just enough faith to seek Him in your despair, in your darkness, in your doubt, even if you don’t expect much, He’s going to give you more than you bargained for. He did for those women, and He still does it today. Marks’ gospel is more concise that the other 3, but it does reveal to us that where they laid Jesus is now a bare spot on the floor. He is GONE. The tomb is an empty place.
For centuries after this event, scholars have wrestled with this problem. In the first century, the Jews thought the disciples stole the body to promote their hoax. The disciples thought the Jews or the Romans had taken the body. The Romans weren’t sure because they had stationed a guard over the tomb. But NOBODY was saying that the body of Jesus was still in there.
Death and despair have been emptied of their power. Destructive forces do not have the final word. The empty tomb is the historical evidence for believing in the truth of the resurrection.
Look for Jesus in the last place you saw Him. It may have even been an unpleasant or traumatic experience, like it was for the women who went to the tomb that first Easter morning. Even if you have low expectations, give it one last shot. This may be the time you find new hope.
Eternal life occurs when a human spirit is awakened to the presence of God. This union between mortal and immortal, through Jesus Christ, creates a life force that cannot be destroyed. Once activated, this spiritual being releases divine energy into its human host, joining the creature to the presence and purpose of its Creator.
Jesus defined eternal life this way:
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3
Therefore, the man who approached Jesus was, in essence, asking "How can I really know you?" How can I become acquainted with God in such a way that I experience all He created me to be?
Finding Total Recovery in the Words of Christ, "It is Finished!" 