Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Similitudes 2
Following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to illustrate how those He has just described affect the world around them. These two metaphors are sometimes referred to as the Similitudes. The second metaphor is that of light.
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Christians are not only a light in the world, but we are the light of the world. True light always dispels darkness.
When many people are living in close proximity to each other, you have a city. Likewise, when many Christians are living in close relationship with each other, you have a city on a hill whose light cannot be hidden. Our school is such a city, as are all of our churches. They shine as beacons of light, offering help to all travellers.
Have you ever been travelling on a dark, lonely road hoping to reach the next town before you fall asleep, feint from hunger and thirst, or run out of fuel? And to top it off, you’re desperate for the restroom! Your mind races, your heart fills with dread, your body tenses. Will I have an accident? (either kind!) What if I have a flat tyre? Is it safe to stop?… Then as your vehicle tops a hill your eyes are drawn to the lights of a town on the horizon. A sense of relief fills your mind, your heart is no longer fearful and even the tension drains from your neck and shoulders as you drive towards those welcoming lights!
Many people, probably several that you know, are travelling down just such a road. They are weary, lonely and afraid. They are starved of affection, desperate for acceptance and emotionally running on empty. Their minds are filled with questions, their hearts bruised by abuse, their bodies afflicted by pain and illness. Who can they trust? Where can they find rest and peace?… Now imagine their joy and relief at finding and being welcomed into a community of believers where love and healing is freely available!
Today, let’s pray that your church will be a beacon of light, offering help to all travellers.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Similitudes 1
Following the Beatitudes, Jesus uses two metaphors to illustrate how those He has just described affect the world around them. These two metaphors are sometimes referred to as the Similitudes. The first metaphor is that of salt.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Jesus is saying that just as salt adds flavour to food, Christians should add flavour to the earth and its inhabitants. This is a common theme throughout the Bible: The people of God add a distinct flavour and aroma wherever they go.
“But,” Jesus asks, “if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Jesus takes the analogy further by saying that just as salt that has lost its flavour is useless in seasoning food, so Christians that have lost their unique flavour have no effect on the earth or the people around them.
How can salt lose its flavour? Normal table salt, sodium chloride, is chemically very stable. Salt is salt no matter how old it is or what condition it’s in. So the only way that it can lose its ability to flavour food is if it is diluted and overwhelmed by other flavours.
How can Christians lose their flavour? True Christians are always Christians. You can’t be a little bit Christian or a Christian only some of the time. So the only way that we can lose our ability to flavour the world is if our hearts become so diluted that we are overwhelmed by other flavours.
What other flavours can overwhelm the flavour of salt? Well, human taste buds, the sensory cells that give us the ability to taste, can only distinguish four different flavours. Everything we taste is made up of a combination of these four flavours. (No wonder so many things ‘taste like chicken!’) One of the four flavours is, you guessed it, saltiness. The others are sweet, sour and bitter. In sufficient quantity any one of these, or a combination of two or more, can overwhelm the salty flavour.
What flavours can overwhelm the saltiness of a Christian? Believe it or not, it’s the same three flavours: sweet, sour and bitter!
Sweet represents the quest for pleasure. I’m not saying that all chocolate is evil, but it’s a fact that most sins are pleasurable. If they weren’t, why would we be tempted by them? Eve saw that the forbidden fruit “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Not all pleasure is sinful, but when our pursuit of pleasure eclipses our pursuit of God, we begin to lose our saltiness. At the other extreme are those whose sour disposition overwhelms their saltiness. A strict legalism robs them of their joy and leaves a sour taste in the mouths of others. And finally, bitterness that springs from unforgiveness and offence has the strength to overpower our saltiness.
Today let’s pray that our saltiness will be evident to all and that it won’t be overwhelmed by our taste for sweet, sour or bitter.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Jesus is saying that just as salt adds flavour to food, Christians should add flavour to the earth and its inhabitants. This is a common theme throughout the Bible: The people of God add a distinct flavour and aroma wherever they go.
“But,” Jesus asks, “if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Jesus takes the analogy further by saying that just as salt that has lost its flavour is useless in seasoning food, so Christians that have lost their unique flavour have no effect on the earth or the people around them.
How can salt lose its flavour? Normal table salt, sodium chloride, is chemically very stable. Salt is salt no matter how old it is or what condition it’s in. So the only way that it can lose its ability to flavour food is if it is diluted and overwhelmed by other flavours.
How can Christians lose their flavour? True Christians are always Christians. You can’t be a little bit Christian or a Christian only some of the time. So the only way that we can lose our ability to flavour the world is if our hearts become so diluted that we are overwhelmed by other flavours.
What other flavours can overwhelm the flavour of salt? Well, human taste buds, the sensory cells that give us the ability to taste, can only distinguish four different flavours. Everything we taste is made up of a combination of these four flavours. (No wonder so many things ‘taste like chicken!’) One of the four flavours is, you guessed it, saltiness. The others are sweet, sour and bitter. In sufficient quantity any one of these, or a combination of two or more, can overwhelm the salty flavour.
What flavours can overwhelm the saltiness of a Christian? Believe it or not, it’s the same three flavours: sweet, sour and bitter!
Sweet represents the quest for pleasure. I’m not saying that all chocolate is evil, but it’s a fact that most sins are pleasurable. If they weren’t, why would we be tempted by them? Eve saw that the forbidden fruit “was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.” Not all pleasure is sinful, but when our pursuit of pleasure eclipses our pursuit of God, we begin to lose our saltiness. At the other extreme are those whose sour disposition overwhelms their saltiness. A strict legalism robs them of their joy and leaves a sour taste in the mouths of others. And finally, bitterness that springs from unforgiveness and offence has the strength to overpower our saltiness.
Today let’s pray that our saltiness will be evident to all and that it won’t be overwhelmed by our taste for sweet, sour or bitter.
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