Jesus uses some pretty strong words when he describes what our reaction to sin should be. Many people wonder, and some people argue over, whether Jesus was being literal here. Should the church look like a collection of the walking wounded? Should we blind and maim ourselves in order to get to heaven?
Depending on which version you read, you may see the word sin or the word stumble when Jesus says, "whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin (or stumble)..." Whichever word you use, whether it be sin or stumble, it comes from the same Greek word that gives us our word "scandal". Not too long ago Herman Cain was climbing the polls in the Republican Presidential Primary, only to drop like a rock when the news broke about an alleged affair. Folks will argue over whether or not the allegations were true, but no one will argue that the scandal itself, regardless of it's veracity or lack therefore, sunk Cain's chances for the Republican nomination. There are things in this life that will "scandalize" our attempts to follow Christ. Jesus is using the body as a powerful illustration of what it means to be committed to following Him in the kingdom of God. We must be willing to sacrifice parts of ourselves, not only to defend against sin, but sometimes also in active war against the enemy. The reference to members of the body would be a way of referring to sins, so that it is the sins themselves that Jesus is speaking of casting away, not literal body parts. All of us will be called to give up habits, dreams, status, and sometimes even relationships in order to follow Jesus faithfully. Depending on what we are sacrificing, it may seem like we are losing an arm or a leg, like we are sacrificing part of our actual body! It sounds radical because it is. And yet, we do no less when trying to save our physical bodies. Compare it to the amputation of an infected limb to save the whole person. As painful as it is to lose a leg, foot, arm, or hand, it's even worse to die, to lose your entire body. We will all be called to make painful choices on our spiritual journey, but in the midst of the pain Jesus calls us to remember that it beats the alternative! Jesus alludes to the fact that the alternative, rebellion against God's reign in our lives, ends in a far worse fate. He quotes the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me. For their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
– Isaiah 66:24
The words are the very end of the book of Isaiah, coming even after the description of the new heavens and new earth created by God. The new heavens and new earth are for those willing to make the sacrifices necessary to participate in God's reign, with the end of those who rebel against God being far less pleasant.
This section ends with a short, and somewhat enigmatic reference to the purifying and preserving power of salt. Salt was used as part of the offering in the Old Testament:
“You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” – Leviticus 2:13
“You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.” – Ezekiel 43:24
It also has purifying properties. I remember as an acne-riddled teenager, being amazed at the ability of the salty ocean water to cleanse my complexion. When Jesus speaks of being salted with fire He speaks of the trials that Christians must undergo, trials that test their faith. Peter, remembering the teaching of his master, brings those trials up in at least two places in his writings:
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” – I Peter 1:6-7
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” – I Peter 4:12-13
If we are made to suffer like Christ, it is because the world sees His likeness in us. While trials are never easy, what a comforting thought to know that the world sees in us some of the traits of our Lord and Savior. This is why elsewhere Jesus refers to His disciples as the "salt of the earth". Because the character of Christians is part of what helps preserve our society, and the world in which we live. Jesus is agreeing with the ancient maxim, that "the world cannot live without salt." When reflecting on our call to be salty, a teen in the youth group I worked with once said, "you need a bunch of salt to change the taste." Tanner's observation was as profound as it was simple. None of us can change this world on our own, as individual grains of salt. We need God, and we also need each other. Coincidentally, another use of salt was for the sealing of interpersonal covenants. Those covenants are quite the contrast with the bickering of the disciples earlier. By instructing us to be at peace with one another, Jesus reminds us that the salt of our covenant with one another should be a testimony to others.
Jesus does more than tell us to refrain from impeding one another, from warning us about the danger of stumbling blocks and scandal. He encourages us to make covenants with one another, so that the the fidelity and love of those covenants may serve as a purifying force that preserves our world from the work of evil that we see all around us.
No comments:
Post a Comment