Day 25 / Luke 14:34-35
By John Slayden
Luke chapter 14 ends with Jesus talking about the cost of following Him. It was very typical for Jesus to use examples that would have been easily understood by people of the time but maybe not so easily by us. “Salt is good”…in fact during Jesus’ time salt was often used as currency, it was a preservative before refrigeration and it was a flavor enhancer. Our commitment to Christ and our “saltiness” for Him shows others the value of a relationship with Him, it preserves us even though we are sinful in nature and it enhances our relationship with people He puts in our path. Our love for Him can’t be something that just comes and goes. Salt has its desired effect or it is useless and discarded.
Many masterpiece paintings have hidden messages and such is The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. If you look closely, the figure depicting Judas is reaching toward Jesus’ plate while clutching a bag symbolic of the thirty pieces of silver he received for the betrayal. But look closely at his right elbow…it is knocking over a container of salt, da Vinci’s interpretation that Judas had lost his saltiness as a disciple of Jesus.
May we always live out our zeal for the Lord, being His salt, in spite of the distractions of this world.