Salt changes things.
We’re most familiar with salt on the kitchen table. But did you know that salt can whiten your teeth, drive away ants, and in the history of the world it was used as currency?
That’s why God commanded ancient believers: “Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings” (Leviticus 2:13).
This salting of sacrifices was not for taste but to indicate that the covenant, or promise, of God changing things. God does not condemn sinners, but instead forgives us. Sinners are not destined to despicable choices and deplorable circumstances, but, forgiven, we change to live in a way that pleases God and promotes holiness.
Do you want to know that Jesus loves you? When the Bible addresses that question, it most often takes us to one place. The cross where Jesus died.
The salt of his sweat squeezes out of his pores during his suffering, stinging his wounds as if God the Father is rubbing salt in them.
In ancient times, traders carried pouches containing salt. When two traders came into agreement on a deal, they’d seal the agreement with an exchange of salt. I give you a pinch of mine, you give me a pinch of yours, and we both place that salt in our pouches.
It implies that for either of us to break the agreement, we’d have to find the salt that we exchanged, to take back our agreement—but that’s impossible.
When Jesus suffered and died he was making you a promise, a covenant. He deposited the salt of his suffering into your pouch, never able to take it back. He’s fully committed to you.
Give him a pinch of your salt, too. Season your life with it, and watch how Jesus changes things.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, salt changes things, and your promise of forgiveness changes me. Receive my commitment to accept the change you desire in me. Make my sacrifice to you as loving as your sacrifice to me. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: If Jesus’ commitment to you doesn’t change you, then it’s like salt that loses its saltiness. Read Matthew 5:13-16. What do you need Jesus to change in you so that you can better “season” others? Read Mark 9:50. What do you need Jesus to change in you so that you can better live at peace with others? Pray about this over the weekend.