Encouragement

Encouragement (by David Peterson)

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated in Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.”

This can also be found in Mark 9:49-50 and Luke 14:34-35 and it finds Jesus talking about salt as a preservative and flavor enhancer. Jesus uses this metaphor to encourage His believers to preserve and positively guide others to do good works.

Pastor Derick Bingham from Belfast once wrote: “The ministry of encouragement is open to Christians as it is to no others. Christians have a new life in Christ, an all powerful Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth, and a Heavenly Father who will protect and bless them eternally. If any people anywhere are qualified and equipped to a ministry of positive and healthy encouragement in a desperately discouraging world, it is the Christian church. Christian disciples, Christ said, are the ‘salt of the earth.’ They should make life tasty! They should be, above all else, encouragers.”

Bingham echoes Jesus by saying that Christians are the salt that does not lose flavor and therefore should be encouraged to follow Jesus and advance the Kingdom of God.

Marty Haugen, a Lutheran composer, wrote “Bring Forth the Kingdom (You are salt for the earth)”, and the first stanza with the chorus goes like this:

You are salt for the earth, O people:
Salt for the Kingdom of God!
Share the flavor of life, O people:
Life in the Kingdom of God!

Bring forth the Kingdom of mercy,
Bring forth the Kingdom of peace;
Bring forth the Kingdom of justice,
Bring forth the City of God!

Haugen cites the words of Jesus and His invitation is encouragement to share their saltiness with others in the kingdom.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, empower us to remain salty and share the joy and flavor of your kingdom with others so they may see and experience and be encouraged by a new life with you! Amen.