If you looked at modern Christians you might think that this verse is a mistranslation. Everyone knows that salt is a bad thing. It is one of the great evils of our daily diet. It causes high blood pressure. Every book I have read dealing with nutrition and health says, “Cut down on salt.”
Surely Jesus meant to say that we are to be the tofu of the earth. I am not an expert on tofu because I usually only eat it when someone sneaks it into a recipe. I have nothing against it. It just isn’t on my radar. My main conception of tofu is that it takes on the flavor of its surrounding ingredients. In the KJV language, it has no “savour” to lose.
Doesn’t that describe the modern church? The mantra is to be “user friendly.” We want the pagans of the world to come into our sanctuaries and feel comfortable. We want them to feel accepted and be overwhelmed by our friendliness and concern for meeting their needs. Have I got it right? Does this mean that they should be free to bring their beer and boom boxes?
Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?
The Bible does not describe the church as user friendly.
(Romans 12:2 KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.I always love Phillip’s paraphrase here. He says, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” The world should not be comfortable on the front pew of the church, or the back pew, or the parking lot. It should be feeling the weight of sin and the need to repent. That is not a product of comfort. Remember that people are convicted of sin by the work of the Holy Spirit, not by your clever interior decoration and worship style.
We are to be witnesses to a holy, eternal God, not therapists concerned about self-esteem.
homo unius libri
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.