제자도: 세상의 소금(Discipleship: Salt of the earth)

김정호목사 

Dr. Jung-Ho Kim, Pastor  

너희는 세상의 소금이니 소금이 만일 그 맛을 잃으면 무엇으로 짜게 하리요 후에는 아무 쓸데 없어 다만 밖에 버리워 사람에게 밟힐 뿐이니라. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men (Matt. 5:13).

주제: 참된 제자는 세상을 위하여 맛을 내는 소금이기에 우리는 주님의 제자로 세상 가운데서 행해야 한다.

Theme: Because true disciples are savory salt for the world, we must walk as the Lord’s disciples in the world. 

Introduction

When I was taking ESL courses in a community college in Charlotte, my friends and I used to play bowling on weekends. We competed with one another. We teamed up with other guys, so that the losing team would pay for the entire bowling fees. Some of my friends were non-Christians. When they saw some Christian friends unwilling to pay for the fees or trying to find a way to evade their responsibility for their loss, they complained about their dishonesty and accused them of their stinginess. There was a guy who was litter older than most of us. This man talked about Christian faith, trying to encourage younger guys to go to church. He neither drank nor smoked. He tried to maintain a good testimony. However, he was extremely frugal or stingy. He almost never spent any money for others. If we said, “Let’s go bowling,” he said, “I have no money.” So, we said, “Don’t worry! We will take care of your fees.” Only when we paid for him, he would go and play bowling. He never spent his own money playing bowling. He was known for his stinginess. All his Christian talk didn’t make much sense to unbelieving friends because he seemed to enjoy free games, yet unwilling to pay not only for his own games but also for others. We used to call him “a miserly man,” which means “a salty man” in Korean. Because of his stinginess, he was not sought. He was usually alone. His Christian testimony lost its power because of his stingy (“salty” in Korean) character.

We often compare a person to a certain type of flavor. To depict his personality, we employ metaphoric language so that we can emphasize our point in question. For example, if you are sour, you may be a peevish person. If you are sweet, you may be a pleasant person. Or if you are bitter, you may a man of complaint. If you are salty, you may be considered as a stingy person in Korea. If you are insipid, you may be seen as a man of no features, or even a foolish man. There is an old Korean saying, “It is the small pepper that is hot,” which means “Don’t underestimate a person who is small in size.” Again, spicy flavor is applied to a person’s character. Another example is “poisonous, bitter flavor” which is often applied to a strong, highly resolute person. This metaphoric language is so common in every culture. Even the Lord has used such a similar metaphor to describe His own disciples. In Matt. 5:13, He calls His people as the salt of the earth. By means of the metaphor “salt,” the Lord intends to express what His disciples are all about. Out of several flavors, He has picked up the savor of saltiness to describe the character of His own people. If we are His true disciples, we are duly called “the salt of the earth.” The Lord says that true disciples are savory salt for the world. This statement implies that we should walk as His true disciples in the world. I would like to develop the theme of true discipleship seen in the metaphor “the salt of the earth” in the following four points.  First,

I. 참된 제자는 세상을 위하여 반드시 필요한 존재이다.

True disciples are indispensable for the world.

Salt is a necessary commodity in everyday food preparation. Without it, we are likely to suffer serious health problems and insipid, tasteless food. In the ancient world, salt was so precious that someone said, 소금과 햇빛보다 더욱 소중한 것은 없다. “There is nothing more precious than salt and sunshine.” So, Jesus emphatically conveys the idea that true Christians are truly needed for the welfare and salvation of the world. The world cannot save itself from its increasing decadence and corruption. As people need salt for themselves, the world needs God’s people for its survival, though it wouldn’t acknowledge their necessity or it would try to terminate Christians from its midst. Jesus knew this well. So, as He was ready to leave the world, He made a point in His prayer for the disciples, saying, 아버지께서 저를 세상에 보내신 것같이 저도 이들을 세상에 보냈습니다. “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” The world needs His disciples through whom it shall come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. So, we are and must play the role of “salt” in and for the world.

However, the church has made two typical mistakes throughout her history. The first mistake is its isolation or assimilation in relation to the world. Some have understood the phrase “the salt of the earth” as if they had to isolate themselves completely and physically from the world. It seemed that they overemphasized the one aspect of truth that God’s people don’t belong to this corrupt world. Instead of separating themselves from the evil influence of the world, they physically removed themselves from the confines of the world and secluded themselves in remote places of the earth. One example is monasticism. Though they had a noble motive to keep themselves from the sins of the world, they had failed to make a positive, godly influence upon the wicked world, not giving the world an opportunity to see their transformed lives.

The second mistake of the church is assimilation. Its catchphrase is “we can’t change or win the people of the world unless we are identified with them. So, they have gone down into the culture and conversation of the worldly people. Sooner or later, they have adopted their worldly mindsets and lifestyles and changed into the image of the world, instead of transforming the world into the image of Christ. We need to remember we don’t belong to this world but we are in the middle of the world as “salt” for the salvation of the world. This doesn't mean that we are working for the secular ideals of the world. Rather, we are diligently playing the role of “salt” for the salvation of the world.  Listen to what the Lord interceded for His disciples in His high priestly prayer: 내가 비옵는 것은 저희를 세상에서 데려가시기를 위함이 아니요 오직 악에 빠지지 않게 보전하시기를 위함이니이다 내가 세상에 속하지 아니함 같이 저희도 세상에 속하지 아니하였삽나이다 아버지께서 나를 세상에 보내신 것 같이 나도 저희를 세상에 보내었고.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world (Jn. 17:15-16, 18).

The following funny story illustrates the danger of assimilation into the world. A farmer, troubled by a flock of crows in his cornfield, loaded his shotgun and crawled unseen along the fencerow, determined to get a shot at the crows. Now the farmer had a very “sociable” parrot who made friends with everybody. Seeing the flock of crows, the parrot flew over and joined them (just being sociable, you know). The farmer saw the crows but didn’t see the parrot. He took careful aim and BANG! The farmer crawled over the fence to pick up the fallen crows, and lo, there was his parrot—badly ruffled, with a broken wing, but still alive. Tenderly, the farmer carried the parrot home, where his children met him. Seeing that their pet was injured, they tearfully asked, “What happened, Papa?” Before he could answer, the parrot spoke up: “Bad company!”

True disciples are in the world and yet distinct from the world in their lifestyle, philosophy of life or goals of life. They are indispensable, without whom the world will know no meaning of life and no true life. Though the world despises, abuses, or persecutes God’s people, it doesn’t recognize it will sooner perish without them. People in Tibet suffer lack of salt. So, salt is so rare that they have to travel a far distance to get salt for a week. They know the value of salt for their existence. Likewise, Jesus knows well the worth of His own people for the world’s salvation. True disciples are God’s representatives that pray and work for transformation and amelioration of the decaying world. In fact, the world recognizes true Christians while mocking at false, nominal Christians. Even the world can tell true ones from imitations.             Let me tell you of a story that illustrates this point. Phil Donahue, the television talk show host, has something of a reputation for giving clergy a hard time, and he has said the reason he’s that way is that he has little respect for them. Most clergy will do anything for some media attention, he says. In his autobiography, however, he tells about an encounter with a pastor who was different. It happened while Donahue was a young television reporter in Ohio, and one day he was sent to West Virginia in the bitter cold winter to cover a mine disaster. He went by himself in a battered little car, carrying a mini-cam to film the story. It was so cold when he got there, however, that the camera wouldn’t work. So he put it inside his coat to warm it up enough to run. In the meantime, the families of the trapped miners were gathered around. They were just simple mining people-women, old men, and children. Several of the trapped men were fathers.

Then the local pastor arrived. He was rough-hewn, and he didn’t speak well at all. But he gathered all the families around in a circle, and they held one another in their arms while he prayed for them. As this was going on, Donahue was still trying to get his camera to work, and he was incredibly frustrated because he couldn’t film the poignant scene. Finally, after the prayer was over, Donahue managed to get his camera operating. So he told the pastor he had his camera working now and asked if the pastor would please do the prayer again so he could film it for the evening news. Donahue says, by the way, that he’s been with world’s best-known public figures, including preachers, and they’re all willing to redo a scene in order to get on the news. This simple West Virginia preacher, however, told Donahue, “Young man, we don’t pray for the news. I’m sorry, but we’ve already prayed, and I will not pose.” To this day Donahue remembers that pastor with respect. This pastor maintained his Christian distinction and the unbeliever recognized it. Keep in mind Christians are indispensable for the world.

Not only are true disciples essential for the world, but also they are…

II. 참된 제자는 세상을 위하여 유용한 존재이다.

True disciples are useful for the world.

In what ways do true disciples contribute to the salvation of the world? We have to draw them from characteristics of salt. Salt was used in various ways in the ancient world. It was used as preservative, seasoning, purifier, fertilizer, disinfectant, and so on. Probably, Jesus thought of multi-functional nature of salt when He described characteristics of His disciples. But, the two predominant functions of salt are preservative and seasoning. They are useful for the world that suffers corruption and insipidity.  

Salt rubbed into meat serves as preservative. It keeps meat from corruption and decay. Likewise, we are called to keep the world from going corrupt. Indeed, the world is filled with moral and spiritual corruption. Its language is blasphemous, its behavior is violent, and its mindset is immoral. Homicides, immoralities, divorces, profanities, idolatries, violence, or embezzlement are everywhere in the world. They are pandemic. Politics, education, or religion won’t solve these gigantic problems fundamentally. They may be helpful in easing the symptoms of the plagues. Only true disciples, individually or corporately, will restrain the world from getting worse. It is often told that pubs or bars closed down in a town while John Wesley held a revival meeting there. When they planted a church in a remote village controlled by a spiritual medium, they drove corrupt practices of spiritualism away from it. Sanitizing influence of true disciples spread contagiously through the evil-plagued world. We are to be a powerful preservative that prevents the world from taking its own toll in the end.     

Salt is necessary to make food tasty. I can testify to it. My wife makes rice and green gram porridge almost every morning. I like plain savor. But the porridge becomes much more tastier with little salt. I can eat it up in no seconds. Salt makes life tastier. But the world suffers insipidity of life. People are fed up with tastelessness of life. Many take their own life because they are under severe depression. They roam around to find true taste of life. But, they fail to satisfy themselves with things of this world. Possessions, power, prosperity, drugs, entertainment, or sexual promiscuity won’t bring them to true fulfillment and satisfaction. They are addictive, driving people into a deeper pit. Life in general is full of suffering, which takes away taste of life. But, true disciples add flavor and savor to people, leading them to the Source of goodness in life. The palmist once said, 너희는 여호와의 선하심을 맛보아 알찌어다 그에게 피하는 자는 복이 있도다. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge” (Ps. 34:8). Instead of making people lose their taste in life, we are to make their life full of flavor and zest as we lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us purpose and meaning in life.

Notice Jesus calls His disciples as “the salt of the earth.” The word “earth” implies “among the people” and “in the world,” or “where we live among people.” It suggests the idea of the life between the extremes, between poverty and wealth, death and life, justice and injustice, mercilessness and mercy, impurity and purity, war and peace, persecution and heavenly reward. Thus, “the salt of the earth” means that we Christians must get involved with this earth and its life for good. We are to regard ourselves as a most important ingredient of this life. To say it with the metaphor: we must be part of the dirt out of which this world is made. In her little book, Kept for the Master’s Use, hymn-writer Frances Ridley Havergal says: Of ourselves we may have but little weight, no particular talents or position or anything else to put into the scale, but let us remember that again and again God has shown that the influence of a very average life, when once really consecrated to Him, may outweigh that of almost any number of merely professing Christians. Such lives are like Gideon’s three hundred, carrying not even the ordinary weapons of war, but only trumpets and lamps and empty pitchers, by whom the Lord wrought great deliverance, while He did not use the others at all. For He hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty.

When used in God’s mighty hands, true disciples are both indispensable and useful for the world. Then, what does that taste of salt stand for? How do true disciples function as preservative and seasoning? The savor of true disciples is…

III. 참된 제자의 진정한 맛은 그들의 인격이다.

The savor of true disciples is their character.

The essence of saltiness here represents Christian character transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ. How do we make godly impact upon the world? It is not only through our message but also through our conduct. In fact, our Christian character speaks louder than our words. It is what we are both in private and in public. It is what we are both in the church and in the world. We may act like saints in the church on Sunday. But, we may act like devils in the world from Monday to Saturday. The world is more interested in seeing what we are than hearing what we say. People won’t pay attention to our message until they find genuine Christianity in our character. In a way, our character is a sure message preached in action. Our character different from that of the world is a repellant as well as a magnet. The world retreats from true disciples. At the same time, the world is attracted to genuine Christians.

“What matters is character.” The well-known Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel, who wrote “Justice,” said it. He was once asked whether or not we could live a life of greater justice if we get a higher education or whether or not he would see man’s character more than his education. His reply was “It is his character, character.” The Anglican bishop Tom Wright, a Christian intellectual giant, also said character is what matters. He wrote a book titled “After You believed: Why Christian Character Matters.” In it, he said, “당신이 믿은 뒤에 정말로 중요한 문제는 규율도 아니고 자발적인 자기 발전도 아니고 바로 성품이다.” 성품이 개발될 때, 예배와 선교가 제2의 천성이 될 때, 자기를 십자가에 못 박는 ‘터닝(Turning)의 삶’을 살 수 있다는 것이다. “What really matters is not regulation or self-development, but character.” When Christ-like character is formed in us, and worship and missions become our second nature, we have a turning point in which we crucify our self. Christians’ moral failures today have brought about aversion to Christianity. Christian leaders have failed to stress the importance of Christian virtues by word and example. If we fail to be more and more like Christ, we fail to make a positive influence over the world. The world wants to see the character of Jesus in us.

Therefore, we must make every effort to grow into Christlikeness. Jesus describes Christian character in Matt. 5:3-12. The characteristics of true disciples are poverty of spirit, mourning over sin, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, being merciful, purity of heart, peacemaking, and being persecuting for righteousness. These are summed up in the nature of salt. This is what Jesus meant in v. 13. Though God’s people are under persecution, they respond to their persecutors with love. These qualities distinguish them from people in the world. They make them wonder what Christians are. They would like to know why they are different from them. They will refrain themselves from committing corruption as they watch Christians standing for holiness in love. Christian character will be truly conducive to the betterment and salvation of people in the world.   

Jesus was describing His character in the Beatitudes. He was calling upon His disciples to follow in His steps. He wanted to reproduce people like Him. If we sum up these beatitudes in one word, what would that be? That is “self-sacrifice” or “self-giving,” which is the gist of Christian character. The world is hungry of genuine love, which we can give with our self-sacrifice and self-giving. Such a great sacrifice and love is based on God’s love on the Cross. Such character is the essence of savor of Christians. The apostle Peter says,이를 위하여 너희가 부르심을 입었으니 그리스도도 너희를 위하여 고난을 받으사 너희에게 본을 끼쳐 그 자취를 따라 오게 하려 하셨느니라. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (1 Pet. 2:21). Also, Paul says,하나님이 미리 아신 자들로 또한 그 아들의 형상을 본받게 하기 위하여 미리 정하셨으니. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son (Rom. 8:29). The Lord has delivered us from the slavery of sin and death so that we can be more like Him. Christlikeness is our goal in sanctification. Christ-like character is the flavor of Christian character the world needs to taste, so that the world can be attracted to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In January 2, 2006, there was a mine collapse in Tallmansville, West Virginia. Thirteen miners were trapped in a 78 meter deep underground pit. They were in a critical condition on account of poisonous gases and lack of oxygen. At that moment, one miner suggested, “We will soon use up oxygen from our own oxygen tanks. In a few hours, all of us will die So, let’s gather our tanks of oxygen up and give them to one man.” So, they gave their tanks of oxygen to a twenty-seven year old miner, Randall McRoy, the father of two young kids. “자네는 아직 젊네. 자네가 우리의 몫까지 살아주게나.” “You are still young. Please, live out the share of our lives too.” Two days later, twelve miners were found dead. McRoy alone survived. Martin, one of the miners, left a note to his family, saying, “아빠는 힘들지 않아. 나의 가족들아, 사랑한다. 하나님 곁에서 너희를 위해 기도하마.” “It is not so hard for daddy. I love you, my family. I will pray for you in the presence of God.” We find here a true example of self-sacrificing love that makes one find life. It is such character that reveals the savor of true disciples. The world wants to try such taste. What kind of taste do you make?    

We are indispensable and useful for the world because of our Christian taste, Christlikeness, self-giving quality. Then, what happens if we lose our fundamental taste? The answer is savorless disciples are useless for the world.

IV. 맛을 상실한 제자는 세상을 위하여 무익하다.

Savorless disciples are useless for the world.

It is expected that salt is salty. If it loses its flavor, then it is useless. So, if we lose our Christian distinctive character, we are useless for God’s purpose. Even the world recognizes the worthlessness of tasteless Christians. We Christ’s disciples should be faithful to what we are in Him. We should fulfill our calling and behave according to our character and calling. But, if we are not living up to our fundamental character and calling, we are worthless, powerless, and useless. We will be trampled under the feet of the people. We shall be ashamed before the world because we fail to live Christian character out. We will be a laughingstock, chewed among gossipmongers of the world. We will bring disgrace and dishonor to the precious name of Christ and the cause of His kingdom.

Ordinary salt is indeed powerful, but dull salt has left only the power of self-destruction. One should not tone down the violence of the imagery, which takes its clues from practical life. Dull salt is nothing but dirt, and it is thus treated like dirt. It is waste thrown into the street outside, where the people walk over it and trample it down, until it is like all the other dirt of the street. Small and unassuming as salt is, its power is enormous, but only as long as it acts in the way it is supposed and equipped to act. If the disciples of Jesus fail in their mission, the people will throw them out like garbage. The dire warning against tasteless disciples is that they are worthless and powerless before the world. God cannot use them to convert the world. The world will put them under its tramp. They will be put to shame and no use. There is no honor or respect reserved for such characterless Christians.

Salt losing its saltiness is like water losing its wetness, a real absurdity. Sodium Chloride cannot lose its flavor because its flavor is essential part of its chemical makeup. Or, its flavor may be leached out when salt is exposed to elements. Impurities are added to its flavor. So, salt may be considered tasteless salt. At any rate, pure salt can’t lose its flavor. If it does, it contradicts its own nature. It can’t be so. Likewise, if true disciples lose their Christian character, they act in contradiction to their character and calling. Such self-contradiction is foolish. The Greek word “Moraino” used here means “make foolish.” The English word “moron” comes from this Greek word. So, self-seeking, self-loving, self-promoting Christians are acting against what they are in Christ. The mark of failed Christians is folly. They become foolish before God and the world. None of us lives a foolish life. None of us desires to be ashamed. None of us wants to be trampled under the feet of people. We have to represent Christ-like character to the world. Let’s try to live a life consistent with God’s Word. We have to show Christ’s love to people forsaken and abandoned by the world. We must add flavor to those who suffer a tasteless life. Let’s seek the Lord’s grace, so that we can be more like Him.            

Conclusion

We are called the salt of the earth to transform the world with the power of God’s self-giving love. We should be distinct in character, while actively getting involved in people, activities, or things to make this world better. We are to remember we should function in a way that is consistent with Christ’s character. In a world of alienation, we should offer reconciliation; in a world of oppression, righteousness; and in a world of competition and greed—the freedom of unselfish service. We are to bring friendship to the lonely, support to the weak, deliverance to the slaves of passion and fear; and to all those despised and rejected by men the steadfast love of God. A. W. Tozer said of true disciples of Christ as follows, 어쨌든 참된 크리스천은 대중의 숫자에 들지 않는다. 그는 한 번도 보지 못한 분을 지극히 사랑하며 눈으로 불 수 없는 분에게 매일 친밀히 이야기 하고, 예수님의 공로를 의지하여 천국에 갈 것을 기대하며, 자신을 비워 채워지고, 자신의 잘못을 인정하여 의롭다 함을 얻으며, 낮아지므로 높아지고, 가장 연약할 때 가장 강하며, 가장 가난할 때 가장 부요하며, 가장 비참하게 느낄 때에도 가장 행복한 자이다. 그는 죽으므로 살고, 버리므로 소유하며, 흩어 나눠주므로 유지하며, 볼 수 없는 것을 보며, 들을 수 없는 것을 들으며, 알 수 없는 것을 아는 자이다. 그는 핍박 받을 때 기뻐 뛴다. 원수에게 사랑과 기도로 갚아준다. 자신을 허비하도록 내어주어 다른 이들로 그리스도 안에 있는 생명을 얻게 한다. 한쪽 뺨을 맞을 때 다른 쪽 뺨도 내준다. 1 마일을 가도록 요청 받을 때 2마일을 가는 자이다. 그는 자신의 주로 고백하는 분의 복사본과 같다. 주 예수 그리스도는 이러한 자를 자랑스럽게 여기며 세상의 소금이라는 칭호를 주신다. 이 세상에 속하지 않으면서도 세상의 구원을 위하는 자가 참된 크리스천이다. “A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passes knowledge. He leaps for joy when he is persecuted. He pays his enemies back in love and prayer. He gives himself away so others can find life in Christ. He even turns another cheek when he is slapped on his cheek. He goes another mile when he is called upon to go a mile. He is a replica of the One whom he confesses as Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ takes pride in such a man and calls him as the salt of the earth, which is not of the world, but for the salvation of the world.”                                                                                                                                                                  What kind of Christian are you? What kind of savor do you produce? Is it bitter so that people are repulsed? Or is it so sugary that people are fed up? Or is it so sour that they are reluctant to talk to you? Or is it so salty that they are led to the Source of purity and taste in life? The Lord Himself played the role of salt in a corrupt world. We should add antiseptic flavor to the insipid, decaying world, acting as Christ’s representatives, self-giving and self-sacrificing disciples, in order to bring people to Christ and bring glory to His Father through the Holy Spirit. Let’s keep on fixing our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can make others find life in Christ, make this world better for the glory of God by expanding the kingdom of God.

Benediction 

능히 너희를 보호하사 거침이 없게 하시고 너희로 그 영광 앞에 흠이 없이 즐거움으로 서게 하실 자, 곧 우리 구주 홀로 하나이신 하나님께 우리 주 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 영광과 위엄과 권력과 권세가 만고 전부터 이제와 세세에 있을찌어다 아멘. To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jud 1:24-25).