Low Sodium Christianity
(Luke 14: 25-34)
Recently I had my annual Medicare checkup which went as well as expected in spite of not taking care of myself as I should and carrying more than a few extra pounds. Surprisingly, everything checked out okay with all of the vital signs and I’m really not taking anything to control some sort of dire medical condition that many men my age are burdened with. I take a daily baby aspirin, half of a heart pill for a heart attack that really turned out to be my gall bladder, and a pill to keep my cholesterol down. I think that’s pretty good for an American male in his early seventies. I am particularly relieved that I don’t have high blood pressure. I remember my grandfather having high blood pressure and my grandmother, a retired nurse, really had to watch his diet and strictly monitored his salt intake, and he really enjoyed salting his food if she wasn’t looking. That would be hard for me as I too really like salting my food, even if it is salty enough the way it is. I like the flavor, and I like my food salted. I don’t want my food to lose its saltiness.
And it’s losing our saltiness as Christians that Jesus is talking about in our scripture reading for this morning. It’s our commitment to Christ and our Christian saltiness that separates us from those who have lost their saltiness and are leading a bland and tasteless life in Christ.
We continue on with our study of Luke’s Gospel with him telling us that large crowds were traveling with Jesus. Many had left their homes, jobs, and families to follow him, to hear his unconventional message that really resonated with them. They liked what they were hearing and wanted to hear more. This, I believe, concerned Jesus. While he appreciated that they were following him to hear his message I believe he was concerned that they might not take the message he was preaching seriously and apply it to their lives and the lives of others in a way that made a difference. His message wasn’t meant for them to feel good about themselves, but to give them a hope that would inspire them to advocate a radical love of God and neighbor that would change the world for the better. A change that would be met with opposition, opposition that sometimes could be life upending and even life threatening.
Luke tells us that Jesus turned to the crowd and said: Whoever comes to me and doesn’t hate father and mother, spouse and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, even one’s own life—cannot be my disciple. That had to have gotten their attention. What are you saying? Are you telling us to go home if we love our families? No, that is not what he’s saying. Jesus was and never is interested in attracting great crowds. His concern is to attract followers who have considered the tremendous sacrifices that he is requesting and who are willing to make those sacrifices. He’s not saying that you should go home, disavow God, and ignore the plight of your neighbor. He’s telling them that if they really want to be a disciple for the transformation of the world that there are going to be sacrifices, costs, and losses. He’s warning them, and us, that the one who squeezes commitment to him within a host of other priorities, as one of many good things, cannot be his disciple. The commitment to Him must be the one and only priority.
And he’s warning about the cost that must be considered in making this commitment. This is what he meant when he gave the example of building a tower. Before jumping out there and attempting such an ambitious project the wise person would sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether there is enough money to complete it. You might have enough to lay the foundation but when you run out of money the construction comes to a halt and all who have been watching will take the opportunity to belittle you. You will be criticized for starting something you couldn’t finish. He gives another example of a king going to war against another king who would first consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the other king’s twenty thousand soldiers. If he didn’t think he could win, he would sue for peace while his enemy was still a long way off. He says: In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple.
Jesus’ audience was well aware of what it meant to carry one’s own cross. When the Romans led a criminal to his execution site, he was forced to carry the cross upon which he would die. This showed his submission to Rome and warned observers that they had better submit too. Jesus made this statement to get the crowds to think through their enthusiasm for him. He is encouraging those who were superficial to either go deeper or turn back. For Jesus, possessions seem to be the litmus test for radical discipleship. If one gets tied down by their possessions, their comfortable life, it’s like they’ve lost their saltiness. This is what Jessus meant when he said: Salt is good. But if salt loses its flavor, how will it become salty again? It has no use, neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. People throw it away. Whoever has ears to hear should pay attention. Salt was an important commodity in the world at that time. Not only did it add flavor to a meal, it was used in preserving food, keeping it from spoiling. When it got wet and dried out there was nothing left but a tasteless and useless residue.
What Jesus is saying is that following him does not mean a trouble-free life. If we are going to make that commitment, we must first consider the cost of becoming one of his disciples so that we will know what we are getting into and won’t be tempted to turn back when the going gets tough. What Jesus is asking is whether of not we will abandon the Christian life after a little while because we did not count the cost of the commitment. We have to ask ourselves what are those costs? Making such a radical commitment may cause Christians to lose social status or wealth. They may have to give up control over their money, their time, or their career. They may be hated, separated from their family, and even put to death. This is why many Christians blend into the world and avoid the cost of standing up for Christ. I’ve attended churches like that, churches full of people who were content to go to church every Sunday, sing the praises of God, thank him for his faithfulness and forgiveness, and then go home to their easy, safe and bland lifestyle. This is why many Christians blend into the world and avoid the cost of standing up for Christ. They’re afraid of what it will cost them. Let somebody else run that risk. They lack the saltiness it takes to step up and step out.
Jesus’ concern is that if Christians lose their distinctive saltiness, they become worthless. So, just as salt flavors and preserves food, we are called to preserve the good in the world, to help keep it from spoiling, and bring new flavors to life. This requires careful planning, willing sacrifices and unswerving commitment to Christ’s kingdom. Being “salty” for Jesus Christ is not easy, but if a Christian fails in this function, he or she fails to represent Christ in the world and becomes nothing more than a low-sodium Christian and that’s not what the world needs. The world needs “salty” Christians who will fight to make sure that the poor do not go hungry, that their access to food is reliable and dependable. The “salty” Christians will do all they can to ensure that the poor have access to health care. The “salty” Follower of Jesus Christ will make sure that all people will have equal access to justice. The “salty” Disciple of Jesus Christ will work to make sure that there is clean drinking water for all who are thirsty. The “salty” Christian will welcome the stranger and not tolerate any act or acts that vilify them because of who they are. And the “salty” Christian will not be ashamed to show his love for all of his or her neighbors regardless of their station in life. The “salty” Christian does not tolerate low sodium Christianity.
Let us pray.
Lord, how grateful and undeserving we are for your unmerited love and forgiveness when we fail you. We are grateful that our future with you in eternity is secure and we pray that we live lives that are pleasing to you. More importantly Lord, we pray that we take the time to understand the cost of carrying our own cross as we commit our lives to you and your service. We pray for your strength and the guidance of the Spirit as we meet the challenges that stand in the way of restoring your creation as it was always intended. We pray that we are up to the task and are worthy of your sacrifice. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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