Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes

Have salt in yourselves. -- Mark 9:50

Jesus told us to be salty not only because he wants his followers to be distinctive, but also because he expects us to have character. Nothing makes Jesus nuts quite like milktoast disciples who think they are spiritual when they are actually just boring. The purpose of his ministry among us was to forgive our sins and restore us to being fully alive. So you cannot receive the amazing grace of Jesus without becoming rather amazing yourself.

If you want to know what this looks like, pay close attention to Jesus' own life. He loved dinner parties and preferred to go to those with a few disreputable people in attendance. If the wine ran out, well, you remember what happened at Cana. But Jesus also had the ability to break down in tears when he saw the pathos Jerusalem was headed for, and that is still the only rational response to the pathos of Jerusalem today. He had a soft spot for children, blue collar workers, and anyone in trouble, but he didn¹t mind unmasking the sin of those who consider themselves righteous. He loved the masses but didn¹t mind being alone, and periodically chose to go to "a lonely place" to find solitude with his Heavenly Father.

That last thing may be the key to everything else about Jesus, and the salty character he expects of you. When you learn how to find solitude with the Father, you are renewed in your true identity of being the beloved. People who know they are loved cannot help but be fully alive.

-- Craig Barnes