July 2 (Daily reading: 2 Kings 1-4) An application of 2 Kings 2:19-22 is taken from my book:
“Jesus taught: ‘Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another’ (Mk. 9:50). Why did Jesus tie having salt in ourselves to being at peace? It is related to the idea of pursuing peace, bringing a positive influence upon a disquieting situation in order to find peace. Salt is positive; it makes things better!
A story about Elisha will help us understand. When the men of a town told Elisha that the water was bad, he told them to put some salt in a new jar. Elisha went out to the source of the water supply and threw the salt in it. He said, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer’ (2 Kgs. 2:21). The water was made pure by the addition of salt. One of the many qualities of salt is healing.
‘Pursue peace with all men … See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled’ (Heb. 12:14-15). When the root of bitterness produces its bitter fruit, peace will disappear. As Elisha applied salt to the source of the water, so must we apply salt to the source, or root, of bitterness so that peace can reign. This is the salt that Jesus told us to have in ourselves, being led by the Holy Spirit to replace bitterness with peace in our relationships. This is the salt that we became when we asked Jesus to be our Savior and Lord, as He said, ‘You are the salt of the earth’ (Mt. 5:13). To be salt is to be a peacemaker!” (“We Love Because God First Loved Us,” p. 129).
– Al Gary
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