Newsletter — July 23, 2023

“Remember Lot’s wife.” That’s what Jesus tells his disciples to do on the day when the Son of Man is revealed (Luke 17). He’s warning his disciples to flee from the coming destruction of Jerusalem just as Lot and his family was warned to flee the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19.15ff). He warns them not to “turn back” and then mentions Lot’s wife, who “looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” The inference to the disciples is that if they look back, if they think about staying with the old covenant and the old system tied to the temple, they will become like Lot’s wife who looked back to the old life of Sodom and was reduced to a pillar of salt. But what does it mean that she became a pillar of salt? Why “salt,” and not granite or sandstone or lime? Why salt? The answer has to do with how salt is used in the scriptures: it’s a seasoning. It’s applied to the sacrifices that Yahweh will eat; if it loses its flavor, it’s “not good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet (Matthew 5.13). Paul says “let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…” (Col. 4.6). Jesus’ instruction to them, and to us, is not look back at the old satanic life that you left when you became His slave; if you do, you’re no good to Him and the new life and new Jerusalem that you live in. Instead, keep your eyes on Jesus so that you season the church and kingdom for greater taste, inviting others to “taste the Lord and see that he is good.” Don’t leave others with a bad taste in their mouth!