I am a Jesus pusher!!! “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing” (Matthew 5:13). In the Greek language the first word in the statement (It is good for nothing) is the Greek word “eis,” translated “for.” It is a movement term (into) indicating a change in location. When a helpless person is filled with the resource of the Spirit of Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven is formed. All the benefits and flow of His presence aggressively influences the believer’s world. However, Jesus begins to describe a disciple who moves into the realm of non-influence. In the imagery of light, he is under a basket (Matthew 5:15). In the imagery of salt, he is not salting (seasoning) his world. What does this mean?
“Nothing” is a translation of the Greek word “oudeis.” It means, “not even one, not the least.” This describes the state of helplessness in which we dwell. In the beatitudes, the “poor in spirit” is the picture of complete helplessness. The Greek word “ptochos,” translated “poor,” is the strongest Greek word available. There is no resource. We often hide our helplessness with a superficial ability to perform a certain act. James Dobson reported that a teenager’s self-esteem is based on one of three things: talent, good looks, or money. However, none of these three things have anything to do with the inner spirit of the person. They become ways to hide our helplessness. Jesus addressed the leaders of Israel as hypocrites. “For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). We are successful in business, careers, or performance of skills; in reality we are covering our helplessness. We must find our value in Jesus. I am a Jesus pusher!!!