Save the date for the 31st Annual Bible Institute, July 21 - 28, 2017 in Cincinnati, OH. Join us for over 20 seminars, stirring liturgies, healing & worship services and more!
Learn more at the link below http://www.presentationministries.com/bibleinst/index.asp
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, February 5, 2017, 5th Sunday Ordinary Time
Isaiah 58:7-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Psalm 112:4-9, Matthew 5:13-16
Link to Readings --> http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/020517.cfm
SALT FLATS
"What if salt goes flat?...Then it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." -Matthew 5:13
If you had a container of Morton's salt which had lost its flavor, what would you do? You'd probably throw it in the garbage. I doubt if you would throw it on the ground and trample it underfoot. However, that is what Jesus said would be done to salt that has lost its flavor.
Grinding salt into the ground was sometimes done in ancient warfare. This would ruin the ground. The defeated nation would not only starve for years; it would be degraded, for in an agricultural society destroying the fertility of the ground would be the ultimate insult. This helps us understand how serious it is for Christians to lose their flavor. If we don't live the Beatitudes (see Mt 5:3-12), let our light shine (Mt 5:14ff), and be holy as Jesus is holy (Mt 5:20; 1 Pt 1:15ff), we do not just lose our flavor and risk getting thrown out. We may even ruin the spiritual fertility of families, churches, and people around us.
After the Lord created us, He commanded us to be fertile and multiply (Gn 1:28). We are called to be good ground which bears fruit a hundredfold (Mt 13:23). How tragic if we, who are to be fertile, good ground, were used to make good ground infertile!
We must repent and ask the Lord to restore our flavor. It is impossible for us to do this, but He can do the impossible, if we only repent.
Prayer: Father, salt me with fire (Mk 9:49).
Promise: "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed." -Is 58:8
Praise: Praise You, Jesus, "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25). In You we have eternal life. Alleluia!
(For a related teaching on "Beatitudes", order, listen to, or download our CD 44-3 or DVD 44 on our website or order our tape on audio AV 44-3 or video V 44.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from February 1, 2017 through March 31, 2017
?Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 12, 2016
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You can find One Bread, One Body archives, the letter to readers, OBOB eBook edition, and an online donation form at
http://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2017 Presentation Ministries
To add your e-mail address to this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp
To remove your e-mail address from this list go to
http://www.presentationministries.com/general/emailList.asp?mode=r
No comments:
Post a Comment