UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT Matthew 5:13; Ephesians 5:1-2; Colossians 3:12-17
Rev. Paul Wrightman 2/16/25
JESUS ASKS A QUESTION IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
THAT CAN BE LOOSELY TRANSLATED:
“HOW DO WE GET OUR SALT BACK?”
JESUS ASKS THIS QUESTION SPECIFICALLY TO HIS DISCIPLES,
WHICH INCLUDES THOSE WHO DID THEIR BEST
TO FOLLOW HIM BACK THEN,
AND ALSO THOSE WHO DO THEIR BEST TO FOLLOW HIM
RIGHT NOW.
WE TEND TO TAKE SALT FOR GRANTED,
SINCE IT IS READILY AVAILABLE AND CHEAP.
IN JESUS’ DAY IT WAS NEITHER OF THESE.
BACK THEN SALT WAS SCARCE AND EXPENSIVE.
ITS PROPERTIES OF PRESERVING AND ADDING FLAVOR TO FOOD
CAME TO BE METAPHORS FOR DESCRIBING THE QUALITY
OF RELATIONSHIPS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE’S COUNTRY
COULD BE DESCRIBED AS “FULL OF SALT,”
THIS MEANT THAT ONE WAS BOTH DEEPLY COMMITTED
AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE NATION
THAT ONE WAS BORN INTO OR CHOSE TO IDENTIFY WITH.
JESUS EXPANDED THE METAPHOR OF SALT
TO INCLUDE ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AND HIS TEACHINGS.
HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN HIM AND HIS DISCIPLES WOULD EVENTUALLY
BECOME SO DILUTED THAT HIS PRESENCE AND HIS TEACHINGS
NO LONGER SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THE ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS
OF THOSE WHO CLAIMED TO FOLLOW HIM.
AS WITH MANY OF HIS QUESTIONS,
JESUS HIMSELF DOES NOT PROVIDE A DIRECT ANSWER,
BUT LEAVES IT TO US TO PUT TOGETHER AN ANSWER OF OUR OWN.
AND AS WITH MANY OF HIS QUESTIONS,
THIS QUESTION, HOW DO WE GET OUR SALT BACK?
CAN BE VIEWED IN BOTH PERSONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL WAYS.
THE PERSONAL ANGLE APPLIES TO OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH JESUS HIMSELF.
IT CAN BE PARAPHRASED AS WHAT CAN I DO WHEN I SLIP
INTO BECOMING A LUKEWARM FOLLOWER OF CHRIST?
THE INSTITUTIONAL ANGLE
APPLIES TO THE INSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH
AND ASKS THE QUESTION HOW WELL HAS THE HISTORICAL CHURCH
THROUGH THE AGES REMAINED FAITHFUL
TO THE ORIGINAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS?
SADLY, THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS, SADLY, “NOT VERY WELL,”
AS WE SAW SEVERAL WEEKS AGO
IN A SERMON ENTITLED “HAS THE CHURCH LOST ITS MOJO?”
TODAY WE WILL FOCUS ON THE PERSONAL DIMENSION
OF OUR QUESTION: IF I’VE LOST MY SALT AS A CHRISTIAN,
HOW DO I GET IT BACK?
I'D LIKE TO OFFER AN EXAMPLE
OF A CONTEMPORARY PERSON WHO EXPERIENCED
LOSING THE ELEMENT OF “SALT” IN HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS,
WHICH, IN TURN, NEGATIVELY IMPACTED
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON,
AND HOW HE GOT HIS SALT BACK.
DON'T WORRY -- IN THIS TRUE STORY THE PERSON
DOES NOT BECOME A RELIGIOUS FANATIC.
HE DOES, HOWEVER, GET HIS LIFE TOGETHER, HIS SALT BACK.
OUR AUTHOR IS H. JACKSON BROWN JR.
HE WRITES:
'I SAT SLUMPED IN OUR FAMILY ROOM STARING AT THE WALL,
MISERABLE OVER WHAT I HAD DONE TO MY FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD SON.
OUR RELATIONSHIP HAD NOT BEEN THE BEST THROUGH THE YEARS,
AND THIS EVENING I HAD REALLY BLOWN IT.
ADAM HAD NOT GONE OUT FOR HIS HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM
AS I HAD STRONGLY URGED,
AND I HAD SOUNDED OFF ABOUT IT TO HIM.
…"I'M SORRY, DAD," HE HAD SAID, HIS BROWN EYES FULL OF HURT,
"BUT I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN THE COMPUTER CLUB."
"IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT IT," I GROWLED,
PICKING UP THE NEWSPAPER
TO LET HIM KNOW OUR TALK WAS OVER.
ADAM TRUDGED UPSTAIRS TO HIS ROOM,
AND I SANK BACK IN MY CHAIR,
LETTING THE PAPER FALL TO THE FLOOR.
I WAS [ANGRY] THAT MY ADVICE HAD BEEN DISREGARDED,
AND FRUSTRATED AT NOT HAVING A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP
WITH OUR ONLY CHILD.
IT SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN THIS WAY SINCE ADAM WAS LITTLE.
I REMEMBERED HIM SITTING BEHIND ME IN THE CAR
AS I DROVE HOME FROM A LOCAL SWIMMING POOL.
DESPITE ALL MY INSTRUCTIONS,
HE HAD NOT SWUM AS WELL AS I WISHED.
WHEN WE STOPPED AT A LIGHT, I SCOLDED HIM:
"ADAM, YOU DISAPPOINTED ME!
I TOOK YOU OVER THERE BECAUSE YOU SAID
YOU WERE GOING TO SWIM LIKE A BIG BOY
WITH YOUR FACE IN THE WATER.
BUT YOU'RE STILL FEARFUL.
I'M ANGRY AT YOU."
HIS FACE PUCKERED, "DADDY, IT MAKES ME SAD
WHEN YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT."
IT WAS AS IF AN ARROW HAD PIERCED MY HEART.
BETTER GET HOLD OF YOURSELF, JACKSON,
I THOUGHT AT THE TIME.
YOU'RE TALKING TO A FIVE-YEAR-OLD AS IF HE'S FIFTEEN.
NOW, TEN YEARS LATER, I REALIZED I HAD BEEN TALKING
TO A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD AS IF HE WERE FIVE.
I SHOOK MY HEAD,
GOT UP AND CLIMBED THE STAIRS TO ADAM'S ROOM.
I KNOCKED SOFTLY ON HIS DOOR.
"ADAM?"
A MUFFLED, "WHAT?"
"I'M SORRY," I SAID.
"I SHOULDN'T HAVE TALKED TO YOU LIKE THAT."
"YEAH, DAD, YEAH … NO PROBLEM."
I TURNED TO OUR BEDROOM KNOWING I HAD FAILED AGAIN.
I REALIZED I WAS TRYING TO RELIVE MY YOUTH THROUGH ADAM,
AND WHEN HE DIDN'T SEEM TO LISTEN,
I FLEW OFF THE HANDLE, HURLING WORDS
BEFORE I HAD THE CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT THEM.
THE MOMENTARY SATISFACTION OF VENTING MY ANGER
COST ME DAYS OF TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES
OF OUR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP.
I LOVED ADAM, WANTED THE BEST FOR HIM.
BUT I KNEW THE DAY WOULD COME WHEN THOSE PIECES
WOULDN'T BE THERE TO PICK UP ANYMORE.
ALREADY I SENSED A GROWING GULF BETWEEN US.
WOULD I ALWAYS BE HAUNTED BY THIS DARK SIDE, I WONDERED…'
LET ME INTERRUPT FOR A MOMENT.
I THINK YOU CAN SEE THE PARALLEL
BETWEEN WHAT H. JACKSON BROWN IS CHRONICLING
AND THE NEW TESTAMENT ACCOUNTS
OF MANY OF THE EARLY DISCIPLES – PEOPLE LIKE PETER AND PAUL –
LOSING THE “SALT” IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS,
AND, CONSEQUENTLY, IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
H. JACKSON BROWN IS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE END OF HIS ROPE.
HE REALIZES THAT THE POWER JUST ISN'T THERE WITHIN HIM
TO BECOME THE KIND OF FATHER HE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE.
HE URGENTLY NEEDED SOMEONE TO INTERVENE.
BUT WHO?
BACK TO OUR STORY:
'SOME DAYS LATER WHILE WALKING IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE,
I WAS THINKING OF THE TERRIBLE ROLE MODEL I HAD BECOME.
KIDS MAY NOT DO WHAT YOU TELL THEM TO DO,
BUT THEY ARE WATCHING YOU ALL THE TIME.
I KNEW YOU COULDN'T TELL A CHILD
NOT TO SMOKE IF YOU SMOKED,
OR NOT TO DRINK IF YOU DRANK.
WHAT WAS ADAM SEEING IN ME?
THEN SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE.
IT WAS A BIG SIGN IN THE WINDOW OF A SHOE SHOP.
I STOPPED AND LOOKED AT IT:
CLOSED FOR REMODELING
OPENING SOON UNDER
NEW MANAGEMENT
THE MESSAGE HIT ME LIKE A LIGHTENING BOLT.
COULD I REMODEL MYSELF AND OPEN UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT?
I BROUGHT IT UP IN CONVERSATION
WITH AN OLD MINISTER FRIEND, BRAD SPRAGUE.
"WHAT CAN I DO, BRAD?" I ASKED.
LOOKING AT ME THROUGH HIS GLASSES, HE QUIETLY ASKED,
"WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?"…
I DETERMINED TO PUT MY REACTIONS UNDER HIS CONTROL.
IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING, I TRIED,
BUT I FOUND THAT MY TENDENCY TO BLOW UP
HAD BECOME SECOND NATURE, A REFLEX.
I REMEMBERED SOMETHING I HAD LEARNED
IN A COLLEGE PSYCHOLOGY CLASS:
THE BEST WAY TO END A BAD HABIT
IS TO REPLACE IT WITH A GOOD ONE.
SO WHEN I SENSED AN ERUPTION COMING ON,
I'D HOLD MY TONGUE FOR SOME SECONDS
WHILE I BREATHED DEEPLY.
USUALLY THE ANGER WOULD DISSIPATE…
IN THE BEGINNING ADAM LOOKED AT ME WARILY.
BUT GRADUALLY HE RELAXED, AND IT WASN'T LONG
BEFORE WE HAD SOME FAIRLY DECENT CONVERSATIONS.
THE MORE WE TALKED THE MORE I REALIZED
ADAM'S UNIQUENESS IN HIS OWN ABILITIES.
HE WAS A COMPUTER WHIZ, AND BEFORE LONG HE WAS HELPING ME
ADAPT COMPUTER TECHNIQUES TO MY BUSINESS.
A BIG STEP FORWARD CAME ABOUT ELEVEN O'CLOCK ONE NIGHT
WHEN ADAM RETURNED FROM A DATE.
INSTEAD OF GOING RIGHT UP TO HIS ROOM AS USUAL,
HE CAME INTO THE FAMILY ROOM, SAT DOWN
AND BEGAN TO CHAT.
SATURDAYS BECAME A SPECIAL TIME FOR US.
WE DROVE TO DIFFERENT COUNTY SEATS
TO TRY OUT RESTAURANTS WITH A CULINARY CLAIM TO FAME,
SUCH AS CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK
OR CHOCOLATE MERINGUE PIE.
I KNEW I WAS MAKING REAL PROGRESS WHEN ADAM ASKED,
"GEE, DAD, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GO NEXT WEEK?"
IN LAUNCHING MY SELF-REMODELING PROJECT,
I ALSO FOUND HELP IN READING MATERIAL AND LISTENING TO TAPES,
NOT ONLY OF SCRIPTURE BUT BY PERSONS
WHO HAD FOUND SPIRITUALLY FULFILLING LIVES.
I DISCOVERED SO MANY HELPFUL INSIGHTS
THAT I BEGAN COLLECTING THEM,
AUGMENTING THEM WITH MY OWN.'
LET ME BREAK IN AGAIN:
I HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO CATCH
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JESUS’ QUESTION
HOW CAN WE GET OUR SALT BACK?
AND H. JACKSON’S BROWN’S DESIRE
TO PUT HIS LIFE UNDER “NEW MANAGEMENT.”
HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON
BEGINS TO RADICALLY CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
WHEN, AS HE PUTS IT,
"I DETERMINED TO PUT MY REACTIONS UNDER [JESUS’] CONTROL.”
OF COURSE BROWN REMEMBERS SOME HELPFUL PSYCHOLOGY
ABOUT REPLACING A BAD HABIT WITH A GOOD ONE,
BUT WHO DO YOU THINK HELPED HIM TO REMEMBER?
I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK IT MATTERS ALL THAT MUCH
IF WE DESIGNATE THE BEING WHO HELPS US TO CHANGE
GOD, OR JESUS, OR GOD'S SPIRIT,
OR EVEN OUR "HIGHER POWER."
WHAT DOES MATTER
IS THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE END OF OUR ROPE,
WHEN WE FIND THAT WE’VE LOST OUR SALT,
WE ASK FOR HELP.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
ALL THE WORLD'S GREAT FAITH TRADITIONS TELL US
THAT ASKING FOR HELP IS CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE HUMAN BEINGS WERE NOT CREATED
TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT,
BUT WERE MADE TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE BEING WHO MADE US.
PERSONALLY, I FIND "GOD," OR "GOD'S SPIRIT,"
OR A "HIGHER POWER" TOO VAGUE.
JESUS MAKES GOD REAL AND CONCRETE AND FOLLOWABLE FOR ME.
OUR STORY HAS A HAPPY ENDING.
H. JACKSON BROWN CONTINUES:
'…AS THE TIME APPROACHED FOR ADAM TO LEAVE FOR COLLEGE,
I BEGAN TO WONDER:
WHAT COULD I GIVE THAT HE COULD TAKE WITH HIM?
WHAT ABOUT MY NEW COLLECTION OF WISDOM?
I RETREATED TO THE FAMILY ROOM
TO COPY DOWN SOME OF THE INSIGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS
I THOUGHT HE MIGHT FIND USEFUL.
THAT FIRST NIGHT I WROTE DOWN FORTY-ONE THOUGHTS
IN A NOTEBOOK, BEGINNING WITH:
COMPLEMENT THREE PEOPLE EVERY DAY
AND ENDING WITH DON'T POSTPONE JOY.
WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD TAKE A FEW HOURS
TOOK SEVERAL DAYS AS I ADDED MORE:
BE KINDER THAN NECESSARY AND
GIVE YOURSELF A YEAR TO READ THE BIBLE COVER TO COVER…
THE NIGHT BEFORE ADAM WAS TO LEAVE,
I HAD 511 REMINDERS;
THE LAST WAS CALL YOUR MOTHER.
I ASSEMBLED THE TYPED PAGES IN A DIME-STORE BINDER
AND SLID IT UNDER THE FRONT SEAT OF OUR STATION WAGON.
THE NEXT DAY, AS HIS MOTHER AND I
HELPED HIM MOVE INTO HIS DORM ROOM,
I REACHED UNDER THE CAR SEAT,
PULLED OUT THE BINDER AND HANDED IT TO HIM.
"ADAM, THIS IS WHAT I KNOW
ABOUT LIVING A HAPPY AND REWARDING LIFE."
"THANKS, DAD," HE EXCLAIMED, AND WE HUGGED GOOD-BYE.
ABOUT A WEEK LATER ADAM CALLED.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE CHERISHED THE BOOK.
HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE IT, HE SAID,
ADDING SOME OF HIS OWN THOUGHTS,
AND SOMEDAY PASS IT ON TO HIS CHILD.' (END QUOTE)
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS TRUE STORY
IN THE BOOK A CLOSER WALK WITH JESUS
IS AN EDITOR'S NOTE:
H. JACKSON BROWN JR.'S BOOK OF SUGGESTIONS
BECAME THE NATIONAL BEST-SELLER
"LIFE'S LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK."
I SUSPECT MANY OF YOU KNEW THAT ALREADY.
OF COURSE THE MAIN POINT OF H. JACKSON BROWN
GETTING HIS SALT BACK
IS NOT THAT BROWN FINDS HIMSELF
WITH A BEST-SELLER ON HIS HANDS.
THE MAIN POINT IS THAT AT SOME POINT,
HOPEFULLY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER,
EACH OF US WILL LEAN ON GOD FOR THE POWER TO SAY:
“I WANT TO GET MY SALT BACK.
I WANT TO LIVE UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT.”
AMEN.