ALIVE: Chapter 131, The Miracle of Learning

Jesus woke up at Peter’s home before dawn as usual. After praying, while it was still dark He  gently nudged His men one by one to tell him that they were going back. He wanted to get there early before anyone left. The men woke up and dressed without a grumble, grateful for the comfortable night inside.

When they arrived about two hours later most of the people were just waking up. Few had noticed that Jesus and His men had not been there all night. 

Jesus and the disciples huddled at the makeshift podium on the exposed rock-ledge. He directed them, “Go through the crowd and let them know that I want to speak with them more before they return to their homes. Tell them to finish packing and gather.”

About an hour later the busy scattered campers formed an attentive audience. 

Jesus reassumed His position on the rock. His apostles, the twelve, positioned themselves around the periphery of the crowd standing while the others sat. He started, “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Shining faces smiled their response. While others replied quietly and still others shouted “Yes!” still beaming from the evening before, still full from the miraculous smoked fish and warm bread. Many people woke up realizing with glee that they had been healed, whether from the teaching, His presence alone, or was it the mystical food that was their medicine, no one could know. The healed sat amazed and transfixed with wonder; grateful and wanting more. 

Jesus had a lot to tell them. That morning He had prayed that the people would be able to absorb all that He had to say, and be able to carry His message to their villages and countries. On that day, with the five thousand people from towns and countries of the region, Jesus was about to make disciples of all nations. Scanning the large crowd, He patiently waited for their chatting  to stop, which it gradually did at the urging of the disciples surrounding them and several people throughout the massive audience.

Jesus bellowed, “You are the salt of the earth.”

Everyone could hear the words He spoke, again so clearly to the last row of this natural amphitheater. Even the children sat up attentively. The birds flying overhead observed the large gathering while looking for crumbs of bread. The air was clean and thin on the mount. From time to time a gentle breeze passed through to refresh the audience.

He repeated, “YOU are the salt of the earth.” He stopped to give them time to think of how valuable salt is to them. Salt is the preservative, it enhances flavor, it even heals sore throats. No one knew why, but what an amazing substance! What would they do without it?

The adults felt uplifted by the compliment. Hurting people felt stronger, valued. 

The fishermen in their midst knew more than all the others how vital salt is. It was almost miraculous how the salt was made by the sea in glistening clumps on rocks near the shore. But how that salt was then used to preserve the fruit of their labors long enough to transport the dead fish to market and for the buyers far and wide throughout the country to still eat it as wholesome as it was on the day it was caught. Salt is more useful than gold. 

Mmmm? People as salt. What an uplifting concept! 

Then Jesus continued, “but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” 

Oh no!

Jesus noticed scattered among the crowd thirsty souls nodding their heads. What He said made sense. Jesus paused to give them plenty of time to process His words.

The more critical souls among them thought, “But how can salt lose it’s taste? Then it isn’t salt, it’s sand. Could I become useless? From laziness, from not doing what I was born to do on this earth? From caring only about myself? God help me from losing my saltiness. I may have been ill, I may be poor, but what can stop me from being…salty? Only myself.”

A boy of twelve; his name was Jesse who had been dragged against his will to this faraway place by his parents was earnestly listening while his eyes were trying to clasp onto the sight of Jesus beyond the heads in front of him by bobbing his head left and right until he final gave up and closed his eyes and dropped his head into the palms of his hands to hear better and to think. He said to himself, ‘To Do is better than To Be. Yes! Salt can loose its flavor when it isn’t used. I don’t want to be thrown out and trampled. Good for nothing! Only I can keep myself salty. No one can do this for me. Not even my mother.’

Jesus knew to pause just long enough to give the thoughtful people in the crowd enough time to contemplate His words and then squirrel them away for a time, perhaps in the night when sleep eludes them, to penetrate them and to fertilize their minds. Jesus knew that healing had to be accompanied by wisdom to make these ordinary people become children of God, His brothers and sisters. He had so much to teach them.