And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. John 12:32 NLT
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
Jesus told His disciples that when He was lifted up, He would be irresistible to the world. Of course, the first and most obvious meaning is that when He was lifted up on the cross as a sinless and pure sacrifice for the sins of the world, what was gory and horrific would be transformed into the most spectacular display of love and power the world had ever or would ever see. Truly irresistible. That’s why we say, ”The way of the cross leads home.”
But His prophecy has another meaning as well. Our privilege as disciples is to lift Him up now so the world we live, work, and play in will see Him clearly again. Then He will be irresistible. The attraction we will have as we truly follow Him is so definite and understandable, He called us salt and light. Salt and light don’t try to be salt and light. They just are. Salt never tries to be saltier. Salt just improves the situation. Light doesn’t grunt and groan trying to be bright. It just is. Both salt and light simply enter the situations, and their entry changes things.
Jesus intended that for us. When Jesus was physically on the planet, every environment He entered felt His presence. There was a noticeable difference when He arrived. He didn’t chant a mantra when He showed up, and He didn’t try to be somebody different and powerful. Jesus was what He was all the time. He didn’t need advance notice to be on His best behavior and geared up with power. As He stayed in touch with His Father, following Him, Jesus knew He was exactly what the doctor ordered. People would find Him attractive and just exactly what they needed. The New Testament reports regularly that the common people received Him gladly. The only ones who rejected Him were the religious people.
Jesus never asked us to become Christians. He asked us to get up and follow Him. That’s difficult and costly. But following Him closely will make you attractive. You will be salt in a tasteless world. You will be light in deep darkness. You will find the greatest fulfillment in life as you follow Jesus faithfully. You will draw people to Him. But following Jesus, being and loving like Him, is likely to cause you to lose favor with religious people who are all about the law. But your Father in heaven will be glorified.
- Jesus, I don’t want to TRY to be attractive. I want to follow You so completely I can’t help but be attractive salt and light to our needy world.