The Salt of Healing

2 Kings 2:19-22

“19 Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” 20 He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” 22 So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.”

We may think we know everything about the story of Jericho and how God caused the walls to come tumbling down.  But what we don’t remember is that Joshua, after the victory, put a curse on the city.  “Joshua then pronounced this oath, saying, “Cursed before the Lord be anyone who tries to build this city—this Jericho! At the cost of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation,and at the cost of his youngest he shall set up its gates!” (Joshua 6:26)

Elisha arrived in Jericho to find a city under God’s curse, with a spring of polluted water flowing into it that brought sickness and death to Jericho’s people, and barrenness to its lands. Elisha performed the miracle of cleansing the spring by He throwing salt into the spring. God, in His mercy, then used the salt to heal the water so that it became clean and life-giving.  Even to this day, the cleanest spring in Jericho is called Elisha’s spring.

Jesus told his disciples that they were “the salt of the world” (Matt. 5:13).  

Christianity offers the world healing and eternal life. 

Follow Christ.  Be the salt.  

And offer the world living water.

“but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)