WORTH ONE’S SALT
Richard Harris
Today’s Scripture: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13, ESV
Theme: Jesus calls us the salt of the earth; believers are meant to be different and stand out.
PARABLES AND METAPHORS
From His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus delivers this metaphor to His Apostles. A metaphor creates a vivid image in the listener’s mind. The images are relatable to the audience. He could have simply addressed His audience and told them, “The challenge begins here. I’m raising the bar. We are about to influence and impact the entire earth. Faith without works is dead. We represent righteousness. Our mission is not just about getting to heaven, but to get others to see the one true faith. We must stand out, and be noticed, wherever we travel.” Yes … He could have said it that way, but the salt metaphor added depth and rhetorical meaning to His tone.
WHY SALT?
Although essential to life and critical to our survival, we don’t think much about salt in today’s world, except when looking at the sodium content on the nutritional label of that bag of potato chips. Salt in the first century is often used to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification.
Salt is a preservative. Salt draws water out of bacteria and mold cells, through a process called osmosis. Long-lasting food preservation was critical in those times, as it is now. In the same way, preserving everlasting life ties the metaphor to a Christian’s walk in this world.
Salt cleanses. Salt was heavily used to absorb the blood on sacrificial altars (Mark 9:49, ESV). Salt was rubbed onto newborn babies to cleanse them (Ezekiel 16:4, ESV). Likewise, the blood of Christ is seen as a cleansing agent, washing away sin and enabling us to be made clean in God's sight.
Salt heals (2 Kings 2:20-21, ESV). Just as salt water can heal wounds and sore muscles, believers can heal situations. Gargling saltwater eases a sore throat. We can ease the burdens of others. Cleansing, healing and purification apply to the spiritual aspects of a person’s well-being.
Salt flavors. Salt seasons food. Salt tastes good. Sharing Jesus today seasons the world wherever you go. Just as salt enhances flavor, our actions and words should be influential and positive.
Salt disinfects and heals. Live your faith, so as to have a healing influence and impact upon the earth.
Salt has value. Our word, salt, is linked to the Latin word "Salarium." The word “Salary” is also linked to it. On occasion, Roman soldiers were paid with salt. They were "worth their salt." Salt, today, symbolizes loyalty and valued friendship in a saved world.
Salt elevates the boiling point of water. Salt lowers the freezing point of ice. Salt removes rust. It can make candles dripless, keep flowers fresh, cure leather, and enhance incense. Preventing erosion of our Kingdom’s values likens us to the multi-beneficial powers of salt in this world as we fight against inhumanity and oppression, through the words of our Lord.
Something you may not have noticed: Salt was so respected and sacred to First Century life, that in Leonardo DaVinci's 1495 painting of the Last Supper, Judas is seen as being disgraceful by knocking over the salt dish.
CAN SALT LOSE ITS TASTE?
Yes, it can. Throwing out salt, to let it be trampled under people’s feet, was not uncommon in the First Century. Salt, used to cleanse, loses its potency (saltiness). Placed upon roads and paths, it thus becomes a little useful in limiting the growth of vegetation.
Those who lose their saltiness become apathetic about their faith. Sin, an often-common contagion, can be healed when sprinkling a little of the metaphorical potent healing salt that Jesus provides us.
Make It Personal: Psalm 58:8, NIV: "May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along, like a stillborn child that never sees the sun." The word "slug" was used to describe lazy people long before it was used to describe the animal. Salt can kill slugs. I do respect all life, but - yes - I’ve done that as a kid. ‘Nuff said.
Pray: Thank You, Lord, for delivering this meaningful teaching to us. May we search our own hearts and be challenged by Your words. As with healing through salt, may we have an impact and influence upon the spiritual wellness of the earth. As Your salt of the earth, may we preserve all goodness, through the One who sacrificed His cleansing blood so that we can stand out and be different in the Name of Christ Jesus. Amen
Read: Luke 14:34, Colossians 4:6, Leviticus 2:13, 2 Chronicles 13:5, Numbers :18-19
Weekly Memory Verse: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17, ESV