Pass The Salt, Please!

Pass The Salt, Please!

In the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew 5:13 Jesus was addressing His followers back then and addressing us now by saying: “You are the salt of the earth”.  As Christians, then, salt is who we are. 

And so the question is: “How do we live as the salt of the earth?”  After all, Jesus was speaking to a group of people who were not the kind who would have normally had a big influence on the world.  He was speaking to fishermen, tax collectors, and other very average people.  How then were these very normal people to have an influence on the world? And now, that we look back, we can say they did. Look to where Christianity is today.

To understand what Jesus reveals about God’s people, we must understand some things about salt:

1.      Salt Preserves –

We realize that putting meat in the freezer is a relatively new concept. Two thousand years ago, if you wanted to save any meat, or if you wanted to transport your fish to market, those things would be rubbed with salt and would actually be packed in salt.  Salt is a preservative that keeps something from going bad – it prevents decay.

Spiritually speaking, things are the same. We are to function as a preservative in the world. Our world is decaying. It is our job as salt to preserve the holiness of God and the goodness of Jesus, as much as we can. “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” – (Romans 12:1)

2. Salt Seasons (It flavors the food that we eat).

   Our function is to add flavor and excitement to the world. We are to be seasoning agents in the world. Salt improves the flavor of many foods. It blends with the food and enhances the taste. In my opinion, there are some foods that aren’t even worth eating without salt. 

    This is how it should be with Christians. We should be enhancing the flavor of the world around us. As salt, we should be living our lives in such a way as to bring out the best in the people we come in contact with. Jesus brought out the best in the people around him. We can do the same if we follow the advice of Scripture: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27)

3.      Salt Creates Thirst

   As Christians, then, we do not necessarily need to go out and scream at people on the street corners, but our daily conversations are to be “seasoned with salt.”  We are to conduct ourselves with wisdom toward those on the outside. 

   As followers of Jesus, we are to be naturally causing people to thirst for GOD – the way we talk, the way we act, the way we react to stress, the way we handle our finances, the way we behave at school, or work, and especially at home, the way we behave when we think that no one is watching. 

   If we serve as salt, we draw attention not so much to ourselves, but to the Lord. Our schools, our workplaces, our homes, should all be better because we as Christians are there. May the Lord help us fulfill our function!

Happy Summer, Salt!

Love you all!