"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
Matthew 5:13
Matthew 5:13
What an odd statement for Jesus to make, “You are the salt of the earth”, so what…do we burn peoples cuts, do we go good on watermelon…or maybe we give people high blood pressure, what could Jesus possibly mean by “salt of the earth”? Let’s take a look at it from what that time period used salt for.
1) Maybe He meant we are worth something. Ever heard that someone was not worth their salt? During the days of the Roman Empire, the soldiers would often be paid in salt. Wow, those Romans really like to salt their food…but that wasn’t it, the power to control a population's salt supply was power over life and death due to the preservative qualities of salt. The soldier could use the salt for his family’s food supply, or sell it for money either way, salt was valuable.
2) We as Christians are to be the preservers of the culture. Think about this, what would the world be like today if there were no spirit filled believers in Jesus Christ…now I’m not talking about people who just go to church or call themselves Christians…but those who truly are…what would this world be like without them, without the Holy Spirit, without the word of God? Christianity contributed much to the world in the way of Science, human freedom, morality, healthcare, ect… so what would the world be like without true, spirit filled Christians…checkout the book of Revelations. When there is no more Christian influence, there will be no more moral restraint.
Salt also had healing powers…ever got salt on a cut or went swimming in the ocean & the next day your acne was way better? Salt burns when it touches a wound…we at times have to speak out against things that make people angry or uncomfortable. But that’s what it often takes to preserve a culture for Christ. People who are willing to stand up & speak out against sin.
3) We need to be the flavor & zest of life. Ever ate a hamburger that wasn’t seasoned with salt…not very tasty, salt just makes it taste better.
With all the bad that is happening in the world today, it’s easy for people to become depressed & lacking in hope. We as Christians should be those who find hope in the worst of times, those who can direct the way to true lasting hope & joy. Often people think Christian, they think of someone who can’t have fun & look as though they keep a dip of pickle slices between their cheek & gum, always uptight always sour. But that’s not at all what Jesus was like. Do you see children running up to a sour, grumbling, irritable man? No…Jesus was a real man, one that was serious when needed to be, but more than loving and compassionate, so much so that people were drawn to Him. We are to be filled with hope, hope that bubbles over & makes an impact on others. People should want to be around us, they should want what we have…Jesus.
With all the bad that is happening in the world today, it’s easy for people to become depressed & lacking in hope. We as Christians should be those who find hope in the worst of times, those who can direct the way to true lasting hope & joy. Often people think Christian, they think of someone who can’t have fun & look as though they keep a dip of pickle slices between their cheek & gum, always uptight always sour. But that’s not at all what Jesus was like. Do you see children running up to a sour, grumbling, irritable man? No…Jesus was a real man, one that was serious when needed to be, but more than loving and compassionate, so much so that people were drawn to Him. We are to be filled with hope, hope that bubbles over & makes an impact on others. People should want to be around us, they should want what we have…Jesus.
The world looks hopeless, but Christians living a solid Christian life, makes life look palatable.
4) To go along with number 3…we should be like popcorn. Huh??? You know like movie popcorn…not outrageously priced but so salty, that we make people thirsty. When you go to the movies and buy the $10 small, $20 med or the “put my home up for collateral” large…it is always very salty, why? So you will need to buy a “give up my first born child” mega drink. It’s to make you thirsty!!! We also as Christians should make people thirst for Jesus Christ. We should live our lives in such a way that people see what we have in Jesus & they thirst for Him.
All in all, salt was the best way to describe what we need to be in this world as Christians. Understanding that Jesus said that He makes us worth something & by that we need to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to help preserve the culture, make life palatable & draw people to Jesus.
Vern
