The Salt Shaker...

Image courtesy of Carlos Porto

"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 under foot by men."--Matthew 5:13.  As we move past the Beatitudes, Jesus moves from describing our relationship with God to describing our relationship with the world.  Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth.  

Salt.  Salt is not anything foreign to us.  Salt is everywhere.  It is in our ocean water.  It is often found on the dinner table.  Fast food places use it on their fries.  We will use it on all sorts of foods.  My stepmom has salt with just about everything including sweet fruit (YUCK! haha :-) ).  But what is it about salt that makes it one of the most commonly used condiments in society?  The fact is salt has multiple functions. Among them is flavoring and acting as a preservative.  

Salt.  According to the New International Greek New Testament Commentary, the function of salt during the time of Jesus was not much different at that time then it is now.  Then it acted not only to flavor or preserve but it also acted as "a purifying or cleansing agent" (212).  So the question must be asked, why are we as followers of Christ the salt of the earth? 

Salt.  Well consider the functions of salt. It enhances what it comes into contact with.  As a matter of fact, the commentary I mentioned above states also that it was sometimes used in addition to sacrifices in ancient times.  So if salt is intended to make something better, is it any wonder that Jesus uses this terminology to describe His disciples?  

Salt.  Matthew 5:13 shows us that whatever happens we need to make it a point to make this world better.  But how can we do this?  This verse is more practical than we might realize.  First, consider Colossians 4:6 which tells us our conversation should be seasoned with salt.  The very things we say should enhance someone's life, not take away from it.  Most importantly though, we can enhance life by making it a point to share the gospel message with others giving them hope that there is something beyond this life.  But there is another aspect of this passage we must look at in regards to salt. 

Salt.  Matthew 5:13 also asks the question of if salt loses it's taste, how can it be made salty again? If it loses its saltiness, it is no good "except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."  So if we are the salt of the earth and not carrying out our duty, we are like the salt that is no good.  If we lose our motivation and desire to carry out God's will in our lives, fact is we are no good to God except to be thrown out. Harsh reality to say the least.  

So consider the image above. We see salt coming out of a salt shaker.  That being said, I want to leave you with this question.  How full is your salt shaker? And no I am not talking about the one sitting on your dining room table or in your kitchen. I am talking about YOU AND ME.  Back at my apartment, I have a salt shaker but I also have a big container of salt in my cabinet to refill my salt shaker when the need arises.  As Christians, we too have a constant supply of salt when our spiritual salt shaker runs out.  That supply I hope is not sitting in a cabinet somewhere.  I hope it is not just sitting on your bookshelf or coffee table collecting dust.  Of course I am talking about the supply of salt found in God written word.  

Salt.  So we see that salt is very beneficial.  My encouragement to you is to use those benefits to benefit others.  It might be taking some time to encourage a struggling brother or sister in Christ with a spoken word.  It might be talking to that neighbor, co-worker, or friend of yours that still needs to hear the gospel message of hope.  Whatever the case, over this next week consider Matthew 5:13 and take the time to make that call, make that visit or send that email that can make all the difference in the world to one person. You are the salt of the earth and now start using the salt shaker! 

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!