Friday, July 17, 2009
Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men."
SALT OF THE EARTH
In Jesus' day, salt was more important than it is today. It was a preservative when refrigerators didn't exist. In fact, salt was so valuable that the Roman army sometimes paid their soldiers with it! Salt was also a symbol of purity. Worship laws from Leviticus say that it was to be included in every grain offering that was presented at the Lord's altar.
So, what exactly was Jesus saying by calling His disciples salt?
You are the preservative that God sprinkles into the sinful world. You keep it from rotting away in sin. You point people to the Messiah and to God's way of everyday living. You are valuable to me. You are my hands and feet and mouth on the earth. Only through you will people hear the Good News about the forgiveness of sins. You are my people, eager to do what is good. You are being led into holy living by my words and by the Holy Spirit who helps you to accept and live them.
Salt was made from sea water set out to evaporate. Because there were other minerals in this "salt", its salty quality could be lost. If the real salt was somehow lost, you'd have some white looking minerals that didn't keep meat from spoiling or taste particularly good. This "salt-less salt" was next to worthless. About the only good thing it could be used for was making the street a little less muddy.
If Christians lose their character as Christians: their humble spirit, their mourning, their meekness, their hunger for righteousness, their mercy--then their usefulness to God and man is next to nothing.
Jesus warns His disciples: "Listen to what I'm saying, hold tight to what I'm teaching, live by it, don't become salt-less salt, don't become my followers in name only."
