Please Pass the Salt

After the Lord lists the Beatitudes, He then goes onto speak about being the salt of the earth. Not only that, but He also goes on to liken the Christian to light. It is interesting how He chooses these two different things to describe the Christian. Salt is very tangible, it is used frequently in today's world and it was very relevant in Jesus' time. Light is not quite so tangible, however, it is used by everybody in many different ways. Two different things to describe the Christian; one for the physical and one for the spiritual.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt looses its flavor, how then will it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13, NKJV

Salt. Why salt? If you don't know, there are many different attributes for salt:

• salt seasons whatever it touches. As Christians, we have the opportunity and the duty to season that which we come into contact with.
• salt preserves. In Jesus' time, salt was used as a preservative for meat. It is still used toady for the same purpose. Imagine, salt halts decay. to put it forth in a spiritual aspect, we have the ability to offer the world life, preservation.
• salt melts ice. the hardened and cold heart of the world needs to be melted. Have you ever seen anyone walking around with saltpeter throwing it onto sidewalks. This is used to melt the ice that is on the pathway to insure safety. We need to offer that safety to those around us.
• salt produces thirst. After eating salt popcorn at a movie, I always need a big swig of soda. I know I should go for the water, but I have y vices to contend with. Salt produces thirst. For a person with a parched soul, who better to quench that thirst that the Holy Spirit?
• salt has value. In Jesus' time a lot of Roman soldiers were paid in salt. The word salary is actually derived from a Latin word: salarium. Salrium means salt money. What value have you in the eyes of those around you?

If this is lost, if we loose our flavor, what then? In the King James the wording is different: "...if the salt have lost its savour..." That word savour is an interesting word. This term can actually mean "to become foolish or act foolish." Things are making sense now. If we as Christians become foolish and do foolish how do we get our seasoning back?

to become foolish like the world is to become flat and tasteless to those around us. We are no good, useless. There is no apparent need for the foolish Christian. What then?

We are then cast out to be trodden underfoot by men. The words cast out have a meaning that you may not have expected. To be cast out means, "to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls." To be rejected and then dejected, to be cast out and forgotten.

Is this a place that any of us as Christians would see ourselves? Are we the Foolish Christian, the Selfish Christian who has gotten his fire insurance and that is all there is?

I do not want to become obsolete. I want to be effective. I want to be useful.

Just realize that Jesus is not saying that once we sin and make a mistake that our usefulness is over. He posed a question, "How can it be seasoned again?" Jesus is the only way to season our lives once more. Our journey is only over if we decide to remain underfoot.