more fire

During the Sermon on the Mount the Lord Jesus Christ told the gathered crowd, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13). Jesus was speaking to men and women, rich and poor, Jews and gentiles. He was speaking to a very real cross-section of society. He wasn’t strategically targeting a specific demographic. He was proclaiming the Living Word for all who would hear.

When Jesus said “You are the salt of the earth” he was saying a whole lot. Salt was very expensive in ancient times and was even used as a method of payment. In fact, the term “salary” is derived from the word “salt.” When he called the people salt he was saying they had value, regardless of their social or economic status.

Salt is also used as a preservative. It has been said that when Jesus called his followers salt he was, in effect, saying that those who adhere to His Word are a preservative against moral decay in society. Salt is also used as an essential ingredient in fertilizer. Thus, Christians are called to create a fertile ground where spiritual growth can occur. Salt also makes one thirsty and Christians are to inspire others, believers and non-believers alike, to thirst for the things of God.

Lastly, salt is used to bring out flavor. As you wouldn’t put a light under a basket but on a candlestick, salt is enjoyed when it is put on steak (or veggies) and not when it is stored in the cupboard. Jesus calls his followers the salt of the world. And, like Christ, we are to engage the world in a way that glorifies God. We are not to keep our faith in the cupboard. Rather, we are to bring out the flavor of the world for the glory of God. At the end of Matt. 5:13 Jesus says, “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.” So share the salt, brothers and sisters. Flavor the world with the love of God.