Salt
A photo I took of some salt years and years ago
Matthew 5:13-16
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. “
Salt is an essential element for life itself. It is used by all animals (and humans of course) to regulate our water and our hydration. Salt is needed for our nervous system to work, and is an essential mineral needed for many of our body functions. It is one of the basic taste receptors in our mouth to ensure our intake. If we don't take in enough we will have serious problems. It is one of the oldest and easily the most ubiquitous food seasonings. It is used to improve virtually all foods, including many that would otherwise be unpalatable. Using salt as a preservative has been a process through out all of history.
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus tells his followers (and all of us) that they (we) are the salt of the earth. Looking at all the things that salt does and the essential nature of this, Jesus was telling us something rather important. Following Christ has an effect on those around us and even to the wider world. As we work to better follow Him, we are literally becoming another person. We are doing more then simply changing our lives. The salt analogy tells us this is also vital on a larger scale.
I hope I’m not taking this too far, but as I pondered the idea of salt as a preservative and as essential, I came up with a few areas that may be fun to think more about:
Faithful followers of Christ are essential to life in general. I think we have seen in many places in scripture, when all the people become evil and turn from God destruction is next. One good person, or just a few righteous people, can save a population.
Recognizing a faithful follower of Christ always seems to be easy. Someone who is faithfully trying their best is easily and quickly recognized by others - even if they do not know what they are seeing. Those watching may not understand fully, but it is easy to see a difference in “good people” who are carrying the spirit of the Lord with them. Like salt where our basic taste receptors tell us salt is present, our "spiritual receptors" cause us to feel and see the spirit even in very subtle or small amounts. Call it your Spidey Sense if you want, but we seem to have a receptor to who is basically good and who is not.
Adding salt to food properly does not make it taste salty, it simply makes it taste better. Adding faithfulness to our life does not make us look "holy", but improves the influence we have on others and improves the lives of those around us.
We can help save those around us. By sharing what we know, by doing work for those beyond the veil, or by serving others we can become “preservatives” to their eternal life and salvation.
What other ways can we push this analogy too far and still be instructive??
