My mom was a good cook but she rarely used spices. Of course, I didn’t know any difference but the food was sort of bland. I am very thankful for the home I grew up in and the way my mom took care of us. I’m guessing that she didn’t grow up with spicy food either. I never realized how a little salt can bring out the flavor in foods until I met Lou. He’s a better cook than me and introduced me to salt. He loved salt. In fact, he was notorious for putting salt on his food at a restaurant before he even tasted it. He stopped doing that a long time ago, but it’s true that salt makes almost everything better.
Jesus said that we, His followers, are the SALT OF THE EARTH (Matthew 5:13). So, what does that mean? What analogies can we draw out of this for our lives? Well to answer this, we need for first understand what salt was to the first century believers. According to Gotquestions.org, salt had three purposes: preserving food, enhancing flavor, and symbolizing covenant. The first two we can understand, but what does it mean that salt was used to symbolize covenant? The answer? God commanded the Israelites to use salt in certain sacrifices as a symbol of His covenant with them. It showed their loyalty to Him.
So, let’s look at this in relation to 21st century believers. What does it mean that we are the salt of the earth? Here are three things (based on the way salt was used in biblical days)…
Preserving! We are to preserve what God has entrusted to us. Paul writes to Timothy: “Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 6:20). In other words, you and I (like Timothy) have been given God’s most precious gift – His Word. God didn’t just give it to us… He entrusted it to us. It is our responsibility to guard and protect truth, the whole gospel, and the instruction He gave us. Don’t twist it, or ignore it, or use it for your own benefit like so many others are doing. Cling to it. Hold tightly to it. And hold it up as you carry it forward. As the salt of the earth, we are to preserve God’s Word.
Enhancing! As was stated earlier, salt was used to enhance flavor. You and I can enhance the world we live in by living according to God’s mandates, loving others, helping others, showing kindness, and walking with integrity. We can make a difference in the world by letting others see Jesus in us. When we do this, people will love being around us and people will want what we have. You’ve heard it said that we are the hands and feet of Jesus… well, that’s what it means to enhance our world. Show Jesus to people through the way we live. Extend Jesus’ love to them by living the way He lived. As the salt of the earth, we are to enhance the world we live in.
Loyalty! The Israelites were to use salt as a way to show their loyalty to God’s covenant. They were to show their allegiance to God and no one else. We are too. Our allegiance to God should trump everything else. Our church is doing a two-years series called, “First.” It’s based on Colossians 1:15-20. Paul writes in this passage: “He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything” (Colossians 1:18). Since Jesus is first over all creation, that means He needs to be first in everything… our life, our work, our finances, our families, our desires. As the salt of the earth, we are to remain loyal.
Let these wors encourage you today.