Salt

I was cleaning up an old set of salt and pepper shakers, and thought of:

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. (Matthew 5:13 KJV)

Salt is an absolute necessity for life – pepper, not so much. Some people, as my Beloved Husband, shy away from the pepper since it has a detrimental affect. Salt, on the other hand, is essential to animal life. It is also detrimental to life if it is misused.

Christ referred to his disciples as the salt of the earth, and by extension we think of being Christian as falling into that category, too. He mentioned how useless salt is without the savor – but we need to seriously consider too much salt.

Think of what happens when we place too much salt in a dish we’re preparing. Unpalatable, isn’t it? Ever apply that to a witnessing situation? Where the person just isn’t ready for the milk, much less the meat of Christianity? Think of Philip and the Ethiopian. The Holy Spirit had been preparing for Philip’s witness. Without that preparation, without the Ethiopian’s curiosity, would Philip had made a good witness of Christ’s life?

Pepper, on the other hand, is not a necessity. Nor are the spices mentioned in the Bible. They are a nice flavoring, adding taste to rather bland dishes. Used correctly, they are enticing in aroma as well as taste. We could, however, live without them – but not without salt.

We are not defined by Christ as being enticing, but as being necessary, substantial crystals of life’s building blocks. Today salt continues to be the widest used seasoning as well as an important preservative. We would do well to be a desired seasoning in people’s lives and a preservative of God’s word through our own lives.

Isn’t that a lovely a lovely analogy? It comes right after the Beatitudes:

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
(Matthew 5:2-11 KJV)

Stands to reason there is a connection between these blessings and our ability to be the savor, doesn’t it? Let's continue by connecting these to our own lives - then with others. Sounds good to me.