Salt of the Earth: Salty or Bland?

JESUS in His most popular sermon – the Sermon on the Mount – teaches that believers are the Salt of the Earth – Matthew 5:13. Why Jesus chose this metaphor is something we have to ponder in order to know exactly what He meant.

From my basic natural understanding, there are some things I definitely know about salt. I'll mention a few of those in this article and then relate those physical properties/uses into my spiritual understanding as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

1. The first thing I’d like to mention about salt is its ability to preserve food and keep it from getting rotten. In the olden days before the invention of freezers, our forefathers used salt as a preservative for their foods in order to lengthen “shelf life”.

As Christians, we are preservatives. We help to preserve the truth of the gospel. Jesus said in Matthew 24:11 that false prophets will arise. People will preach various messages that are contrary to the true gospel of Christ – Galatians 1:8-9. As salt of the earth, we are to ensure that the true message of Christ reaches out to people everywhere. We are to live our lives like Christ lived so that value and dignity remains associated with little Christs on earth (us) and Christendom as a whole. Second Timothy 4:3-4 tells us that in perilous times (which we are in now), people will have itchy ears. They will seek for messages that will soothe their fleshly desires and serve as an encouragement for evil deeds. Salt who have lost their savor (Matthew 5:13) will tell them what they want to hear; will encourage them negatively, even quoting some “carefully selected” Bible verses to buttress their points. But Jesus’ salt of the earth will speak only the truth. Jesus’ salt of the earth will preserve the integrity of the gospel, even if it will cost them their lives.

Salt is a preservative. As a new creation individual, you should be too.

2. The second thing I’d like to note here about salt is that it creates thirst. It causes a longing for water. When you put salt on your tongue, it only takes a couple of seconds for you to realize that you want to satisfy a thirst – usually, with water.

As salt of the earth, we are to create a longing for satisfaction in the lives of people. We are to cause people to be thirsty for God. Think about it. Jesus didn’t call us just “salt”; He called us “salt of the EARTH”. Or we can say salt of the WORLD. From biblical point of view, we know that the “World” refers to unbelievers. There it is. Jesus says we are to reach out to unbelievers, purposefully or not, and cause them to be thirsty. That is, cause them to seek water to satisfy their thirst; cause them to seek the LORD. Let your words, your deeds, and your life be a testament of God’s mercy, grace, and love; something that they’ll seek to experience.

A question or two you may ask here may be, “how do I quench their thirst?” or “where do they get the water from?” John 7:38-39 tells us that the Holy Spirit is that Living Water that quenches people’s thirst – John 4:10, 14.

Be careful to note that no where have you been called “the water of the earth.” You do not have the ability or power to quench anyone’s thirst. No no no. You are the salt who will make them thirsty and then lead them to that Living Water. You cannot be both salt and water. But as salt of the earth, be faithful to do what you’ve been called to do. Don’t try to do God’s job for Him. Don’t let people give glory to you that you do not deserve. No. Be the salt. Lead them to that Living Water. You can be certain that He’s more than capable of satisfying their thirsts.

3. Something almost all of us use salt for these days is to add taste; to sweeten. When I cook a pot of soup and I do not add salt to it, it is tasteless, and very unappealing to normal tongues like mine. So here are my questions to you: Are you tasteless as a believer? Are you an unappealing new creation individual? Do you add sweetening to the lives of people – believers and non-believers? Do you brighten up the faces of people when you get into a room? Or do people tend to “not notice” when you’re somewhere? Can people come to you for counsel and find Jesus’ love, peace and joy as soon as you begin speaking? Or do they go away even more troubled than they were before they came to you? Or are they even careful to tell you anything too private about themselves because of your well-known medical condition – LMS, aka the leaky-mouth syndrome? Are you the salt of the earth around you – your church, your workplace, your community, your nation?

4. Another thing I know about salt is that when raw salt comes in direct contact with an injury, it stings. Sometimes, especially with small injuries, such as a papercut that you hadn’t previously noticed, salt on it makes you aware or remember that there was a little cut there. As salt of the earth, when we meet unbelievers, our words and our presence should make it uncomfortable for them to carry out sinful acts. The presence of Christ in us should bring them to a realization about the unacceptability of their actions before God. Our presence should aid conviction by the Holy Spirit which results in surrendering to Christ.

If as salt, our presence and our words do not make or help people get convicted of sin, it may be that we have lost our flavor.

5. Salt Heals. Even though direct contact with salt on an injury can cause it to sting, salt on an injury can bring healing. In other words, when our presence makes people realize their need for a savior, we do not damage them or make them feel unloved or hopeless, we bring healing. We bring them the solution for sin. We tell them and show them how they can get healed from the sin sickness. We introduce Jesus to them; the One who brings healing and restoration to lives.

6. Finally, for this post, salt acts as electrolytes in the body. Natural salt contains magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium, which are key minerals for muscle, brain and heart health. Electrolytes are essential in the body for controlling fluid balance, regulating blood pressure, maintaining blood pH, helping muscles contract, etc. In summary, electrolytes help to maintain proper function of some parts of the body. As salt of the earth, we are to maintain proper function of the body of Christ here on earth – we are to provide “balance” on this side, get the heart (the leadership) “contracting” on that side, maintain stability to prevent or resolve conflict on the other side, etc., just function to help keep Christ’s body moving. A person who causes discord among brethren or is always fault-finding within the local Body of Christ is salt that has lost its savor. Of salt that has lost its savor, Jesus says they are good for nothing.

Are you still salt of the earth or have you lost your savor? Jesus said when salt is poured on the ground, it is useless, and gets trodden under foot of men. Are you careful enough to ensure that every pinch of your salt reaches out to people – to tell them/preserve the truth, to create a thirst, and/or to sweeten their lives? Or have you carelessly allowed your jar of salt slip off your hand, causing it to be useless, and insulted beneath the feet of men? Have you been mixed with water or fluid of the world making you tasteless and unusable?

You are the salt of the earth. How much of your salt is still in the jar? How much has been poured away?

How salty is your salt?

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