Salt of the Earth

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."

Matthew 5:13

Salt had a wide variety of uses in the ancient world. It was a preservative, a purifier, and even an ingredient in fertilizer. But in this passage, Jesus emphasizes the usage of salt most familiar to us: flavoring foods. If the purpose of salt is to enhance a meal, then if it loses its flavor, the salt has no value.

Disciples of Jesus are the salt of the earth. God has placed us in this world to give it added flavor. What an encouraging image! Our role in the world is not to make things boring, but rather to make them tastier, more meaningful, more beautiful.

I am reminded of people like Johann Sebastian Bach and Rembrandt van Rijn, who, as Christians, enriched the world through their extraordinary musical and artistic gifts. But, in fact, each and every one of us has potential to add to the flavor of our world. We might not be able to write soaring oratorios or to paint exquisite masterpieces, but we can enrich our world through being kind to our coworkers. We can add flavor to our society by being people of exceptional generosity or by offering the gift of forgiveness to our family members.

Of course, if we're going to fulfill our calling as the salt of the earth, we need to be out there in the world, not cloistered away in cozy Christian communities. The chief context for our saltiness is when we're interacting with our society: at work, in school, in our political action, in our volunteer work. Here we have the chance to add to the world the flavor of the kingdom of God.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: Where has God placed you so that you might flavor the world? How are you doing with your saltiness? Are there ways you could enrich your part of the world this very day?

PRAYER: Gracious Lord, what a high calling you have given us, to be the salt of the earth. You have placed us in this world so that we might add flavor, helping the world to experience through us a small taste of your kingdom.

So help me, Lord, to live this day as a salty person. May my words and deeds reflect your character. May people taste your kingdom through me.

Today I also want to pray for your church, Lord, that we might live as the salt of the earth. Help us to be scattered throughout this world, bringing the tanginess of your kingdom wherever we are. Amen.