Jump Start # 160

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

  The salt of the earth and light of the world passages immediately follow the beatitudes. Jesus switches from defining the inner qualities of the citizen of Heaven’s kingdom to showing the response the disciple of Christ has to the world. The last two beatitudes illustrated how the world responds to the disciple—persecution. But here we see our response to the world.

  Jesus begins by saying, ‘You are salt…’. You are. He didn’t say, ‘you ought to be,’ nor, ‘you need to become,’ but rather, ‘you are.’ We become salt when we become a disciple of Jesus. We live in an age where many folks are trying to cut down on their salt. That wasn’t the thought in the first century world. Salt had two main uses: first, it was used to cake meat to preserve it. In a time before refrigeration that was the only means of keeping meat. The other use, as we do to, was to enhance flavor. Jesus said, if the salt has become TASTELESS. We put salt in food to bring out flavor.

 There are some wonderful qualities about salt. First, salt works in so many different things. Think about it—on popcorn, in mashed potatoes, on watermelon, on corn on the cob, on roasts. Salt doesn’t have just one application –there are many. Secondly, salt isn’t visible. When you mix it in you can’t really see it. You notice it when it is not there, but it does it’s work without being seen. Thirdly, salt doesn’t get much praise. We don’t thank the cook for the great tasting salt, but rather, the great tasting roast. The salt added to the great taste, but it doesn’t get the praise. There are no restaurant reviews that praise salt.

  You are salt. You work in many different applications. In a dying and rotten world you are preserving it. You add flavor to the world. You make the world better. You are salt. You do not get attention or praise. What you do may not be noticed, but it is certainly noticed when it is not there.

  Jesus said, if salt becomes tasteless it is good for nothing. I’ve never experienced that. The salt I’ve used has always been tasty. Tasteless salt can’t be made better by adding more salt to it. That won’t work. What do you do with old salt? In Jesus’ day, you couldn’t just throw it out the back door, as my grandmother used to do with table scraps. The reason is, there would still be just enough salt to ruin the ground. The grass would die, no crops could grow because of salt in the soil. Supposedly, General Sherman in his march to the sea, had some of his troops plow salt into the southern soil to destroy crops. That was mean. It was effective.

  Jesus said, the only good for tasteless salt is thrown it on the road or path where it will be trampled under foot of man. It no longer adds any value. That is the image of the disciple who is no longer influencing the world. He has become tasteless. He has become of no value to the kingdom. How sad.

  You are salt. You add flavor to a dull world by showing Jesus. Your attitude, choice of words, and connection to the Lord, enhances a world that is decaying. We need you! We need salt. Doctors want you to cut down on literal salt. Preachers want you to increase your spiritual salt. Just don’t get these reversed!

Roger