Joie de Vivre A Wretched Man’s Quest To Follow Jesus Christ

In the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord Jesus Christ said:

“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)

Have you ever wondered what it means to be the “salt of the earth”?

In examining what being the “salt of the earth” means, we need to first examine what the primary uses of salt are during the time of our Lord’s earth ministry as well as what salt was used for through the ages.

I can think of three at this point in time.

Firstly, salt was a prized possession in ancient times — it was in salt that Roman soldiers were paid which gave us our English word “salary” from the Latin word “sal“.

Secondly, salt was used as a preservative up till the time when cold storage in the form of refrigerators was available to the masses.

Finally, salt is the basic condiment that adds flavor to food.

Being Christians Who Are Worth Our Salt

Salt was used as a currency in ancient times. Besides being used to pay Roman soldiers their allowances, it was even used to trade for gold.

The practice of using salt as a currency wasn’t just restricted to Rome. The Chinese ‘minted’ coins made of salt as their currency, while salt was used in Greece to trade slaves. And it is from this slave trade in Greece that today we describe a competent person as someone worth his or her salt.

How does this aspect of salt apply to us Christians?

Basically, the question is “are we worth our salt”? In other words, are we able stewards of God’s work that our Lord Jesus Christ entrusted to us?

Remember the parable of the servants who were given talents when their master was going away? In much the same way, God gives each of us talents that we are to use for His glory! And in much the same way that the servants who made good use of their talents were praised by the master on his return, so shall we receive our just rewards when our Lord returns if we are “worth our salt” with the gifts He bestowed upon us.

We Are Preservatives

In much of the ancient world where the preservation of bodies after death was of religious significance, salt was very much a necessary ingredient. The same applies to the preservation of food where salt was used to preserve food for the winter months, or help keep food past their natural expiration dates.

Just as salt is a preservative, so are we Christians! We don’t help preserve dead bodies or food, but we each are to observe and preserve or keep the teachings of God.

Dictionary.com defines the word “preserve” as

• to keep alive or in existence
• to keep safe from harm or injury
• to keep up; maintain

Therefore, in very much the same way, we who love God are to preserve, to keep up and maintain His will and commandments. For is it not said:

“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

– James 2:20 (KJV)

Being Salty

The works mentioned above refer to the keeping of and obedience to God’s commandments as being necessary in addition to faith.

There’s another kind of works — good deeds — that though will never be sufficient for us to be saved, are what will make us “salty”.

When was the last time we did something nice for a stranger just because we want to, never expecting anything in return?

Much as how salt adds flavor to food, so I believe we as the “salt of the earth” should be making a difference in other people’s lives, be it through good works, witnessing to them, or simply being a friend in their time of need.

During our Lord’s ministry on earth, the sick were healed, the lame walked and our Lord even befriended and dined with those thrown out and seen as outcasts. What further examples do we need as a guide to living a life like Christ’s?

Today, we are quick to judge and all too busy to do these little things that might require perhaps just an hour of our time. However, have we ever thought that these seemingly little gestures can actually mean a big world of difference to those whom we help?

Just as only a pinch of salt is enough to make any dish taste much much better.

Shalom Aleichem.