Salt of the Earth

“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13

If Jesus came today, would He call us the salt of the earth? In Jesus’ day, salt was so essential that Roman soldiers received part of their payment in salt, thus the Latin word “salarium” from which “salary” is derived. Even today, salt is found in almost every kitchen. 

These days we have the refrigerator to preserve the freshness of foods. In ancient days, they packed meats with salt to prevent it from rotting. In the same way, we as Christians are called to be salt to prevent this world from corruption and evil. Are we doing our part by proclaiming the gospel, being a force on the side of good, and loving one another in concrete ways? 

Another characteristic of salt is when we eat salty foods, we get very thirsty. As Christians we should live so that others who witness our lives will say that they want what we have, and they thirst for the living water of Christ. 

The most important use of salt is of course to add flavor to foods. Without salt, our food would be tasteless and bland. What should a Christian add to the world? Each of us has a purpose. We need to ask if we are accomplishing ours and impacting our small corner of the world.