Ye are the salt of the earth

 

 

                                "Ye are the salt of the earth, but what good is

                                    salt if it has lost its flavor." Matt. 5:13 (NLT)

For a few moments today I'd like you to consider the topic of "value," as in what's valuable to us. Oh yeah, I know that there are lots of things of this earth that most everyone recognizes as being "of value." Many we even classify as being "precious." And we also recognize that a lot of our "valuable"commodities fluctuate in value, don't they. This is especially observable in our present economy. One only has to look at houses to easily understand what I just said. There are many more examples I could cite, but I don't believe it's necessary for us to "get it."

There is, however, a common commodity that we're all familiar with and I doubt that we view it as being "valuable" simply because it is so common to us. Of course I'm speaking of "salt." How "common" is it? It's probably the most used condiment in the world. However, you might be surprised to know that only 4% of the salt used in the U.S. is the one we're most familiar with - table salt. Actually, more salt is used to melt ice on roads (10%) than is used on food. The rest (86%) is used in industry and agriculture.

Here's something else that I find interesting about salt. No animal can live without it and no plant (organic-wise that is) manufactures it. The animals (including us) and the plants have to get it from an outside source. Thus, it has always been a valuable commodity, but isn't it great that God provided a continual source of this commodity for man and all other creatures?

Earlier I mentioned its usage in industry and agriculture and I'll add a little more info regarding that by telling you that there are over 14,000 industrial processes in which salt is an essential ingredient. A few hundred years ago, the Europeans paid a heavy tax on salt and so did the early settlers of this country. Another little tidbit of information I found interesting is that the building of the Erie Canal was financed by a 12% tax on salt.

But, I dare say that we just shake some on our food and we don't think about the salt itself or it's value. You know, there are some things we hear said from time to time that should remind us of the value of salt and here's one of them. I know we've heard the old cliche "he's not worth his salt." Since we're talking about "value" here, and I'm just full of "valuable" information, let me tell you the origin of that old saying.

The Roman soldiers used to be paid in salt by their government. In fact, our word "salary" comes from the Roman word for salt. Therefore, if someone was a poor worker, they were considered to be "not worth their salt." Interesting, huh?

But probably one of the greatest, perhaps even the most valuable, assets of salt is seen in the way the Bible uses it - preserving. Let's look for a quick moment at some of the Biblical mentioning of salt, as used to preserve something. In Lev. 2:13 we see the Israelites told to "season with salt" their "offerings" to the Lord and they're told that the reason for this is that they are reminded of their covenant with Him. In another place (Num. 18:19 & 2 Chr. 13:5) we find the phrase "covenant of salt" being used that indicates the purity or fidelity of their agreement with God.

Here's something for you to think about. If Israel had a "covenant" with God (and they did) wouldn't you say that Christians today also have a "covenant," or agreement, with Him? If you read in Hebrews, the 8^th, 9^th, 10^th and 12^th chapters, you'll find references to our "covenant" with God being said in phrases like: there is a "new covenant" that has replaced the old one with Israel; that Christ, by His sacrifice on the cross, ushered in this "new covenant" wherein its laws are written "on their hearts and on their minds." And that His one-time "perfect"sacrifice is sufficient for all times and therefore He is the "mediator" of this "new covenant."

Now here's the lesson in a nutshell: the Gospel of Christ is the "laws" of the "new covenant." It's "preserved" in the "hearts and minds" of it's followers, Christians. And guess what? Christians are the "salt of the earth..." The Church, Christians, have the responsibility of spreading the Gospel to all the earth (Mk. 16:15 and Eph. 3:10) and that Gospel is the one that is preached by Paul and the other Apostles and any form or version that differs from it is an "anathema" (a cursed thing).

Therefore, the Church, or Christianity, is the "salt" by which the Gospel is "preserved." As the verse says, if we "lose our savor (flavor)" or our preserving qualities, the question begs; "What good are we? If we don't maintain our own quality, our own value, as "Spiritual salt" then there is no way that we can save (preserve) any other soul. It's a pretty simple equation seen here. If we lose our own soul, how can we hope to save another's?

There's another verse I'd like to point out to you that fits precisely with the conclusion on "salt losing its savor" and it simply reads: "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." (2Cor. 4:3) Savorless salt and a hidden Gospel does no one any good. Neither does a "light" hidden under a "basket." If we've gotten to that point, then I guess we're like the non-working Roman soldier. We're "not worth our salt."

So then how valuable is our "salt?" It's our most valuable quality because it saves, it preserves our souls AND others with whom we share our "salt."

Ron Covey