Matthew 5:13 (ESV) “‘You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.’”
Salt. My husband Brian was recently put on a sodium-restricted diet. Although some sodium (Na) occurs naturally in most foods, it is the added salt (NaCl) that greatly raises the sodium content of prepared or many prepackaged foods.
When you significantly reduce the added salt, food starts to take on a flat or bland taste. We’ve learned with time how to incorporate flavor back into our food using acid (citrus or vinegar), sugar (but not too much!), and a little spice or heat. Doing so has certainly helped us enjoy our old favorites once again, however, there is usually a moment where the salt or rather flavor, is still missed. Nothing perfectly replaces the flavor of salt in food.
So what does this have to do with Jesus’ words about salt in the Sermon on the Mount? If you continue to read the entirety of Matthew 5, you will discover that Jesus firmly but lovingly gives instructions for how to live as faithful Christians in a fallen world. With the Beatitudes He tells of blessings. How we are to let our light “shine before others.” (taken from Matthew 5:16) How to love one’s enemies. Christ Himself tells how He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.
Salt. Because of Christ’s sacrifice to save us from our sins, we are called to honor Him by living set-apart lives. To spread the Gospel. To serve others. To love. When we lose our saltiness, our lives become flat like unsalted food. We can try to fill our lives with all kinds of things to substitute the “salt” that we are called to be, but the truth is, no substitutions exist. We must continue to grow in our relationship with Christ, to spend time in God’s word, and allow Christ’s love to shine through us. Being the salt that reaches into the world, sharing the Gospel and showing God’s love.
Salt. My husband Brian was recently put on a sodium-restricted diet. Although some sodium (Na) occurs naturally in most foods, it is the added salt (NaCl) that greatly raises the sodium content of prepared or many prepackaged foods.
When you significantly reduce the added salt, food starts to take on a flat or bland taste. We’ve learned with time how to incorporate flavor back into our food using acid (citrus or vinegar), sugar (but not too much!), and a little spice or heat. Doing so has certainly helped us enjoy our old favorites once again, however, there is usually a moment where the salt or rather flavor, is still missed. Nothing perfectly replaces the flavor of salt in food.
So what does this have to do with Jesus’ words about salt in the Sermon on the Mount? If you continue to read the entirety of Matthew 5, you will discover that Jesus firmly but lovingly gives instructions for how to live as faithful Christians in a fallen world. With the Beatitudes He tells of blessings. How we are to let our light “shine before others.” (taken from Matthew 5:16) How to love one’s enemies. Christ Himself tells how He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.
Salt. Because of Christ’s sacrifice to save us from our sins, we are called to honor Him by living set-apart lives. To spread the Gospel. To serve others. To love. When we lose our saltiness, our lives become flat like unsalted food. We can try to fill our lives with all kinds of things to substitute the “salt” that we are called to be, but the truth is, no substitutions exist. We must continue to grow in our relationship with Christ, to spend time in God’s word, and allow Christ’s love to shine through us. Being the salt that reaches into the world, sharing the Gospel and showing God’s love.