Teachings from the Mountainside - Pt. 10

 [Jesus said] “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. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 ESV).

 

I am always a bit amazed at the simplicity and depth of the teaching of Jesus. Today’s Teaching from the Mountainside is one of those that would have been a very familiar image for His listeners. He says we are to be “the salt of the earth” (v. 13). The gist of this is that since our lives enhance and give meaning to this existence we call life, we should be used to be that preservative. Before salvation, we were like grains of sand, too numerous to count. But after receiving Christ, we were transformed, no longer like minuscule debris of rock having little or no difference from another lost piece of sand, to something distinctive in taste, texture, and aroma.

 

Salt is a dietary mineral, used for flavoring and preservation needed by all known living creatures. If abused, it can be harmful. Jesus used salt to describe how Christians are needed to bring balance and hope to an otherwise dying world. The question He asked however is, “What good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” In other words, if a Christian has lost his or her gusto and fervor, then what’s the difference between the old grain of sand they once were and the so-called salt they are now? The answer is: very little. Trials can cause us to become weary if we’re not careful. And just like salt can become diluted in water, Christians can become diluted, or altered, by their experiences.

 

The sea is full of salt but it is only extracted through the process of boiling which removes the water leaving the salt. I don’t like the idea of going through fiery trials, but if that’s what it takes to recapture the “salt” in my life, then maybe I’m okay with that. What I’ve learned is that God is not the destroyer in this life. He said the thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy (cf. John 10:10). God is not the thief. God is the “Restorer” of broken lives and broken hearts. The boiling process will either prove or disprove the amount of salt contained in a substance. In the same way, the trials of life will either prove our lives are flavored by God or they will reveal how much we truly lack. Either way, if handled correctly, the end result can be beneficial. For the one, their revelation of Jesus Christ and His grace and faithfulness will increase; for the other, a realization of their small faith can push them to a deeper relationship with God because despite their lack, He remains faithful. Let’s be salty!