You Salty Dawg, You!

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

 

salt

 

NaCl

 

Sodium Chloride.

 

Good ‘ol,…salt.

 

A mineral found in the earth, found in the atmosphere, and found in our bodies.

 

The perfect compound that literally sustains our planet and our lives. Every living cell has it within, and requires more continuously.

 

Something so simple. So small. So important.

 

Salt.

 

It’s either harvested from the sea, or mined from the earth. One or the other—has been so for thousands of years.

 

Important for us today?—yes. Important in the ancient times?—HUGE.

 

Salt was life in the days of old. It preserved food. It was a limited seasoning. It was highly sought after.

 

Did you know salt is where we get the word “salary” from? Me neither!!

But it’s true. The origin of the word “salary” is short for salarium argentum; the product that Roman Soldiers were paid with. The words were shortened and hence, today, we have the word “salary.”

And a little more trivia, the phrase “worth their salt” came from the same exact lineage. If a soldier was top notch, he was rewarded with bars of salt.

There you go—you can go back to bed, you’ve learned something new today (if of course you weren’t as versed in these things like me).

 

So why am I writing about all this?

 

Because in the eyes of God you are as important and as valued as simple grains of salt.

 

Seems a bit odd to be compared to salt, but I think I just laid it out there.

Without salt, none of us would be alive.

Without salt, the earth wouldn’t be.

Without salt, no living creature would exist.

I’d say that’s a pretty important little compound!

 

And God—the creator of sodium chloride—made it very clear in Jesus’ own words:

 

“YOU are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13 (emphasis mine)

 

The very mineral that sustains life, God compared you and I to.

He was emphasizing our value.

He was emphasizing our worth in the world.

 

He knew the significance of the meaning. He knew the understanding of those who heard the words. Yes, it gave food flavor just like today, but it also gave longevity to substance that would surely decay. Salt staved off putrefaction. It preserved whatever was wrapped inside. It’s value was beyond measure.

 

We may not need salt to keep food fresh anymore but if you leave it out, you’re doomed to a bland meal like my family always is. In our diet conscious world, let’s admit, everything does taste better with salt (and bacon, while we’re at it!)

 

So let me repeat Jesus’ words…

 

YOU are the salt of the earth!

 

YOU matter.

 

YOU have a job to do.

 

You and me—we are to be salt within a salt-less world.

 

Look around. If you haven’t quite noticed, our world is missing some God-type seasoning. It’s prime for renewed sprinkling of grace, and kindness, and forgiveness and most importantly the sharing of God’s Word. Not to mention the need to stop the decay happening from sin in this world.

 

But God’s words, once again, ring just as true today as they did centuries ago. His reminder that we are the salt of the world cannot be any more relevant today than it was then. Our actions, our beliefs, our faith are what is needed to stop the decay—to turn this world from destruction to devotion; from being self-absorbed to Christ preserved. God wants us to work diligently to preserve His blessings of this world so they will not fade. We are the salt that can do that!

 

How fitting are the words of Jesus found in the Gospel of Mark:

 

“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Mark 9:50b NIV

 

God taught a lesson a few thousand years ago, but it is still needed today. Let’s be worth our salt as we move through this life. Let us find ways to shake the saltiness of God upon others in this world, for you never know if the blandness of their life is just waiting for some celestial seasoning.

 

2 Replies

  1. Wayne Nicholson

    Great writing.

    1. Thank you Wayne! And thanks for stopping by.

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