By: yesHEis
Straight after Jesus’ first recorded sermon (the Sermon on the Mount), He encourages His followers to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Matthew 5:13-16
Both are metaphors for Christ-like qualities. While both matter, Christians have focused more on the ‘light’ part by being kind, loving and unashamed. Basically, just nice people, because we all like nice people. The ‘light’ part has had more focus because it’s the more obvious of the two metaphors to grasp.
It is easy to gloss over the ‘salt’ part because its meaning can seem more obscure. So what does being salt look like? It really is just about adding flavour to life. Remember that the context to salt and light is the preceding passages which record the Beatitudes — Blessed are the poor, those who mourn, hunger, are meek, peacemakers, and are persecuted for being these things.
It’s like Jesus is describing a list of ingredients that make up the flavour we bring to the world. Salt was used ceremonially to cleanse, to seal covenants between God and man, and used to enhance the flavour. When we walk in a way that practices these qualities, we add flavour to the world around us. This salt flavours our family, community and our nation.
We preserve our flavour by holding onto the ingredients Jesus describes in His sermon. So, let’s stay salty, and be the people who preserve and enhance the flavour of life.
Article supplied with thanks to The Journey by yesHEis.
About the Author: yesHEis provides various resources to help share your faith in relatable ways.
Feature image: Photo by Tiard Schulz on Unsplash