Jesus wants us to be salt of the earth. Why?

We all know that, salt is one of the most important ingredients in our daily life. We cannot live without salt. Salt adds a taste to our food. It not only seasons the food, but is an essential nutrient for our bodies too. Besides using it in food, it has many other medicinal and chemical qualities too.

But in Mathew 5:13, Jesus said that, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Why Jesus did call us the salt of the earth? What does he want us to tell?

To know the importance and qualities of salt, let us meditate in the light of the Bible. In the Old Testament God instructed us in the book of Leviticus 2:13, that “And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.”

In the olden day’s salt was a representation of covenant. Salt was a symbol of friendship, help, treaty and faithfulness. See Ezra 4:14, it says that “Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper for us to see the king's dishonor; therefore we have sent and informed the king.”

Also read Ezra 7:22, it says that, “up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.”

What was the covenant of salt? If we read Numbers 18:19, we find Lord ordinance that, "All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it [is] a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you."

God fulfilled His covenant of salt by giving the kingdom of Israel to David and his sons. Read 2 Chronicles 13:5 which says, "Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, by a covenant of salt?”

Properties of Salt

2 Kings 2:19-22, tells us that how Elisha purified and healed the source of the water with the help of salt, which caused death and barrenness. Read here, “Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city [is] pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water [is] bad, and the ground barren. And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought [it] to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness’ ". So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

How is salt formed?

Salt is produced through the natural evaporation of sea water or other naturally occurring brine. Salt water is captured in shallow ponds and allowed to evaporate by means of the sun and wind. After the complete evaporation, the residue is collected as salt.

What does the salt teaches us.

The salt teaches us the life of separation. As to obtain salt, the salt water is separated from the sea and is captured into shallow ponds for evaporation. In the same manner, this world is like a sea of sins and those who separate themselves from this world of sins are called the salt of the world. As the disciples of Jesus did, who left everything and followed Christ.

As it is mentioned in Galatians 1:4, “who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”. Today, we don’t require the trends and customs of this world. Instead we should separate us from all evils of this world and adopt the teachings of Jesus Christ because “God [is] faithful, by whom you were, called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” [1 Corinthians 1:9].

So a man can only become salt, if he is united with Jesus “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit [with Him.]” [1 Corinthians 6:17]

What does white colour of salt represents

The white colour of the salt represents the holiness. See Revelation 3:5, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

We too have to become holy as mentioned in 1 Peter 1:15, “but as He who called you [is] holy, you also be holy in all [your] conduct”. Because, without holiness, no one can see God as written in Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue peace with all [people,] and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”. We should also be pure in heart then only we can see God. Read Mathew 5:8, “Blessed [are] the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

God has chosen us as John 15:16 says “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

As 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality”.

If we prepare food with all the costly ingredients, but don’t put salt in it, the dish will be tasteless and no one would to like to eat. However, salt is an inexpensive item, but it provides the taste to the food.   Likewise, we are also very important in this world. We have to share the good news. We have to pray for the deliverance of the people. If we will not do, who is going to do it?

Salt is inexpensive

Salt being one of the most important ingredients, it is cheap. Salt can be found everywhere, whether rich or poor, whether Indian or American, whether white or black. We should also bear the same characteristic as salt and should be available for everyone.

Another characteristic of salt is that it is easily soluble.  It loses its significance and mix easily. Salt gives taste to food but if we want to find it out, we cannot. In the same manner we should also forget ourselves and give all glory to God. People should see living Christ in our lives. As it is said in Galatians 2:20 that “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

One more characteristic of salt is that it increases thirst. If we eat any salted thing, we are thirstier. In the same way, if someone meets us once, they should have the thirst to meet us again and again. If they don’t want to meet us again, it means that we don’t have the taste of salt in us. Meaning of salt is reconciliation. Jesus said in Mark 9:50, “Salt [is] good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Do we bear the characteristic of salt? If your answer is YES, you are blessed. But, friends if our answer is NO pray to God and come to Jesus. That is the only remedy otherwise Jesus has told the consequences. Read it yourself Luke 14:34-35 says, “Salt [is] good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, [but] men throw it out. He, who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

See what does Jesus says in Mark 9:49, “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.” Dear friends, treat this word of God as a warning and SURRENDER to GOD.