“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 by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” ~Mat 5:13-16

The Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew 5-7) is the most
comprehensive sermon or teaching of Christ that we have recorded. Jesus handles many different subjects in this sermon, including Christian living, the Beatitudes, the Lord’s prayer, and the ‘golden rule’. Many of the most recognizable Christian sayings come from this sermon. One of the more interesting and significant parts is found in our text, Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus instructs us to be the “salt and light” of the world. This week, I want to look at the first part of these verse. I want us to think more about what it means to be a salty christian. Next week we will look at the second half, being the light of the world.

In this sermon, Christ gives His first command to Christians- which is where we find our text. This imagery must be of great significance if Jesus chose to use it first and foremost. Jesus used every day items to portray extraordinary truths. Christ divided His imagery cleanly into two distinct statements- first, He says that we are the salt of the earth. On the surface, this may seem like an odd comparison by modern standards. Even though in today’s society, salt usually just sits in a shaker in the cupboard, in ancient times it played a much greater role in every day life. Especially during Biblical times, salt had a much greater value than it does today.

Salt was used to purify and prevent decay, to season and preserve foods, and even to brighten lamp oils. Salt was also used in certain religious ceremonies, offerings, to rub on newborn babies, and was even used as currency; some Roman soldiers were paid in salt. Salt is a necessary component of any biological system. Salt is a basic component of most of the world’s water, and salt water is able to sustain much more abundant life than fresh water is able to. Animals seek out salt and other minerals in the foods they eat- and if no sodium is found in their diet, many animals will begin to lick the ground to get at this necessary mineral. Salt is also a key component in how our bodies function, and miniscule changes in our salt content can have catastrophic effects on our ability to function and survive.

Below is a chart (adapted from the World’s Bible Handbook) of some of the major ways in which the Bible references salt:
• An aid in healing and cleansing- 2 Ki 2:20, 21
• A bond of friendship- Ezra 4:14
• Sprinkled on sacrifices- Ex 30:35; Lv 2:13
• Rubbed on newborns- Ezra 16:4
• Satisfaction- Job 6:6
• Soundness: Luke 14:34, 35
• An evidence of grace and peace in the heart- Mark 9:50
• And useful- Mark 9:50
• And wise speech- Col 4:6

Perhaps one of the most important uses of salt is found in the Old Testament. Both Leviticus 2:13 and 2 Chronicles 13:5 reference a “salt covenant”. In the times of the Old Testament, people would signify the everlasting or unbreakable nature of a covenant by forming a salt covenant. Each party involved in the formation of the covenant would bring an equal portion of salt, and then all portions would be combined and thoroughly mixed together. After the portions of salt were mixed, it was impossible to separate them from one another again. This carried significant meaning to the people who practiced it. Salt was also added to offerings that people made to God, in order to represent the eternality of God and His promises. Therefore, it is obvious that salt carried much different connotations in the past than it does today. It helps us to more clearly and completely understand Jesus’ imagery by study these meanings.

IMPLICATIONS OF BEING SALTY

The imagery of the salt is notable because of the worth of the salt and what it represented, as we have discussed. So it is those two values that should be carried over into the application of the imagery to our everyday lives. If Christ used the salt because of its worth and representation, then He surely was trying to teach His followers about their worth and what they should stand for. In the sermon, Christ says that salt is only useful as long as it maintains its flavor or saltiness. J. Vernon McGee prefers the Scottish translation of the word flavor as tang- rendering the reading “If the salt loses its tang...” Though a bit dramatic, I think this word better expresses the intended function of salt. Ideally, only a small amount salt should be enough to impact the flavor of an entire dish. However, if the salt loses this “tang”, what use is it anymore? Another interesting aspect of salt is that it does not take on the flavors of the food it is added to it; it only imparts its own zeal to other items.

In other words, if someone adds salt to their sandwich and then decides they don’t want the salt, they will have to try and scrape it off. First of all, it will be almost impossible to remove every grain of salt; the sandwich will certainly always taste salty to some degree. Secondly, the salt that is removed would not taste like the sandwich that it came from. You see, salt is what does the changing; it is not changed by what it gets added to. In my opinion, salt is also the humblest of ingredients. After tasting a meal, no one ever proclaims “Wow, the salt in this dish is really good! Really high quality salt here.”. However, if the salt is missing, everyone is quick to make note that “This could really use a little salt”. You see, salt is an essential part to the completion of many delicious recipes; however, the success of those meals are not contributed to the salt itself.

It is the chef who receives all of the credit and accolades- and rightfully so. A master chef will artfully dispense specific ingredients in order to achieve the perfect flavor that he desires. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) we can see Jesus sending out His disciples into the whole world to share God’s message and love, much like spreading salt through a recipe to impart its tang. By considering our command to share God’s truth in light of the properties of salt (which the Lord compared us to), we can learn many things about how we are supposed to function here on earth. We are to be an unbreakable sign and representation of God’s covenant with us that has been poured out through Jesus Christ. Just like salt, we are not to be changed by this world, but we are supposed to be the agents through which the world is changed (Rom 12:2). We are here to bring glory to the Master Chef of the universe, our God. The Lord is sending us out into the world to share our zeal for Him. We are to be grains of Truth, meant to provide this sinfully drab world with a good measure of spiritual tang.