Sermon Sampler - Please Pass the Salt (6/3/12)

“You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?”

Matthew 5:13a

What did Jesus mean when he said that his followers were the salt of the earth?  Was he suggesting some similarity between their purpose and the usefulness of salt?  Probably.  But which of salt’s many uses was Jesus’ likely thinking about?  Salt serves a variety of purposes, and over time (and depending on the region in which you are living) those uses have had more or less emphasis for people.  In the biblical text alone salt was used within sacrificial practices, rites of purification and as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel.  Practically speaking salt can be used to season food, as a means of food preservation, and even is essential for life!

So what was Jesus likely thinking of when he told his audience that it was they who were "the salt of the earth"?  The Message translates the saying accordingly, you are the "salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth."(Matthew 5:13)  It would appear that the translator would like us to think about food seasoning aspect of salt when reading Jesus' words.  If this is the case then we are to understand our purpose as one of adding "God-flavors" to our world, namely our friends, family, co-workers and even community at large.  Of course many of us fall on one end or the other of the flavor spectrum.  We either dump the entire shaker out on our world, or we are clogged up, and are hardly discernible as salt at all.  Balance is key, but the ultimate question from this perspective would be "How am I adding "God-Flavors" to my world?"

In the ancient world, salt was commonly used as a means to preserve food.  While this is not a common means of food preservation any longer, we still use this method in what we call beef jerky.  If we are to be like salt as it preserves food, then we might see ourselves as preserving a world that is liable to rot (as unprepared meat will).  The obvious question then becomes what of the world (and ourselves) are we to preserve?  If you've ever bought "cheap" beef jerky, you may have had the misfortune of getting a piece that is more fat and gristle than actual meat!  This kind of preservation is less than satisfactory, and for many can ruin the entire product.  The same can be said for you and I if we are to serve as salt preserving our world.  The question then should be asked "What of myself and my world is God calling me to preserve?"

While salt as seasoning and food preservation is important, salt is most importantly a vital part of human life.  To have too little salt in one's body can result in a condition known as hyponatremia, which essentially manifests similar symptoms to dehydration.  This image of salt's purpose is especially compelling in a world that longs for the spiritual, is perpetually thirsty, and yet cannot seem to quench it's thirst.  Now the question to be asked is "How am I providing relief to a thirsty world?"

It's important for those of us who read our Bible's in English to realize that when Jesus said "you" the word he used was not only emphatic (like pointing his finger) but was also plural, meaning that he was speaking to all who were listening.  The effect of this is that it is not simply I or you who are salt, but it is all of us.  Our questions now become "How are we adding "God-Flavors to our world?" "What of ourselves and our world is God calling us to preserve?" and "How are we providing relief to a thirsty world?"

I will end this as Jesus began...you are the salt of the earth.