Salt
isn’t what it used to be. Today it is
the enemy of the healthy eater and the heart doctor. They all will tell you the
dangers about having too much salt in your diet. In the ancient world however salt was a most valuable
commodity. In the book of Ezra those
that worked for the king were described literally as “eating the salt of the
palace” (4:12) and salt was used as a form of payment (7:22). Many think our
modern word salary came from a Latin phrase describing the practice of giving
Roman soldiers payment in the form of salt.
Salt was not only used as a flavoring but it was essential, in the days
before refrigeration, as a preservative. In fact, there was a Roman saying,
"There is nothing more useful than sun and salt”.
Jesus
refers the nature of salt in his day in Matthew 5:13 when he says "You are the salt of the earth; but if the
salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good
for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” Christians
are to the human race what salt is to food.
Not only are they are a preserving influence but they also give flavor
to life. Christians live a good moral
life and remind the world that there is a standard of morality. They add quality to life. Pure salt does not lose its force, but
becomes of no value when it is polluted and thus loses its strength. The Christian has an influence for good, but
when he becomes polluted by sin, he is of no value to God or man. Even though evil men may not appreciate
Christians, they are of great value to the world.
That
is why Christian must continually be salty (Mark 9:50). We must be a preservative
influence in a world that goes astray for God. In the things we say we must
show that kind of influence. Colossians 4:5-6 commands us, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward
outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with
grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should
respond to each person.” Our words and actions can and do have an influence
in the world. The conversations we carry on at work, the things we say to
friends, the messages we post online, are they seasoned and preserved by our
faith or are they as rotten and polluted as the world?
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