Today’s Reading: Matthew 5:13 (HCSB)
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.
Today’s Question: What is your greatest contribution to society?
Today’s Commentary:
There is an important shift in the focus of Jesus in this passage. In the previous section (the “Beatitudes”), Jesus talks about “those” and now He speaks directly to the disciples when He says “You…”
Salt was an essential and critical resource in the ancient world. Without refrigerators or access to large amounts of ice, salt was used to preserve meat and fish, keeping them from decay. When fresh food was unavailable, salt was the difference between life and death.
Salt was also used as a commodity for trading in Jesus’ time. Biblical scholar Bruce Hurt states, “Our English word “salary” comes from the Latin salarius (“salt”). A person lacking integrity might have mixed white sand with the salt and then had more for trade. But salt mixed with sand lost some of its salty quality and became useless.”
This background brings clarity to the metaphor used by our Lord regarding His followers. Christians are to be salt; they preserve something essential. I believe the Holy Spirit is restraining sin and is using Christians to preserve civilization. Just observe that the presence of one authentic Christian in a group can cause the rest to refrain from ungodly talk and actions.
Another characteristic of salt is that adequate amounts of it creates a thirst. Each Easter Sunday morning, our church hosts a Sunrise breakfast, complete with bacon and salt-cured ham. For the next eight days I feel like I cannot get enough water, even if I eat only a small amount of ham! As table salt makes us want water to drink, the life of a Christ-follower should cause others to want what we have: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. This is why the Apostle Peter states that we should “always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15, HCSB)
As a concluding reminder, we should reflect on the words of John Stott: “And when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach ourselves? One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. It cannot do anything else. The real question to ask is: where is the salt?”
“Follow One, Lead Others” Principle #11: Disciples of Jesus add tremendous value to society because they live with integrity, reflect the character of God, and cause others to want what God offers in salvation.
Today’s Prayer Point: Pray for a specific opportunity today to be a positive witness for Christ and share the Gospel of Jesus by the words we speak and the life we live.
Shepherding Well 