ARE YOU SALTY?
Have you heard little Johnny’s definition of salt? “Salt is the stuff that when you don’t put any on potatoes, makes them taste bad.”
What an answer! But in reality, sodium chloride is a lot more complex than that. It has many opposite uses and meanings. For instance, we use the same salt to melt snow on the sidewalks that we use to make ice cream freeze. It has value as a weed killer and as a fertilizer…in other words, salt is a “destroyer” and a “grower.”
In Scripture it typifies barrenness and sterility…but is also used to describe wholesome character and speech. In ancient times, salt was considered so valuable, it was often used in place of money. It was used as a preservative and purifier…and as an antiseptic in medicine. The law required the use of salt with offerings of all kinds…and when convenants were made, they were confirmed with sacrificial meals and salt was always present.
Jesus made it a statement of character when he applied salt to the way His followers should live. But He went on to say that if the salt has lost its savor, or if you can’t taste it, then it is worthless and should be thrown out.
Matt 5:13 (NIV)
“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.”
Pew Research Center conducted the “Religious Landscape Study”, interviewing 35,000 people and found 70% (7-in-10) of Americans identified themselves as Christians. Now if that’s true, you would suppose that the world would taste us. Can you imagine any receipt that was 70% salt? Wow! That would set your taste buds on fire!
Either we don’t realize the true definition of a Christian, or, the salt has lost its savor.
And while we’re talking about salt:
Col 4:6 (NIV)
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
That’s my view of things.