Salt...

*On 01/30/09 I was asked to give a short message on salt during our shabat service as it had become a recurring theme in our travels. This is the gist of what God showed me.*

In Matthew 5:13, we read that we are the salt of the earth. It is not something that we are becoming, it is our already identity. But Jesus brings up the point of usefulness. If we are not bringing flavor to an otherwise bland world, what use are we? He makes the assertion that salt that has lost its seasoning is “good for nothing.” This tells us that we are meant to be good for something.

To discover that something, we have to consider what seasoning is being referred to by Jesus. While many things contain salt, I know of nothing that can be substituted for salt. If a dish needs salt, there is nothing comparable. That means that salt has a distinct flavor – a unique taste, however common.

So what is the taste of a Christian? What is the essential flavor of God? What is this Kingdom seasoned with? What occurs to me is grace. Splendid, redeeming grace. It adds to life the taste of love and freedom. I think it is also the taste of vibrant, abundant life. Life lived, not wasted. A believer should add a dash of life and grace to any situation.

But what happens when we refuse to do this? Jesus says the only good we can do is to be trampled upon by men. The only context I know of men walking on salt is slick and snowy paths. But we were meant to do more than keep society from slipping. Salt is known for its flavor, not its texture. Flavor is the dynamic property of salt.

So what are we good for? Are we just keeping the people around us from slipping? Or are we giving them a taste of God, whetting their appetite with the life and grace that form the flavor of the Kingdom. My prayer is that we will season this world with God’s love.