Matthew 5:13
13 “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 underfoot.
Jesus declares we are the salt of the world. I love the way he always shared multiple metaphors in his teachings, to flesh out the point he was making. This is an unusual one, but on reflection very powerful.
There are many levels of meaning to this picture, the most immediate to me being its preservative qualities. Previously from South Africa, one of my favourite snacks is “biltong”, commonly known as beef jerky, basically strips of meat cured with mainly salt. My ancestors lived off game in their outback equivalent, or “bushveld”, and preserved their spoils this way before the arrival of refrigeration.
As salt sustains food and prevents it from perishing, we are being challenged as children of God to share the good news of Jesus to prevent our mates and neighbours from perishing. God did this by giving us Jesus, his one and only Son, the world’s ultimate salt treatment, that anyone who believes in him, will not perish, but have eternal life.
Reflect on how we can point people to Jesus, who promises the ultimate in life preservation if they will come to him, eternal life.
Sean Kluyts
