I love salt. When I get salted chips at a restaurant, I ADD salt. I just bought a bag of “Real Salt” which brags about various health benefits. I bought it because when I tried it, it tasted more salty than regular old salt. That is what we use salt for, right? It spices things up! It adds to the flavor by making yummy things more yummy (like cookies), and so-so foods more palatable (like brussel sprouts).

Have you heard it said of someone that they are “worth their salt”? Or that they are “the salt of the earth”? I always thought these were just expressions, but I have learned they have a pretty interesting origin. We all know salt adds flavor, so if someone is worth their salt, then they must make things more interesting or fun. However, there is more! During the time of the ancient Romans, salt was a valuable resource. Possession and use of it signified wealth and extravagance, and often, Roman soldiers were paid with salt or were given the opportunity to buy it. The payment was called a “salarium” which is where the word salary comes from. So if someone is worth their salt, they are worthy of praise, respect, or “all the good that is due them” – materially, or otherwise.

“YOU are the salt of the earth” was said by Jesus during His sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13). As salt, those who follow Jesus flavor their communities with the essence of HIM. He brings joy to the hopeless, love is brought to the lonely, freedom is brought to the captives.

Prior to referring to His followers as salt, Jesus had proclaimed what beautiful rewards would belong to those who sought and followed Him – comfort, satisfaction, mercy, adoption into God’s family, and the Kingdom of Heaven… He said His followers might not be received well, but that any suffering would be worth it because the eternal blessings are beyond our comprehension. (Matt 5:1-12)

Then He called them salt. Salt can also have some less-than-desirable traits. It burns in a wound, even if it is doing good by providing sterilization. Salt is coarse and can chafe when rubbed on bare, sensitive skin.

Hearing a rebuke for a behavior that doesn’t honor The Lord isn’t fun. It is painful to our pride, and our psyche. When we hear that we can do nothing without Jesus, it takes wind out of our sails and counters the cultural thinking that “you can do anything you put your mind to”. Hearing painful truth from a Godly perspective can elicit a vicious fight. At that moment, the sting of the salt is being reacted to. There is no attention being paid to the fact that salt is a powerful preservative. That it is vital to human life: it keeps us from drying out in dehydration. It supports our ability to respond, react, and move with our bodies. It keeps our heart beating. It helps us absorb other nutrients we need. Salt is life. It is important.

Jesus also warns about salt that loses its saltiness. It is good for nothing and will be thrown away.

Let’s not chance being cast aside by the One who can make us a flavor-enhancing spice to those around us. When we lean into Jesus, we impact our world with the beautiful flavor of His grace and love. People crave that life-giving property of salt. It allows them to “Taste and see that the Lord is goooooood”! (Psalm 34:8 – the extra O’s are mine 🙂