You all are the salt of the earth. But if the salt becomes dull, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ~ JESUS (Matthew 5:13)
The disciples, then, must not only think of heaven; they have an earthly task as well. Now that they are bound exclusively to Jesus they are told to look at the earth whose salt they are. It is to be noted that Jesus calls not himself, but his disciples the salt of the earth, for he entrusts his work on earth to them. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship)
CORE (The heart of the message):
Disciples of Jesus are meant to get out of the saltshaker and into the world, impacting people with the Good News of Jesus, which has the distinctive flavour of grace.
Nothing is more useful than salt and sunshine. ~ Pliny the Elder (Natural History, First Century)
CONTEXT (What’s going on before and after this passage):
Jesus’ salt and light sayings are not detached, free-floating ideas. They are connected linguistically and thematically to the Beatitudes, making this section an appropriate conclusion to his introduction of the Sermon on the Mount, and a kind of commissioning to Jesus’ disciples to carry the beatific way into the world.
The linguistic link to the Beatitudes: Remember that Jesus concludes the Beatitudes by switching to the more direct and personal second person plural pronoun “you” instead of “they”. Now Jesus continues with “you” language as he encourages his disciples to recognize their identity and to live it out with courage.
The thematic link to the Beatitudes: Jesus has made it clear throughout the Beatitudes that his kingdom of the heavens here and now will be characterized by things like unconditional love and infinite mercy, making room for the meek, the mourning, and the messed up. The Beatitudes are all about grace that leads to peace, and now Jesus expands on his beatific theme of going into the world as a peacemaker. Jesus’ kingdom of grace and peace is too good to keep secret.
And we need this nudging, like a mama bird pushing her young ones out of the nest. Yes, the possibility of injury can be fearful (Jesus has just addressed the prospect of persecution), but without Jesus’ gentle prodding, we might never come to know we were meant to fly.
The beatific life – that is, the blessed life characterized by the qualities of the Beatitudes – is open to all and meant to expand. The salt is meant to get out of the saltshaker and into the world.
Interestingly, in another passage where Jesus uses the salt metaphor, he is encouraging peace among or within the community of his disciples.
Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other. ~ JESUS (Mark 9:50)
So Jesus uses the idea of salt to talk about outreach as well as inreach. In the New Testament, salt is equated with grace (see Colossians 4:6). So here we see that Jesus links together grace and peace within the Church. That linkage is already suggested through the Beatitudes, and in Mark 9:50 Jesus makes the connection explicit. Let’s remember this. In the mind of Christ, the way to experience peaceful solidarity is to treat one another with loads of grace.
Grace is the way to peace.
Jesus’ words in Mark 9:50 could be translated as more of a single promise on how to experience peace via grace, rather than two separate instructions to have salt and peace:
Have salt in yourselves and you will be at peace with each other. ~ JESUS (Mark 9:50, alternate translation)
Certainly, grace and peace were linked together in the minds of early believers. These two qualities were inseparable partners, so much so that “Grace and Peace” became the most common greeting among the first generation of Christ-followers (Paul, Peter, and John use this greeting in almost every one of their canonical letters – check out the opening verses of Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 1 & 2 Peter, 2 John, and Revelation). In fact, the only times the letters listed here modify the “grace and peace” linkage is when “mercy” gets added in between them, to make up a tripartite greeting of “grace, mercy, and peace” in 2 Timothy and 2 John.
The early Christians didn’t invent the grace-and-peace link – they got it from Jesus. Grace leads to peace via mercy, and the world needs more of all three.
And Jesus always leads by example. As we read through the rest of Matthew, we see that Jesus is no ascetic. He associates with disreputable sinners (Matthew 9:10-13) and feasts and drinks to the point of being considered a drunkard and a glutton (Matthew 11:19). But Jesus is never neutral – he always brings his influence of grace to the dinner table (e.g., Luke 7:36-50.)
The salt of grace, brought to us by the Holy Spirit, is meant to not only flow to us, but flow through us to others. This is the "living water" (that is, running water) that Jesus offers us (John 7:37-39). We are meant to be rivers not cisterns. When too much salt runs into a body of water but not out, life dies. Christians who withhold grace and mercy from others have become Dead Seas.
CONSIDER (Observations about the passage):
You all. The second person plural pronoun here links what Jesus says to what has come before. Jesus is continuing to address Beatitude people. Jesus wants us to envision what believers can accomplish when we work together creating critical mass (see our next study about “you” (plural) being the light (singular) of the world). Yes, we may go out into the world as individual grains of salt, but we should be encouraged that we are not alone in making a difference. The “you” is not only plural, but also emphatic – You all, and only you all, are the salt of the earth. There is no other salt source.
Are. Jesus is not giving a command but revealing our identity. We are not told we could be or should be salt, but we, together, ARE salt. Jesus tells us who we are before telling us what to do. We don’t have to work to become salt; our essence and identity are gifts of grace meant to be shared.
The salt. Jesus now introduces a marvellous multidimensional metaphor. (Let’s think about the implications for our lives as we continue reading.) In ancient civilization, salt was a uniquely VALUABLE commodity. Sometimes people were paid in salt. In fact, our English word salary comes from an ancient word meaning “salt-money”. And today when someone’s work is valuable or the opposite, we still might say they are “worth their salt” or “not worth their salt”. What made salt so valuable? For ancient Israelites, salt was their primary SEASONING for food (Job 6:6; Colossians 4:6) and PRESERVATIVE for meat preventing decay, which was so important in a world without refrigeration. Are you seeing connections with the Christian life? Salt was also used as a disinfectant in wounds and became a symbol of PURITY (Exodus 30:34-35; Ezekiel 16:4) and HEALING (2 Kings 2:21). And the metaphor gets richer! Salt could also be used as FERTILIZER when sprinkled lightly over the ground or mixed with manure (Luke 14:35), so some translators argue in favour of “You are the salt of the soil” to emphasize salt’s role as a fertilizer that helps living things grow. At the same time, heavier doses of salt were used to KILL the land of an enemy (Judges 9:45). Is there a lesson in that for us? Can we overdose our relationships with too much salt? Can our light sometimes become blinding? Salt could also be used as a sign of God’s JUDGEMENT (Genesis 19:26; Mark 9:49). Pillar of salt anyone? Even more interesting, salt was used in ancient COVENANT-MAKING ceremonies (2 Chronicles 13:5). Because salt was their primary preservative, salt became a symbol of someone’s lasting LOYALTY toward a covenant. Salt was eaten by itself or with bread to commit to a covenantal agreement. (Interestingly, in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper, Judas the betrayer has knocked over a container of salt with his elbow. Hmmm!) Salt was sprinkled over the meat of a SACRIFICE as Israelites renewed their loyalty to Yahweh (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Ezekiel 43:24). And by the time we get to the end of Matthew’s Gospel, we will have confirmation of what we have expected all along – Jesus has come to establish a New Covenant by becoming the last sacrifice (Matthew 26:28; also see Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25). Disciples of Jesus are his New Covenant ambassadors, a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1-2) living alter-cultural lives that point to Jesus. God has promised blessing via the Beatitudes, and now we learn that God blesses his disciples so that we can be a blessing to others. So, what metaphor does Jesus have in mind here? Probably all of them. But the most plain and straightforward reading of the text would suggest that the “salt” Jesus has in mind and wants us to think about is the disciple who emulates the qualities he has just described in the Beatitudes. The Beatific Way is summed up in the conjoined ideas of grace and peace (see our discussion above and below). When we live as Beatific people and our lives connect with others around us, we make life tasty and help preserve relationships that sin tries to decay. What a force for good the Church can be to the world around us, if we live graciously. Notice Jesus’ use of the definite article (“the”). Jesus could have said “You are salt in this world” (i.e., one of many sources of salt), but he stresses our unique identity. We are not just one of many ways God seasons the world and preserves relationships – God has no “Plan B”. The Church is THE salt of the earth: God’s only chosen seasoning to make life tasty with the grace that forgives sin and leads to the peace that preserves relationships.
Of the earth. Our seasoning effect is meant to expand. Jesus doesn’t just say “You are the salt of Galilee or Israel” but we are the salt of the whole earth. (Some theologians see earth/land here to mean only Israel, the holy land, but most agree it is a parallel to the “world” in verse 14). This is in keeping with the idea of Jesus being the Messiah (as his disciples will come to recognize), since the Jewish idea of “Messiah” means more than just a national ruler. The Messiah starts by liberating Israel, but ends up ruling the whole world (hence, Romans 1:16 – Jews first, then the whole world). What a vision Jesus gives this initial small motley crew of disciples. Jesus does not adopt an already large and significant nation, army, or organization and redirect it. He gives birth to a small family and grows it. Even by the time Matthew writes this Gospel, the church was still small and seemingly insignificant, but Matthew stays true to Jesus’ global vision (both here and in 28:18-20, the Great Commission). And today Matthew’s Gospel (and the entire New Testament) is planted like a seed on all seven continents. Matthew could never have guessed, but he trusted in the vision of Jesus. The global Church has taken some detours and gotten off course throughout its history (and recall that salt could be misused to kill the land of an enemy in times of battle by salting their fields), but somehow the Holy Spirit sees to it that life breaks out and the Gospel goes forward, from generation to generation. A savoury remnant always remains. And now it is our turn. There may be times we feel small and insignificant, and when we do, we are likely feeling similar to Matthew and the rest of Jesus’ first disciples. But God can use something low and little to eventually change the whole world.
Christians are to the world what the soul is to a body. ~ Letter to Diognetus (Second Century)
(Note: it is worth looking up the above Letter to Diognetus and reading the whole thing – it isn’t long. Next to examples in the Bible, like Paul’s preaching in Acts 17, this is our earliest example of apologetics: a Christian explaining and defending the Christian faith to a nonbeliever.)
Becomes dull. Here we encounter Jesus’ first warning in the Sermon. Becoming dull (or flat or tasteless) comes from a Greek word meaning to lose the sharp edge, or to become “foolish” (Greek, mōrós, more below) or to become dull intellectually (see its use in Romans 1:22 and 1 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus is using wordplay to make an important point. "Dull" salt is salt that loses its flavour; a "dull" disciple is a Christian who loses the distinctive flavour of grace. Our effectiveness is tied to our distinctiveness from, not similarity to, our surrounding culture. The Greek word for “foolish” (or mentally dull) is mōrós, from which we get the English words moron and moronic. In this context, becoming moronic refers to salt that has diminished saltiness. Disciples whose saltiness has faded, who pursue justice without mercy and judgement without grace, are making fools of themselves. Jesus is challenging us while also being funny, sly, whimsical. If, hypothetically, salt could become unsalty, asks Jesus, what would we season the salt with – more salt? And where would you get that salt if you are the salt? If the Church loses the message of radical grace, unconditional love, and nonviolent peacemaking, who is going to re-season us? (Insert shoulder shrug emoji here.) The Babylonian Talmud records an inquirer asking a first-century Rabbi what to use to resalt tasteless salt. His answer? “The afterbirth of a mule.” And all God’s people said… Huh? (Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.) Everyone knew that mules were half-breeds and sterile. In other words, there is nothing that exists that can resalt salt after salt is no longer salty. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. See, chemically, salt is sodium chloride (NaCl), and sodium chloride is a stable compound that will always taste salty. So technically, pure salt cannot lose its saltiness. Two things to keep in mind: First, Jesus is giving a lesson in discipleship, not chemistry. He is using a hypothetical metaphor to make a point about identity, unity, and purpose. Secondly, in Jesus’ day salt could seem to lose its saltiness to the degree that other elements were mixed in. Impurities could dilute the taste of salt. The lesson for disciples then and now is vivid. If the Church allows other elements that are not beatific (Beatitude-like) to become normative among us, we will lose our tastiness and usefulness to the world around us. When the Church takes on the vision and values of the surrounding culture or legalistic religion, it loses its reason for being. Salt is supposed to taste different to every other taste. That’s its point. Our value is in our difference. And the unique flavour the Church brings to the world is grace (Colossians 4:6). Grace, mercy, forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration: this is our saltiness, this is our specialty. Without it, we have become foolish, impure, moronic, and useless. Unsalty salt, that is, foolish salt, is good for nothing except being cast down and walked over. Like the “foolish” builder at the end of the sermon, unsalty salt is doomed to destruction. This seems to be the apostle Paul’s point in writing the churches of Galatia, who had allowed religious legalism to get mixed into their life of faith. So Paul worries that his work of discipling them in the Gospel of grace might be “in vain” (Galatians 3:3-4). That is a picture of salt becoming dulled (that is, grace-less) and therefore useless.
CONFESSION (Personal reflection):
I confess that I am struggling to know how to be salt and light to the world around us today.
When I first read Becky Pippert’s book “Out of the Saltshaker” as a young adult, it motivated me to take more initiative in sharing my faith. Over the years I tried door-to-door evangelism, street evangelism, friendship evangelism, tract evangelism, and every other form of being salt and light I could think of. I know that I need to TALK about my faith with folks, and I finally feel competent at this. But I also know that our WALK of faith speaks volumes to the people around us, and I am decidedly incompetent at this. I live for seasons of time in Romans 8 (walking in step with the Spirit), but then slip back again into Romans 7 (the things I know I should do I don’t do, and the things I know I shouldn’t do, those I do). I find resonance with Paul’s words: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
I am hoping, with God’s help, I can be salt and light again, perhaps by being a lived story of God’s restorative grace. Thank you for joining me in prayer.
I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, and I am not what I hope to be; but by the grace of God I am not what I used to be. Indeed, by God’s grace I am what I am. ~ John Newton (par, former slave-trader, and writer of Amazing Grace)
COMMENTARY (Thoughts about meaning and application):
So, what lessons can we learn from this multipurpose metaphor? You’ve been thinking of a few applications already no doubt. Here are seven salty lessons that come to mind:
FIRST, salt only makes a difference when it gets out of the saltshaker and into the food it is meant to season or preserve. And salt must really connect with, mingle with, and embed that food. Salt that is one centimetre away from food is as useless as salt still in the saltshaker.
This is a high view of mission.
We should, therefore, be clear about our mission. Some Christian commentators interpret these missional statements of Jesus about being salt and light to mean that Christians should permeate systems of government, law, education, business, science, and arts in order to preserve common decency, godly morality, social justice, and Christian values on the one hand, while also exposing sin on the other hand. This may be a real aspect of Christian mission, but we would need to learn that from other passages of Scripture. Our current text in context is saying something else.
For Jesus, the mission of the Church is discipling people in the gospel of grace lived out through communities of love. Finding ways to help others encounter and experience the unique grace of the Gospel is our mission today, tomorrow, and every day after that.
Salt as a preservative is about more than preserving moral decency. Remember, the Pharisees had that one covered, and Jesus will go on to teach that our righteousness must go beyond the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, or we will be outside of the kingdom (Matthew 5:20). Salt as a preservative is always about preserving or even restoring relationships, with God and one another. [See our two previous studies on peacemaking for more on this.]
On the topic of mission, the apostle Paul says that in order to have an influence on others around him, he practices relational and conversational other-centeredness. He will enter their mindset, speak their language, and try to understand life from their point of view. Then, within that kind of intimate intellectual engagement, he can season the conversation with saving grace.
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. ~ The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
What a wonderful example of salt really getting into the food, that is the relationships, that it seeks to season. And we can see amazing examples of Paul working this out in Acts 14 and 17.
SECOND, salt is salty. Salt doesn’t have to try to be what it already is. It just needs to get into contact with whatever needs seasoning. We ARE the salt of the earth.
This is a high view of the Church.
The spirituality of Jesus (and indeed, the entire Bible) always begins with our identity before moving into mission. In the teaching of Christ, who we are comes before how we live, grace comes before works, blessing before behaving, compassion before commands, indicative before imperative. Wholeness, blessing, belonging, and being happens before behaviour. A baby is wholly and completely a beloved and blessed member of the family just by being, and yet has a lifetime of growing and becoming to look forward to.
My entire nature has changed. Now, with God's help, I shall become myself. ~ Søren Kierkegaard (Journals)
This has always been true of how God works. God gave Adam and Eve every blessing before issuing the one command for their protection (which itself was a kind of blessing). And God blessed Abraham first, so he and his descendants could become a blessing to others:
I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ~ Yahweh to Abraham (Genesis 12:2)
God rescued Israel out of slavery in Egypt before giving them the Law. Likewise, Jesus will give his disciples commands only after blessing us with a clear vision of our holy significance.
We, the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, are infinitely valuable, not only to God but also to the world around us. We alone offer people something they cannot find anywhere else: a communal life characterized by and energized by grace. What makes the Christ community salty is not our moral perfection.
According to Jesus’ teaching in this sermon, his disciples need mercy, pray daily for forgiveness of our sins, and regularly deal with our own plank-eye (it’s like “pink-eye” but more blinding). No, we don’t offer the world a way of being perfect in morality, but a way of being perfect in mercy (compare Matthew 5:48 with Luke 6:36). We offer the world, not a way of being sinless, but a way of dealing with sin so it doesn’t get the last word in our relationships. And we invite others around us to join us in learning from Jesus what it means to live with a tenacious commitment to relational repair.
Don’t get me wrong – in this life true followers of Jesus may not become sinless, but we should be expected to sin less. Jesus makes it clear in verse 16 that what attracts people to God through our lives is our “good works”, and no doubt moral failure clouds that picture. So together we “spur one another on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
But catch this: when we do experience significant moral failure within the Church, this can become a different kind of opportunity for the world to see our good works. Especially the good works of grace, mercy, repentance, and relational repair.
THIRD, salt tastes different to the food itself. Salt, like any seasoning, doesn’t just reflect back the same flavour of a dish, but brings something new, unique, and important to the overall taste.
This is a high view of grace.
We’re getting a lot of talk about grace in this study. Blame Jesus.
Grace is what makes the message of Jesus and the identity of the Church uniquely, distinctively, and exclusively salty. After years of being a Christian, it is easy for us to forget how mind-blowingly unique the Good News of Jesus really is. You cannot find grace as a central theme in any other religion or philosophy. When we are gracious, we are THE salt of the earth.
Grace is the relationally restorative energy that God works in, through, and between us. Grace is the shape unconditional love takes in the face of failure. Grace creates peace (or harmonious togetherness). Where sin separates, grace restores.
Where grievous sins occur, grace doesn’t just expose, hold accountable, and enforce higher moral standards. That’s a start, but if that’s all we do, we are still stuck in the Old Covenant. When sin happens (and boy does it happen), in a New Covenant Gospel-saturated Church, grace softens sinners’ hearts to help them repent and softens the hearts of those sinned against to help them forgive. Grace is always mending the nets of relationships that sin rips apart. Grace is relentlessly relationally reparative.
In the New Testament, being salty is equated with being gracious, especially in the context of evangelism (Colossians 4:3-6). In our day, saying someone is “salty” might mean they are being bitter, insulting, or sassy. But Jesus uses the metaphor to mean the opposite. For Jesus, being salty means being full of flavour, and that flavour is beatific grace. Amazing grace – including the mercy, compassion, repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration that grace produces – is the unique contribution that the Church brings into this divided, judgemental, sin separated world.
The world around us has laws. The world around us has rules. The world around us cares about justice, whether or not people live it out fully and consistently. When someone is hurt or offended in some way, they will feel like they want payback or punishment, that is, justice. When a sin is committed that harms us or someone else, it is not uniquely Christian, not uniquely salty, to desire and pray and work for justice. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is not the way of Jesus, and he will make that very clear later in Matthew chapter 5.
Justice is good; it is one of the many flavours that make up a good moral meal. But it is not the unique flavour that the Church brings into relationships. The world around us also cares about justice, but Jesus calls us to righteousness, which goes beyond justice to mercy, compassion, and grace.
That’s the power of salt: it offers something different, something unique. And our difference is grace. If we become too much like our surrounding culture, we will dilute or dull our saltiness. And we know what Jesus says about that.
FOURTH, although salt brings something different to a dish, it also enhances what is already good about a flavour without completely changing or overpowering it. Salt helps food become a better version of itself. If Jesus had said we are the curry or coriander of the earth, Christians might expect to become the dominant flavour of the food. But salt brings out the best of what is already there. Art, science, medicine, music, family, friendships – we enhance, we don’t reinvent.
This is a high view of humanity.
As image bearers of God, all people are precious and creative. Christians should not be surprised to find goodness and creativity everywhere; and wherever we find it, we should want to partner with people and enhance the flavour of whatever they are doing with grace. Everything is better when it becomes a more gracious version of itself. Morality, justice, creativity, politics, business, and every human interaction, relationship, commitment, and accomplishment becomes more tasty when seasoned with grace.
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. ~ The apostle Paul (Colossians 4:3-6)
How can we have more Colossians 4 conversations? Whenever possible, we would do well to begin our interactions with others by praising what is good in their perspective and teasing out more of it – that’s salt in action. It is empathetic engagement. It isn't the whole conversation, just as salt isn't the whole dish, but charitable, empathetic, and affirming engagement is a beautiful and often lacking aspect in today's online and in person interactions.
This doesn’t mean we will never confront points of disagreement, but confrontation should not be our default starting place. Notice that while Jesus was hard on religious people who should know better, he was always gracious and patient and helpful toward Romans and other sinners who needed help. Christians should have the reputation of making any conversation, any interaction, anything of beauty and creativity and kindness even more tasty.
Rather than “I finally saw that show you like and it had too much sex, swearing, and violence. How can you watch that stuff?” Try, “I saw that show you like and I really appreciated the production value (or writing or character development or musical score, etc). What do you like most about it?” And instead of, “Ughh. I hate that politician! How could you vote for him?” Try, “I appreciate [insert one genuine quality] about him. What makes you want to support him?”
If you’re conservative on the issue of gay marriage, instead of holding a placard that says “Marriage = 1 man + 1 woman 4 life” or “Gay Marriage is an Oxymoron” as the conversation starter, how about “I love that so many gay people deeply desire the monogamous, sacrificial, covenantal relationship that is marriage. There is a lot of Jesus in that desire.”
And if you’re progressive on the issue of gay marriage, instead of “You conservatives are so homophobic and bigoted”, why not try “I so appreciate how much you value Scripture. I’d love to learn more about why you interpret it the way you do on this issue.”
And if you’re talking about someone’s opposing worldview, be it a different religion or no religion, get curious and ask lots of genuine questions. As you learn, be quick to point out the things you align with and appreciate. And maybe you will ignite some spiritual curiosity within them.
Now you are having Colossians 4 conversations. Mmm. Tasty! (For lovely examples of this kind of gracious conversational outreach in the early Church, see Acts 14:8-18; 17:16-34.)
[THOUGHT EXPERIMENT 1: try to identify and imagine some "salty" ways of approaching conversations with fellow-Christians you disagree with over issues like women pastors, pacifism vs Just War theory, charismatic gifts, free-will vs controlling sovereignty, or an emphasis on justice vs grace in the church. If you're in a group, try roll-playing!]
[THOUGHT EXPERIMENT 2: Picture a rally at city hall where a politician is about to speak on an issue you feel strongly about, whether on the conservative or progressive side (e.g., abortion laws, racial turmoil, gun control, queer and trans rights, children's protection, drug decriminalization, vaccine mandates, religious freedoms, etc.). As the politician approaches the podium, a large crowd of supporters cheers. Behind them is an almost equally large crowd of protestors chanting. And across from them is a counter-protest, trying to draw attention away from the protestors. Initially, you feel strongly that your group's voice, the voice of reason on this subject, the voice that stands for truth, freedom, and justice, the voice that represents God's righteousness – gets heard and makes a difference. How do you do all of this in a salty way? Now think about what God sees. That woman angrily shouting across from you grew up in a violently abusive home with so-called-Christian parents and now believes all Christians are hate-mongers . That police officer nearby had a fight with his teenage daughter this morning and is worried sick about her future, and how to repair their relationship. That young person nearby comes to these rallies to find their purpose and community, while secretly crying themselves to sleep each night because of their overwhelming sense of disconnection and loneliness. And on and on. Surrounding you are hundreds of invisible stories, and hundreds of people who need to know about the Good News of the Kingdom. Now think again – how should our calling to be the salt of the earth effect our focus, emotions, and approaches in situations like this?]
QUESTION: Is our mandate as salty citizens of the kingdom of the heavens on earth primarily to change our earthly nation's laws, policies, and governmental strategies? Or are we primarily called to partner with Jesus to change human hearts, reconcile relationships, and invest in the health and expansion of the Jesus Nation as an alternative kingdom? Or can we do both well? If so, how?
FIFTH, salt works invisibly. Each grain of salt is small, and once it goes to work in the water or the meat, it is unseen.
The experience and expansion of the kingdom of Christ has never depended primarily on the more visible, loud, and powerful voices with convincing communication gifts. We are grateful for our key communicators, evangelists, apologists, and theologians. Huge rallies, marketing campaigns, celebrity testimonials, and mega-church ministries may have their place in moving the conversation forward. But in the body of Christ, it is the unseen members working quietly in the background who hold special value (1 Corinthians 12:21-27).
This is a high view of humility.
Think of it: as terrible as it would be to lose a limb or some other visible body part, we could still learn to live a full and fruitful life. But if we lose an unseen body part – like a lung, or heart, or brain – well, we won’t be learning anything. We’ll be dead. The invisible, modest, influencing work of the “little guy” is God’s primary plan for kingdom expansion. We all have an important part to play, and that includes you.
SIXTH, salt works together. A single grain of salt will not make much of a difference in any dish. And we should feel no pressure to change the world around us all by ourselves. But together, as we each do our small and seemingly insignificant part, the accumulative effect of our salty grace will have an impact.
This is a high view of community.
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ~ The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:5-7)
No one grain of salt has to do it all. The New Testament understanding of identity is thoroughly social, communal, connected, and cooperative. Each of us just has to do our small part. Are you more of a seed planter (through kindness and initial conversations), waterer (through prayer, volunteerism, financial support), or harvester (through more direct invitational evangelism)?
SEVENTH, salt increases thirst. Jesus offers everyone the living water of the Holy Spirit (John 4:10-14; 7:37-39). People should see our lives together and desire more of the thirst-quenching, life-giving Spirit that animates, invigorates, and enlivens our church communities.
This is a high view of the person and power of the Spirit.
And because of the activity of the Spirit, all pressure for us to be results focused is off. We do our part as God’s co-labourers (2 Corinthians 6:1) and let God bring about the growth.
CONCLUSION (One last thought):
We have now encountered Jesus’ first words of warning in the Sermon on the Mount, and they won’t be his last. We would do well to take these words of warning to heart. They are even more emphatic in Luke’s Gospel…
Salt is good, but if it becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is useless for the soil and the manure pile; it is thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. ~ JESUS (Luke 14:34-35)
Jesus doesn’t hold out much hope for salt that becomes “tasteless” (or dull, foolish, moronic). This isn’t so much a warning to individual believers as it is for specific gatherings, groups, organizations, and institutions of believers that have allowed impurities from the surrounding culture to dilute their grace. Remember to think communally when reading the teachings of Jesus. Any Christian church, charity, institution, organization, or denomination that foolishly loses its cutting edge of the message of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and peacemaking – that is, our unique contribution to the world around us that actually makes us salty – is doomed to uselessness. Here is a strong rebuke from Jesus for any religious system or institution or community that puts its own preservation ahead of a courageous commitment to grace at all costs. We cannot have institutional or organizational peace apart from the active energetic practice of grace.
According to Jesus, there may come a time when a church community has become too much like the world, and the best thing for all involved is to close its doors, turn off the lights, and walk away. God will still be at work through a remnant, through those believers who remain committed to beatific living, and good things can aways rise out of the ashes.
Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.
CONTEMPLATE (Scripture passages that relate to and deepen our understanding of this topic):
1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Acts 14:8-18; 17:16-34; Colossians 4:2-6; 1 Peter 3:13-17
CONVERSATION (Talk together, learn together, grow together):
What is God revealing to you about himself through this passage?
What is God showing you about yourself through this passage?
What are some examples of ways we could bring the seasoning of grace into our interactions: a) with strangers we meet, b) on social media, c) with our friends and family, and d) in our Churches?
What is one thing you can think, believe, or do differently in light of what you are learning?
What questions are you still processing about this topic?