 |
| "Salt of the Earth" |
| "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account...You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? Its no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot." -Jesus' Sermon on the Mount- |
| On a low hill near the home of his ministry in Capernaum, Jesus told the crowd that following in his path wouldn't make their life on earth easy. They would be laughed at and treated unkindly for spreading his message. Then Jesus likened the believers to salt. He was saying that his disciples shared many of the good qualities of salt. In those days salt was primarily used to preserve foods that spoiled quickly. Salt was a valuable substance in the hot, dry Middle Eastern climate, and it was also one of the few seasonings available to most households for everyday cooking. Because salt was so essential, a phrase like "salt of the earth" would have been easily understood by those who had come to hear Jesus. Only salt in its pure form is effective. Under normal conditions salt changes very little. But if salt is improperly refined or mixed with other substances, it loses its strength and value. In saying that if salt loses its taste it is "thrown out and trampled," Jesus was warning his disciples that their words would be twisted and used against them and they would suffer persecution for speaking the truth, just as the prophets had before them. Meaning today: The expression "salt of the earth" describes a person of excellent character, who is trustworthy, helpful, and generally an admirable human being. |
|
 |