Salt of the Earth

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said of his followers "Ye are the salt of the earth" Matt. 5:13. He did not say, "Ye will resemble salt" or "ye will be salt" but "Ye ARE salt", God's purifying element sent to keep a world from purification. Salt, then, is a preservative.

For ages - before the days of refrigeration - salt was the principal element for the preservation of meats. Salt is also a condiment, a seasoning, or flavoring substance. Maybe you've heard of the little boy's definition; "Salt is what makes the beans taste bad when it's left out." Its particular unique quality is that it loses its identity in the service it renders.

Salt also has medical value. Once in my college days I was referred to a throat specialist because of a serious and prolonged affliction of extremely sore throat. The doctor informed me that there were several good drugstore products available, but that the best was a strong salt solution in very warm water that should be used as a gargle several times in succession.  I found this to be very helpful, and also economical.

Oh! And do you recall the remainder of the verse from which our text comes? "But if the salt has lost has lost his savor, . . . it is therefore good for nothing ." God created a perfect world, but when sin entered, its people began to putrefy and rot down. In too many cases the church of today is compromised and corrupted and has lost its salt.

Hence, we are in the middle of the mess we are in!