Reading the Word

Matthew 5:13 (ESV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Understanding and Applying the Word

In today’s reading, we continue to look at what has become known as The Sermon on the Mount. The opening verses, which we read yesterday, reveal the kind of people that belong to the kingdom of heaven. It belongs to the poor in Spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, etc. These are the character traits that we should expect to find in all of God’s people.

Today, we are also told that, as the people of God, we are the salt of the earth. Salt was often used as both a preservative for foods and as a way to enhance the flavor of food. However, if salt loses its saltiness, it is useless. If it loses its effectiveness to preserve or enhance flavor, it may as well be thrown away in the trash. In the same way, if God’s people compromise their character, they become worthless as influencers in the world. An example of this might be a Christian who lives no different than unbelievers. That person is not likely to have much success in sharing the gospel with others.

Fellow believer, we are called to be the salt of the earth. We must be careful not to lose our saltiness so we can effectively impact the world around us for Christ.

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