Tuesday's Devotion: A Lesson on Salt

Matthew 5:13a, 14, 16  “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can saltiness be restored? You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

I know several things about salt.  Rachel Ray always tosses some over her shoulder for good luck when she cooks.  It makes food taste better but it can cause a rise in blood pressure.  Of course the good stuff is bad for us. 

Salt played an important in ancient biblical times also.  It was a mineral used in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, as fertilizer, and as currency. Salt was used to disinfect wounds and was rubbed on newborns. "As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths." (Ezekiel 16:4)  Leviticus 2:13 reads: "And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt." Salt was put on the burnt offering, was part of the incense and part of the temple offering included salt.  A form of salt was used and is still used in fertilizer.  An agricultural newsletter says that it’s a matter of dosage.  Too much in fertilizer will burn a plant, but plants can’t grow without salt either.

Maybe Jesus was saying that the disciples needed to be an essential part of the spreading of the good news like salt is an essential part of life.  If they let the salt become mixed with other (worldly) minerals or diluted too much, their ministry would be lacking.  We offer ourselves as the salt of the earth as a “holy and living sacrifice in union with Christ’s offering for us.” (Holy Communion liturgy)  In the life of our church and in the lives of others we too can be salt.  We can season (enhance) we can preserve (care for) we can disinfect (remove harmful things), sacrifice (offer our time, money and assistance) fertilize (help growth) and be of great value to others, to our church and to the kingdom.

Loving God, Help us to be the salt and light of the earth.  We ask that you show us ways to become useful resources where there is need.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.