A Word from Pastor Lisa: Salt of the Earth

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.”

–Jesus in Matthew 5:13 (NRSV)

Several weeks ago I was scrambling on a Sunday morning to put ingredients in the bread machine before I left for church. I inadvertently left out the salt. That evening when we took out the loaf of bread, it was misshapen. The texture was porous, and the bread was flavorless. A day later, the loaf was as hard as a rock. Apparently, that little teaspoon of salt was essential to delicious bread.

“Salt of the earth” has become a cliché, says Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine in The Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet when Jesus tells this to his disciples, it isn’t a command, it’s a fact: “You are the salt of the earth.” The “you” is plural, as in “y’all.” Jesus specifically tells the disciples they are the salt of the earth. They exist not for themselves alone but for the world. Just like salt is needed for preserving, seasoning, and giving life, disciples are to season, color, and make the world more aliveThey represent what is good in the world.

What’s more, the disciples also represent what’s valuable. The word salt comes from the Latin word sel, which is also the root of the word salary. The monthly payment to Roman soldiers was in salt, and it was called a salarium. In Jesus’ day, salt was a precious commodity also used to keep the army running. Disciples are valuable, and they make the heavenly host visible on earth.

Next, even with its value, salt is a simple element used as an enhancer. Salt loses its saltiness when it becomes diluted with all sorts of things – possessions, the cares of this world, vengeance, and violence. Followers of Jesus aren’t to live in a complicated or ostentatious way, but instead to teach the Gospel lovingly and to embody gracious simplicity in their lives.

Finally, just as we can’t survive with too little salt in our bodies, we also can’t live with too much salt. That can cause harm. When we say someone is “salty,” we imply that they’re tough or aggressive. Too much salt in our spiritual lives means we turn the attention on ourselves, and that can be deadly to faith. “Oversalted” leaders make ministry all about themselves. “Oversalted” disciples seek rewards for their good works on earth, rather than give glory to God in heaven. But those followers of Jesus who are the salt of the earth have overcome their own ego. It’s not all about them. They live into the Beatitudes – poor in spirit, meek, and merciful. The best salt, especially in food, is undetected. It does its work not by calling attention to itself but by bringing to life everything around it.

In our daily lives, being the salt of the earth means random acts of kindness, starting with our family and friends and then spreading out to neighbors and strangers, too. It means putting others before ourselves. It involves caring for each other in community. It requires spiritual practices like worship, prayer, and Bible study that keep us grounded in faith. (Please consider walking the entire Holy Week journey with us, from Palm Sunday to Easter, either in-person or online. More info here.)

Being salt of the earth also means being authentic and true to ourselves. There’s nothing we can do to make God love us more or less. We are loved, forgiven, blessed, and part of a new family in faith. By God’s grace, we are transformed. Levine adds that when we recognize our role as salt of the earth, we see that we are valuable not only for who we are but for what we can add to the world. Even a little bit of salt makes a tremendous difference in the community around us.

As we approach the holiest week of the Christian year, I hope you’ll reclaim your saltiness as a disciple of Jesus. As we emerge from this year of pandemic, I pray our church will renew our commitment to developing disciples of Jesus who use their valuable salt to transform not only Bloomington, but the world around us.