“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13, NKJV).
Seasoning or Sidewalk Grit
Salt is a mineral that purifies, preserves and flavors. It is an essential building block of life, and for all its uses it is as common as clay. It serves as a symbol of a binding covenant because it keeps things in an unchanging state. But when it becomes diluted or impure it is irretrievably ruined, and is good for none of its original purposes. The only possible recourse is to throw it out to be trampled into the lifeless dirt.
Jesus likens His followers to salt because we, through His Spirit within us, can act as a purifying and preserving agent in a decaying world. We, through our knowledge of the truth, can bring flavor and meaning to an otherwise seemingly random and purposeless existence. But when we allow ourselves to become diluted with the things and cares of this world, we lose our flavor and effectiveness and become no different than the common clay upon which the rest of humanity walks.
Salt, as mentioned, is not rare. It is not valued as a gemstone. It is not hard to procure. It exists in abundance, and has almost never been the cause of strife or warfare. By its very commonness it is often taken for granted, and is usually only noticed by its lack. The flavorlessness of a salt-free diet is notoriously difficult to become accustomed to, and individuals without salt have been known to crave it to the point of distraction or obsession.
With those images in mind, it is easy to see what Jesus is illustrating in this passage. Christians are both common and essential. There are not many mighty or noble or wise, but where the influence of Christ is absent, decay, putrefaction, and meaninglessness abound. This is true in the lives of communities and individuals. One of the most condemning things that could be said about a fellowship of believers is that it is saltless. It is the equivalent of saying that Christ is not there; His Spirit was never resident; God is honored by the lips only, and not the heart of that place or people.
Have you ever eaten sand. The grit gets all in your mouth and between your teeth and crunches unpleasantly and painfully with no taste. That is what it's like to be in the company of professing Christians who say they are His but are not, who make a big outward show of fealty to the Lord but their true center of worship is themselves. Better to be among honest haters than dishonest lovers.
In contrast, life among true followers of Jesus, whose hearts have been regenerated, who have come to the end of themselves and have surrendered to the call to worship the true and living God, that life is flavorful and satisfying. It is like a good solid meal that gratifies and nourishes, that sustains and renews.
Until we become His, we are just dirt, filler, placeholders. Once reborn in Him all that changes and I suspect strongly that from the spiritual perspective each believer in Christ is like a far-reaching gravity well, a perturbation in the fabric of the spiritual realm, a source of disturbance far greater than we might think, drawing others toward us and Him in ways surprising and good. That is why the enemy and the world hates the child of God, that is why the fervent prayer of a righteous one is powerful and effective, that is why one person of faith can change history.
But, to whom much is given, much is required. It is no accident that Jesus teaches here that the choice is stark before us: salt or grit; flavor or refuse; use or uselessness. Our purpose as His followers is to make a difference in this life. To draw people to Jesus so that they can see us and come to know Him.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalms 34:8, NKJV).
