You are the salt of the earth…and you are the salt of the earth…and you and you…all of you are the salt of the earth!
You are needed.
You are necessary.
You add much to this life and therefore, you are of infinite value and worth.
Never allow anyone to tell you otherwise!
I did a little study on salt. I looked into it – because it is such a curious thing to say.
Did you know at one time – salt was used for currency, as a rate of exchange because it was considered to be that valuable?
In Biblical times, salt was very important. Just as you are very important today!
You of course realize that people back then – did not have refrigeration or ice-cube makers, so salt was very important as a preservative.
It is still being used for that purpose today!
At one time, people preserved vegetables with salt. They preserved fish with salt…they would salt it and dry it out – preserving it for the winter months ahead.
At one time they actually said that man’s life was worth a bag of salt. Because salt was that valuable.
When newborns were welcomed into this world, the new babies would be washed in salt water for medicinal purposes, because it was believed the salt would help preserve the babies’ life.
There was a time too, when covenants were made between two parties by using salt. It was actually called a “covenant of salt.” Both parties had to have their own salt, and would throw salt across each other’s shoulder to seal the deal. Salt was symbolic of the preservation of a binding agreement.
Salt was also important in Biblical times because of all the constant warring and battles. Because wars were essentially fought with bows, arrows, spears and swords, there was a lot of cutting and open wounds during warfare. Salt was actually rubbed into all open wounds. It was very sharp and it hurt a lot, but it was the way of treating open wounds at the time and one might experience healing, as a result.
And Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth!” And you must understand, he was speaking to those standing or seated directly in front of him, just as you are directly in front of me.
You are the salt of the earth!
There was also an ancient story told about a woman who went to the market to get salt for preserving her fish. The salesman at the market cheated her. They would actually cut the salt with fine granules of white sand. So it was more than possible that you might be purchasing “bad salt.” It was called “diluted salt” or “weak salt.” “Bad salt” was pretty worthless and would simply be thrown out under foot, because you could not separate the granules of sand from the salt.
Salt has been used since around 6,000 BCE. Our word “salary” is actually derived from the word for salt.
If someone traded “a poorly performing servant or slave” for salt, the saying was “that servant wasn’t worth his salt.”
Salt was referred to as being a “leveling agent in an impure world.” Salt was necessary. It was important. It was life giving and a preservative.
The Torah or the Law of Moses or the first five books of the Pentateuch was sometimes seen as being “salt” for Israel. It is what gave it spice and helped to preserve the people. It gave life.
Finally, the “earth” was a name for an outdoor “earthen oven” that each home kept near the home. The “earthen oven” used dung as a fuel…as nothing was ever wasted. The dung heap would be salted and salt plates were used as a catalyst to make the dung burn longer. Salt loses its saltiness when the exhausted plates no longer serve to facilitate the burning.
When the fuel was burnt out, the family would throw it out onto the road to harden to a muddy surface.
Therefore, we are the catalyst to get things cooking.
You are the movers and the shakers in our world. You are a catalyst for others.
Stuff is done, stuff is accomplished because of you.
You are the salt of the earth…and you are the salt of the earth…and you and you…all of you are the salt of the earth!
You are needed. You are necessary.
You add much to this life and therefore, you are of infinite value and worth.
Never allow anyone to tell you otherwise.
This was but one of Jesus’ messages in the Sermon on the Mount. And he spoke to those people who were directly in front of him!
You are the salt of the earth! Bless You!