Salt of the Earth

:This is an article about a phrase. For the film, see Salt of the Earth.

Salt in the New Testament

Jesus? Sermon on the Mount contains a reference to salt: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men" (Matthew ).

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The salt that has "lost his savour" refers to a type of salt common in the Dead Sea area that is contaminated with gypsum and other minerals. It has a flat taste and is ineffective as a preservative. Such mineral salts were useful for little more than keeping footpaths free of vegetation. That is why Jesus said that it is good for nothing but to be "trodden under foot of men." If salt has lost its usefulness, it was never effective in the first place.

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Pure salt, in contrast, cannot lose its flavor or effectiveness. "The salt of the earth" refers to Jesus' disciples and those who follow His Word. Jesus' message is that Christians are to imitate the usefulness of salt. A child of God is to have fidelity, or loyalty, to God and His Church; to be effective as a Christian and not be contaminated by the world. Since salt is emblematic of permanence, a Christian is to be immovable in his faith and commitment to learn and walk by the Word of God. Salt is a metaphor for durability, so a Christian should spend long hours in studying the Word of God until he has understanding. A Christian is to be strong. He is to endure temptations, suffering, trials and tribulations and persecutions. Salt doesn?t lose its flavor. A Christian must not start out talking or acting like a child of God and end up revealing that he?s not.

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In Roman times, salt was an important item of trade and was even used as money. Roman soldiers received part of their pay in salt{{ref|SaltAsSalary}}. To compare a person to the salt of the earth is to say that they are valuable and have worth.

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In Colossians 4:6, Paul exhorts, "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." The meaning of this verse is that just as salt not only flavors but prevents corruption, the Christian?s speech should act not only as a blessing to others but as a purifying influence within the decaying society of the world.

Related Topics:
Colossians - Paul

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