Salt and Light of the Earth

Believers are salt and light of the earth.

Christ is declaring that believers/his disciples are salt of the earth. Consider this, there are two ways to view this statement.

From a prophetic standpoint.

From an exhortative stand point.

Prophetic standpoint- Jesus knowing his true disciples, those who would follow Him, those who would take to heart his teachings, and those who sought to emulate and apply his teachings, the Lord declares them to be both salt of the earth and light of the world.

Exhortative standpoint- Jesus talking to the vast multitude is herein laying out a guideline for what his disciples should look like, what actions they should take. Hence, a disciple should be as salt of the earth and as a light to the world.

Considering both standpoints, I firmly believe that Jesus was allude to both standpoints as he was ministering to both his disciples and to those who would possibly become his disciples.

Jesus makes a pronouncement, an authoritative declaration that you are salt of the earth. Hear these words as they ring almost 1,987 years later that YOU, the believer, the true disciple of Jesus Christ, the Lord says you are SALT of the earth.

Okay what does this mean?

We have to break down the text to understand what Jesus meant by declaring his disciples to be “salt of the earth”.

Salt (halas) 1. a seasoning used to season food and also a preservative, it was used to also sprinkle the sacrifices with.

Now, Jesus says you are salt of the earth, well......if we think about the first definition of salt it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Most people when they think of this scripture they are thinking about iodine salt, table salt, maybe even seasoning salt. Therefore, when you think in regards to table salt you are left wondering what in the world is Jesus talking about.

However there is a second definition:

Salt (halas) 2. a saline matter used to fertilize arable land, it also renders the land sterile. In other words, salt is combined with water to use as a solution to kill vegetation. Mix one cup of rock-salt with two cups of water (2:1 ratio) and allow the salt to dissolve fully, put the solution in a spray bottle, spray it on the plant that you want to die, and then the plant dies.

Now lets think about this 2nd defintion in lieu to what Jesus was declaring. So salt is used for three things: 1. Flavor 2. Preserving 3. Fertilizing 4. Cleansing.

Again, it is kind of hard to see exactly where flavor applies to this but yet we must remember that salt has a very distinctive taste to it. I cannot help but to think that in this world, as disciples we are to be distinct. Distinction and in regard to salt is just one way to consider what Jesus is saying about his disciples. Yet, it is very easy to understand what Jesus is alluding to in regards to salt preservation, salt fertilization, and salt cleansing.

Preserving- so essentially as a saint of God, as a disciple Jesus says you are a preserver of the earth. To preserve means to- keep from injury, harm, or destruction (1). It also means to keep alive, keep intact, keep from decay (2). Finally, preserve also means to keep or save from decomposition.

So here is a whole list of possibilities in which Jesus is teaching his disciples on.

So far, we have identified at least one meaning of salt in Jesus’ teaching. Flavor = distinction. We are in the world but not of the world. Let’s consider the 2nd usefulness of salt.

Salt Preservation:

Salt is used to preserve meat. Edible salt is used to preserve meat because salt draws out water and dehydrates. The use of salt makes it hard for bacteria to survive in meat because the salt causes a condition called osmosis where the water (which is needed for bacteria to survive) is drawn out of the cell. Also, in Jewish dietary customs, salt is used (kosher salt) to draw the blood out of the meat, because according to Israelite law no blood was to be eaten and had to be fully withdrawn out of all meats.

So what does salt do? It draws out the bad stuff and keeps the meat. So what is Jesus saying? As disciples we are salt of the earth, we are to draw out the bad stuff within the earth. What bad stuff? Sin. How do we draw out sin? By presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ. By living holy and righteously within the earth. We are to be preserving we are to continue in the teachings of Christ, we are to maintain and care for the lost and draw out the bad stuff that is within individuals by sharing the good news of the gospel.

When you salt meat you save it from decomposition. When you are salt of the earth you save from damnation!

Jude 23 NLT

Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

THERE IS SO MUCH THAT IS HERE IN THIS LITTLE VERSE! I don’t think the disciples could put everything in here that Jesus taught, but they put enough here for us to benefit and to latch on to, to give us direction and insight into the will of God.

Salt fertilization:

Sea Salt contains valuable minerals such as sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, and other minerals. These minerals are very beneficial to plants when used in correct dosing (1 teaspoon to 1 gallon of water). Now remember that the same salt that can be very beneficial can also be destructive to plants (we’ll go more in depth later). The purpose of fertilizer is what? To cause the soil to be more fertile and productive. To be more fertile is to produce crops in great quantities. PRODUCE CROPS in the earth!

Now the question becomes “how do we produce crops in the earth”? By presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must understand that we cannot stop short of just getting people to come to church. We cannot stop short of just getting people baptized. If we are truly salt of the earth. We seek to not only bring people to Christ but we seek for those who come to Christ to be productive Christians and to bare fruit (karpos). What fruit? Fruit is metaphorically, that which originates or comes from something; an effect or result. So when a person is truly saved, then they should bare fruit, meaning that your deeds should exhibit a change of heart. Why because when God saves you, He changes your heart, He changes your mind.

Fruit, as an added benefit God will begin to develop spiritual fruit within an individual. The fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. These are Godly attributes that exceed beyond your normal run of the mill type attributes that reflect the personage of Christ.

In addition, when God saves you through his Spirit (pneuma)

(scripture)

he also gives gifts (charisma) which is a gift of grace or favor (undeserving) that helps and enables you to serve the church of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 NLT

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

Ephesians 4:7–8 AV

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Therefore it is not enough for us to be passive, we got to fertilize, we have to produce crops for the LORD, God saved us not to keep salvation to ourselves but He saved us so that we can be salt in the earth, He saved us so that we can be light on the hill that shines into darkness!

Jesus is talking to the multitude but he is telling his disciples......that they are (prophetic) going to be productive and produce crops within the earth! He is telling the multitude (exhortative) that if you are going to be disciples then this is what disciples look like.....they are productive, they bare fruit, and when they bare fruit fruit trees begat fruit trees, dandelions produce other dandelions, weeds produce other weeds! BE PRODUCTIVE.

Salt Cleansing:

There are two standpoints to consider when we talk about salt cleansing. Epson salt, isn’t just used as something you pour in the bathtub to soak your aching joints and muscles. Epson Salt is also used as a laxative, meaning that if you use the correct dosage (Ages 12 & older dissolve 2-4 teaspoons in 8 ounces of water) it can cleanse any blockage you might have in your colon. Also, Epson Salt can be used to detoxify and remove harmful toxins in your body.

In addition, as we stated earlier in the lesson, salt can be used to clear vegetation. When used in correct dosage (start with a 3:1 ratio and add until you get results) salt can be an effect plant killer (weeds, grass, vegetation). Hint: boost effectiveness of this solution by adding vinegar or liquid soap. How does it kill vegetation? Remember that osmosis happens and the salt dries out the plants.

Salt can be used to clear massive areas of land.

Salt of the earth, you are salt of the earth. If you want to see results in your neighborhood, in society in general.....you’ve got to be the salt of the earth! If you want to see your family members saved and delivered you have to be salt of the earth. This ties into the very beginning where we talked about salt being a distinctive flavor. You have to be what God has called you to be, you cannot be like your unsaved friends and family, you cannot talk like they talk, think like they think, act like they act, if you want the cleansing power of the blood to effectively work in their lives, then you have to be salt!