BE
SALTY
LUKE
14:34-35
Luke
14:34-35 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it
be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men
cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark
9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye
season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Matthew
5:13 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.
Susan: Matthew
5-7 is the passage we call “The Sermon on the Mount.” Verse 13 falls
immediately after “The Beatitudes.”
Susie: Jesus
was speaking to those following Him, not just the twelve, but a large crowd.
Christ’s followers are the salt of the earth.
Susan: Believers
bring the savor to the world, and serve the purpose of preserving people by
witnessing to them that they, too, may receive Jesus as Savior. He is the only
one that can save them completely to live eternally with Him.
Susie: John
MacArthur helps us understand the concept of salt losing its saltiness.
MacArthur
Study Bible
Matthew
5:13 if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? Salt is both a
preservative and a flavor enhancer. No doubt its use as a preservative is what
Jesus had mostly in view here. Pure salt cannot lose its flavor or
effectiveness, but the salt that is common in the Dead Sea area is contaminated
with gypsum and other minerals and may have a flat taste or be ineffective as a
preservative. Such mineral salts were useful for little more than keeping
footpaths free of vegetation.
Susie: There
is a good but brief article on salt as a preservative and purifier here:
Susie: Here
is a brief statement from the article:
Salt
was required in every sacrifice burned on the altar. Besides its preserving
factor, it also has a purifying affect on what it comes in contact with.
Susan: We as
Christians are to have a purifying effect in our communities.
Susie: We are
to stand for what is right and ethical and help to keep evil at bay. Edmond
Burke said:
The
only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Susan: Our
lives, our witness, should be an illustration of the scripture:
Psalm
34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in
him.
Susie: How do
we lose our saltiness?
Susan: When
we are no longer on fire for the Lord, not red hot, we lose our saltiness. As
He purifies us, dross (useless stuff) is removed from our lives as impurities
are removed from silver in the refiner’s fire. The waste is removed and all
that is left is living, vital, and salty. BTW, y’all, I love salt!
Revelation
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth.
Malachi
3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Susie: When
we stray from the path God has placed us on, when we are disobedient, our
saltiness is reduced. We are ineffective as the purifying and preserving agents
of the Lord. A true believer cannot completely lose his/her saltiness because
it is given us by grace from which we cannot fall. However, there are those who
profess to trust Christ but have never truly known Him. There is no savor of
the Savior in them nor in their influence on the world. They are therefore cast
out.
Susan: Jesus
ends with the words, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” which is His way
of saying, “Wake up and pay attention. This is crucially important!” The
information He had just shared with them could not be obtained from a “Cliff’s
Notes” version. We must soak in, digest, obey, and live the teaching of Jesus.
Susie: I
believe this refers back to the entire passage regarding humility, service, and
effectiveness.
Ponder
this and Apply it: Are you salty? Are you a positive influence? Do
your words and actions make a difference in your family, with your friends, and
in your community? Have you placed your life in the hands of Jesus? Is His Holy
Spirit flowing through you? If not, trust Him now. If so, consciously live so
as to be salt in your environment—seasoning, purifying, and preserving the
world around you.
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