You Are the Salt of the Earth

by John C. Westervelt

A couple of years ago, I bought a round box of salt at the grocery store. Pictured on the dark blue cover is a young girl walking under an umbrella showing that this salt pours even in the rain. At the time, I marked the top of the box with the date, 11-5-2002, and the cost, 42 cents.

I enjoy salt sprinkled on my baked potato. When cooking, I add a little salt to rice, to scratch pancake batter, and to scout stew. This box of salt has some left in it after meeting my nutritional needs for over two years.

Salt has not always been so affordable. In ancient times, those that had a source of salt shipped this commodity to those that had none. Roman ships carried salt to the world surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The Latin phrase "salarium argentum," "salt money," referred to part of the payment made to every Roman soldier. The word has been carried down through the ages into the English word "salary."

As far back as Moses’ time, salt was a prized commodity. Moses gave the Hebrews God’s instructions to include salt with every grain offering. In Leviticus 2:13, salt stood for permanence and incorruption.

God made a "Covenant of Salt" with Aaron and the Levites when He established the arrangements for their priesthood in Numbers 18. In this context, salt is an emblem of perpetuity.

Jesus knew how precious salt was in the eyes of all the people. Matthew records Jesus going up the mountainside in Galilee. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach. After sharing the Beatitudes with the people, He said, "You are the salt of the earth." These words made it clear to the people that Jesus sensed their commitment to him.

Jesus spoke to the people on the side of the mountain, and He speaks to you today, saying that you are the salt of the earth. These words can be real for you, if you are committed to Him.