Salty. (Hix)

Matthew 5:13-16-“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Salt was used to keep meat and fish longer, and of course it was and still is used to give food favoring.

As salt cakes it was used as money, it was used as a part of a Roman soldiers salary, it maybe were we get the saying, “He ain’t worth his weight in salt!”

This rock salt that was gathered from the sea, (Guessing the Dead Sea) the outer layer was chipped away because the water had washed any favor or preserving use, until someone started using this layer on the temple courtyards to make it less slick when it was wet!!

They knew exactly what He mean when He said, “It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

That should remind us that our beliefs, shouldn’t get water down!

Our testimony, shouldn’t get water down!

Our standard, shouldn’t get water down!

Our doctrine, shouldn’t get water down!

Our theology, shouldn’t get water down!

When we think about salt we should be reminded that salt preserves

We should always preserve the truth-(Not telling people what they want to hear, but telling people the truth!)

We should always preserve righteousness-(We are to live and promote a moral code)

We should always preserve love-(We should be the examples of what love truly is…Love for God, Love for our families, Love for our fellow man!)

We should preserve holiness-(Because salt can cleanse and purify we should be prepared to take the love of God into our daily lives, bringing God’s healing touch to relationships and lives that have been infected by sin.)

Salt is of no use as long as it sets in the salt shaker, for it to be effective it has to be distributed, it is the same way with the Christian life, we have to let our life be sprinkled out on other lives.

Now remember sometimes it just takes a pinch of salt to add the right favoring, then sometimes it takes a spoonful to get the just the right favoring…Sometimes we just get a opportunity to say just a word about the Lord, sometimes we get a chance to speak at length about the Lord, but what ever opportunity arises we must be willing and ready to be used by God!

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

In those days cities were built on hills for lots of different reasons but one of the reasons was when people traveled at night there were no lighted street sign, there were no street lamps, and if you have ever walked at night it is hard enough when the moon is bright to figure out where you are, but those nights its clouded or only a quarter of the moon is shining, people needed a way to direct themselves in the dark, these homes would put lamps in the windows as beacon to those travelers at night!

Jesus paints a wonderful picture with words, (salt and light) to talk about being noticed and being useful as a Christian!!