you are the salt

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  Matthew 5:13

Until I did a bit of research about salt, particularly salt in ancient times, I was unimpressed by  being called "the salt of the earth." Then I learned about the value of salt. In ancient times, entire kingdoms rose and fell because of salt. Our word "salary" is derived from the word for salt because Roman soldiers were often paid in salt. At times, its value has been more than twice that of the relative value of gold today. And, unlike precious metals, the value of salt is not because it is scarce. Salt is a naturally occurring resource that is a very important and common part of the earth. Its value is derived almost entirely from its usefulness. Salt can be used to enhance food and to preserve it. It is important in agriculture - animals who lack salt in their diets will not thrive and grow and produce like those that do. It is used in medicine and purification, as well as in many religious ceremonies. Salt is comparatively easy to find, but it must be harvested. This is how it becomes valuable. Because it is so necessary for daily life, salt accessibility was a great commodity that entire nations fought over. Many countries had a Salt Road that was the hub for trade and commerce. In short, salt is valuable because of its usefulness, but only once it has been harvested. The great Harvester of souls has given us incredible value. Our value is not intrinsic - we are common; a few among many millions who roam this earth - but our value is tied to our usefulness and the fact we have been freed from where we were in the earth for the purpose of being useful to the Harvester. It is the work of the One who came to free us from where we were that has given us great value. Praise to the Harvester of our souls!

One problem with this passage that I didn't understand was that Jesus talks about salt losing its saltiness. I have never experienced salt becoming unsalty. In fact, the chemical compound of salt, NaCl, is one of the most stable compounds in the world - it does not change readily. I am always intrigued by passages that don't seem to make sense at first, so I did a bit of research on the methods of harvesting salt in the Middle East. Interestingly, often salt is harvested from salt marshes and lakes that dry up in the summer. The white crystalized substance that is left has the appearance of salt, but it is partly salt mixed with many impurities. If this salt-like substance is exposed to the elements, particularly water, it loses its saltiness. This is because the NaCl dissolves in the water and what is left is mostly the impurities. The people who lived near Jerusalem in Jesus' time knew that this "salt" was not good for anything except to be thrown in the roadways - particularly because it was very bad for farmland - nothing would grow anywhere this white, salt-like substance was thrown. We could make many comparisons here to Christians who have become too diluted with impurities. Let's just say, though, that Jesus doesn't say this salt isn't good for anything - just that it is only good for the pathways - to keep weeds from growing in the road.