YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus Christ, while addressing His disciples, said: ”You are the salt of the earth…”.

He uttered this statement as part of His celebrated Sermon on the Mount which served to influence how the disciples perceived and comported themselves. So, why did He specifically tag them the ‘salt of the earth’? We shall soon know; but for now, let us look at some points about salt so as to understand Him better.

The common salt is a white crystalline substance. It is also called Sodium Chloride (NaCl) and it gives the sea water its characteristic taste. It is the only mineral that people eat and it is often used as a seasoning agent to enrich the taste of foods. As a preservative, it is very effective in preventing the degradation of food products. Furthermore, it is a good disinfectant and in cold climes, it is used to melt ice on roadways to make them motorable.

No doubt, it is invaluable to mankind because it adds significant value to a lot of stuffs. Likewise, the disciples of Jesus Christ added significant value to many people’s lives. They preached to them, taught them, fed them, gave them succour, healed them, delivered them from bondage and led them to Christ. Clearly, they were the shakers and movers of their time and they left the earth better than they met it. No wonder, Jesus Christ called them the ‘Salt of the Earth’.

Apart from the disciples of Jesus Christ, several Christians in times past and nowadays, also qualified or qualifies to be called ‘salts of the earth’ because their activities added significant value to people’s lives. Some of them are:

1. Michael Faraday (1791-1867). His works on electricity and magnetism revolutionized physics and today, our computers, telephone lines, web sites, etc. depend on them.

2. Isaac Newton (1642-1727). He was an English physicist, mathematician, astrologer and theologian. He is considered by many, to be the greatest scientist that ever lived.

3. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895). He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. He also created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax.

4. William Wilberforce (1759-1833). His robust activities led to the abolition of slave trade through an act of the British Parliament.

Others in this group include Paul of Tarsus (Author and Apostle), David Livingstone (Missionary), Mary Slessor (Missionary), Florence Nightingale (Nurse), Dr Martin Luther King Jnr (Civil rights leader), Mother Teresa (Missionary/Humanitarian Worker), Nelson Mandela (Anti-apartheid activist/Former President of South Africa) etc.etc.

You too can become one of the Salts of the Earth of this generation (Philippians 4:13). But first, you have to identify what comes easy to you and use it constructively with the help of Jesus Christ. For example, if you are adept at writing, write to enlighten people and to lead them to Him. And if you are proficient in talking or listening to people, healing, organizing, assisting or mentoring them etc. then, you are in business. Just commit whatever skill you possess into His hands and He’ll boost it for use to add significant value to people’s lives. In the end, He’ll reward you handsomely (Matthew 25:31-40) and your joy will be full. Please remember that with God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)!

Jesus is Lord!

c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2011