The last massage introduced what we called the greatest monster that has inhibited our goal of realizing the world of our dream both as Christians and a people – Hypocrisy.
wewere addressed to do all within our power to show this cooperate, and communal life.we are grateful to God for the grace in leading to
realize as Christians,we have been giving the ability to resist, subdue, and reject hypocrisy and all other forms of ungodliness.we are the salt of the earth.
Our aim in this massage is to remind each christian that we have a responsibility to our world as it’s taste,to restore unto it,all that the monster has eaten.
Doingthis requires individual examination and commitments. Henec the theme”If i were the only salt,How would the world Taste?”.
In Mathew 5:13 we read”You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltines,how
can it be made salty again?It is not good for anything,expect to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
In this Text that feeds our theme, Our lord Jesus says to his followers”You are the salt of the earth”.But we miss something in the
modern English translation;the king James translate this verse “Ye are the salt of the earth”.Now ‘Ye is an old English word. It
means “you all”. So Jesus is saying, “You, all of you are the salt of the earth.”
Jesus looks at his handful of basically uneducated disciples and refers to them as the salt of the earth.
What great dignity Jesus bestows on his followers. What a great compliment. I want us to notice what Jesus says and does not say, He does not say, “ You all can be the salt
of the earth.” Nor does he say, “You all should be the salt of the earth.” Jesus says “ You are the salt of the earth.” And in Greek it is
literally “You and you alone are the salt of the earth.” Because salt was a necessity of life in ancient times and thus great value was attached to it. salt was so important that it
was sometime used for money. The Roman soldiers of Jesus’ day were at times paid with salt. In fact, our word “ salary” comes from the Latin word salarium which referred to the
payments to Roman soldier with salt. We still use the phrase saying that someone either is, or is not,” worth their salt.”
We don’t think much about salt because we can get as much of it in pure form as we want. It is just that little bottle with holes on the top on the dining table.
But when awe explore the many past and present uses of salt, we can then see salt from a different perspective and appreciate
why our lord chose it to describe the high calling he places on His followers.
Anciently, salt provide the financial support for pursuits like art. Salt received the nickname of ‘white gold’s sometime during the Middle Ages.
The Greeks called salt divine. Salt performs two important functions. It is the commonest of all preservatives. It keeps things from going bad.
For millions of people in the world, salt still has this purpose. In the second place, salt gives taste and flavor to food.
Food without salt is insipid. Consider that for many years salt was used as an agent to slow the decay of meat and other foods so that they could be edible for a longer period.
But, there are many other uses for salt around the home, as well. Salt is an excellent cleaning agent, either on its own or in
combination with other substances. A solution of salt and turpentine restores the Whiteness to yellowed enamel bathtubs and lavatories.
A paste of salt and vinegar cleans tarnished brass or copper. Strong collecting and eliminates odors.
Salt helps destroy moths and drives away ants. A dash of slat in laundry starch keeps
the iron from sticking and gives linen and fine cottons a glossy, like- new finish. A thin paste of salt and salad oil removes white marks
caused by hot dishes or water from wooden tables.
A box of salt is also an important item in many bathrooms. In mild solutions, it makes an excellent mouthwash, throat gargle or eye-
wash; it is an effective dentifrice, it is an effective antiseptic; and it can be extremely helpful as a message element to improve skin complexion.
Salt is also used in testing egg freshness-place the egg in a cup of water to which two teaspoons of salt have been added. A fresh egg sinks; a doubter will float.
In addition to its use with food, and within the household, salt was stem on scarifies- both cereal offerings and burnt offerings. It was
used for making covenants and representing commitment: “ you shall not omit from your grain offerings the salt of the covenant with your God; with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (Lev. 2: 13).
The old Testament also speaks of ‘covenant of salt’: “All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I have given to
you, together with your sons and daughters, as a perpetual due; it is a covenant of salt’ for ever before the LORD for you and your descendants as well” (Num. 18:19).
Covenant of salt’ means a permanent relationship; eating salt with someone meant to be bound in loyalty. This is what the evangelist mark refers to when he writes:
“Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50). Salt was also used to rub a new born child, either for medicinal or
other purposes, such as the desire to save the child from demonic forces.’
In Jesus’ day, salt was often connected with purity. The Romans believed that salt was the purest of all things, because it came from
pure things: the sun and sea. It was used by the Jews to purify their offerings to God.
The following portions of the scripture
confirm the several uses of salt.
A symbol of a binding covenant (Lev. 2:13).
A healing and cleansing aid (2 Kings 2:20-21).
A stimulant to the appetite (Job6:6).
A preventive of decay (Luke14:34-35).
A Promoter off peace (mark 9:50).
A stimulant to our testimony (Mt.5:13).
An evidence of grace (Col. 4:6).
Remember your own saltines is needed if our World taste as our lord expect it to taste.
Shalom……
On point