“Salty” is one of those terms that is popular right now, but it’s developed a fairly common meaning- to be salty about something is to be annoyed or angry over it. I was SALTY about the windchills this past week. It’s within this newer context that I read this week’s verse from Matthew.
Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” and while that sounds great, he goes on to say, “but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.” Of course, this isn’t the only thing Jesus is saying in this passage, but this is the part that is sticking out to me. And I think it’s because of the modern context I just mentioned.
But, you know how I am, so of course we’re going to talk about why on earth Jesus would have been talking about salt anyway. So let’s start with salt. According to an article in Time Magazine, “The history of the world according to salt is simple: animals wore paths to salt licks; men followed; trails became roads, and settlements grew beside them. When the human menu shifted from salt-rich game to cereals, more salt was needed to supplement the diet. But the underground deposits were beyond reach, and the salt sprinkled over the surface was insufficient. Scarcity kept the mineral precious. As civilization spread, salt became one of the world’s principal trading commodities” (“A Brief History of Salt” 1982).
Salt was used for currency and has been traded ounce-for-ounce with gold. Cakes of salt were used as money in central Africa, and in Abyssinia, slabs of rock salt were used as coin. Salt was even used as payment for Roman soldiers. That pay was called, “ solarium argentum, from which we derive the word salary. A soldier’s salary was cut if he “was not worth his salt,” a phrase that came into being because the Greeks and Romans often bought slaves with salt” (“A Brief History of Salt” 1982).
Of course, there are plenty of mentions of salt in the Bible as well.“With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt,” says Leviticus 2:13. Because of its use as a preservative, salt became a token of permanence to the Jews of the Old Testament. Its use in Hebrew sacrifices as a meat purifier came to signify the eternal covenant between God and Israel. In one biblical case, salt symbolized a lack of fidelity. In Genesis 19:1-29, two angels of the Lord command Lot, his wife and two daughters to flee the sinful city of Sodom without ever looking back. When Lot’s wife cast a fleeting glance backward (her faith was uncertain), she was immediately transformed into a pillar of salt. (“A Brief History of Salt” 1982).
Salt was cast on the burnt offering (Ezekiel 43:24) and was part of the incense (Exodus 30:35). Part of the temple offering included salt (Ezra 6:9).
Salt was widely and variably used as a symbol and sacred sign in ancient Israel Numbers 18:19 and 2 Chronicles 13:5 illustrate salt as a covenant of friendship. In cultures throughout the region, the eating of salt is a sign of friendship. Salt land is a metaphorical name for a desolate no man's land, as attested in Psalms 107:34, Job 39:6, and Jeremiah 17:6. The land of defeated cities was salted to consecrate them to a god and curse their re-population, as illustrated in Judges 9:45.
Newborn babies were rubbed with salt. A reference to this practice is in Ezekiel 16:4: "As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths." (“Salt in the Bible” 2022)
Suffice it to say that Jesus was VERY aware of what he was saying when he told people that they were the salt of the earth. Jesus took this phrase seriously and likely meant it in regards to the people he was speaking to. Fishermen, laborers, shepherds, and women were worthy and valuable. In this first part of the statement he wasn’t talking about the flavor of salt, but rather its value. He was commenting on the inherent value of the people to whom he was speaking.
Now, salt itself isn’t nearly as valuable today as it was in Jesus’ time. We can buy it at the dollar store, we use it to spread on our roads, and we definitely don’t use it as currency in any format. But it’s still important. The two most important ingredients in my signature sugar cookies? Vanilla and SALT. And even today sodium is used in most processed foods to extend the life of the food. The human body requires a small amount of sodium to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. It is estimated that we need about 500 mg of sodium daily for these vital functions.(Boston and Ma 02115 +1495‑1000 2013).
Did you know that salt can provide relief for bee stings or kill poison ivy in the garden? If you put artificial flowers in a paper bag with salt and shake it? You’ll clean the artificial flowers. Salt can help soak up that “foot” smell in shoes and can remove tea and coffee stain from mugs. Combined with baking soda and vinegar, salt can polish silver or clean a drain. So, obviously salt still has its place in the world (and at my dinner table)/
What’s interesting to me is that Jesus says that when salt loses its saltiness it is no longer useful or good for anything. But here’s my question- can salt lose its flavor?
No. It cannot. Chemistry tells us that salt cannot lose its inherent saltiness unless it is diluted or combined with something else. Salt by itself cannot become less salty it can however be damaged to the point of uselessness by dilution, or by mixing it with other substances. So what was Jesus really doing in this little snippet?
I think think the first part is obvious. “You are the salt of the earth” is clearly a statement on the value of the people he was speaking to. He wants them to know that they add value, importance, and yes even a certain flavor to the world they inhabit. He uses this phrase to declare the value of his listeners.
But what about the rest of it? The bit about salt losing its flavor? Well, Jesus was pretty smart, as we have established, so I think this is twofold. First, there’s the inherent assumption that since salt cannot lose its flavor, people cannot lose their value. Nothing can make them less valuable to Jesus or to God. But I also think it is a reference to the way salt CAN lose its flavor- via dilution or combination. This is Jesus cautioning the people not to become intertwined with people or things that can reduce their value in the eyes of others.
So let me return to the original thought from this morning- the notion of “being salty” about something. Is it possible that Jesus is calling us to be salty? That we are being called to see the inherent value in others and not become intertwined with those who might reduce our sense of worth? Yeah, I think it’s possible. And when I think about the things that make me “salty”- it’s those things that DO reduce the value of others or reduce my own sense of self-worth. And, well, that sense of self-worth IS what the entirety of the scripture is about today.
Jesus is reminding people that they are both Salt and Light and that they are called to be visible in their communities and not let others diminish their self-worth. And that’s a really good reminder to us as well. We have inherent value. We have worth. We are not meant to hide who we are or diminish ourselves for the sake of others. We are called to be salt and light and to help others see the salt and light in themselves.
So, let’s get salty! Let’s get salty about those situations in the world where people are NOT seen as valuable or worthy. Let’s get salty about those who have to hide their identities in order to be safe in their families, schools, churches, or communities. Let’s get salty about those who have their light diminished by bullying, poverty, or injustice. Jesus wants us to be salty!!