#19 How do you taste?   “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. [Matthew 5:13]


I do not know about you - but I love salt.  I really do.  An egg is not an acceptable egg if it does not have salt.  Steak is not steak unless it has garlic and onion salt.  A hamburger is not even get to carry the name unless it has garlic salt on it!  Salt is good.  


Now I know about all the health experts who tell us that salt is bad for our health.  However, salt is necessary to the body.  It is not that salt is bad - it is simply that too much salt is bad for us. [And I even believe that the negativity of excess salt is greatly exaggerated]


In the above text Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth.  What possibly could he mean?  Well, I see three immediate benefits to salt.


* Tasty!  Salt tastes good - and it certainly enhances the taste of certain things.  Broccoli has many benefits - it is rich in many things.  yet, have you ever tried to eat broccoli without salt?  It is hideous.  Yet, add salt - and it has become something quite good. 


* Healing.  Salt is a healing nutrient.  We often claim that, "adding salt to a wound" hurts.  Yep...it does.  However, salt also cleanses and soaks up infection. It benefits in healing as well. 


* Preservative.  Salt, because it lowers the fluid mobility in food also preserves food longer.  Salt, to this day, is still added to foods so that the foods will remain healthy to eat.  


Now, why would Jesus tell us that we are, "the salt of the earth."  Because inside of the believer is Jesus Himself.  We are to be His disciples in this place.  We are commissioned to spread the Word of Christ to all that we know.  We are to, "flavor" our conversation with the salt of His Word.  God honors the Christian prayers and the only reason for the goodness of this earth is because God, "preserves" this place on behalf of those that pray.  And yes, we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this place - bringing His healing to all that we meet.  


The simple fact of the matter is that we are the salt of the earth.  That is what God has made us.  The only question remaining is....are we actually living out our calling to flavor, heal, and preserve?  Something we can all think about.