When sitting at the table for a meal, if you want the salt, you are taught from a young age to not reach and grab it. You were taught from a young age to say, "Will you pass the salt, please?"
Jesus compared us to salt because in those days, salt was very valuable. It was used in trade of commodities and even used sometimes as pay for workers instead of money. Salt has many uses; even today that we can compare to what we should be in this life.
Salt is a preservative. It is used on foods to keep them from spoiling. God has called us to be a preservative to this world to keep souls from perishing. We are to preserve God's Word, His laws, His commandments and His ways. If we fail to preserve these things, the future generations will have no hope. (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).
Salt is also used for healing. We gargle warm salt water for sore throats or sore gums. Hospitals use saline solutions to help with healing and cleansing. We, as God's children, are to help strengthen those who are weak and help lead them to their Spiritual healing.(2 Kings 2:20-22), (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Salt adds flavor. We don't like it when the doctor puts us on a diet of no salt. We call this food "bland". It is tasteless and we do not enjoy eating it. We should be adding flavor to this world and causing them to want to partake of the things of God. We should be influencing them to follow Christ. (Psalm 34:8)
Salt produces thirst. When we eat salty things, it makes us want water to drink. The more of the salt of the earth we become, the more of His Living Water we want to partake of. The more of the salt of the earth we pass to others, the more of His Living Water they will want. They should want to know more about Him by being around us. (John 4:28-29, 39).
Salt melts ice on steps, sidewalks and roads. If we are truly the salt of the earth the way Jesus told us to be, then the cold hearts of people around us will melt and become softer to be receptive to the things of God. (Proverbs 15:1).
Salt is used in fertilizer. This helps things to grow faster, stronger and more productive. We should be trying to help all those around us become stronger and more productive instead of beating them down and holding them back. We are called to strengthen and uplift. (Galatians 6:1).
Then there is the salt covenant mentioned in Numbers 18:19:
"All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee."
This was a covenant entered upon by two parties; usually a business agreement. In this covenant, one party would bring the bread, and one would bring the salt. The salt was sprinkled upon the bread, the bread was broken, and shared between the two parties.
Jesus is the Bread of Life who was broken for us (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). We are the salt. You can see how the two go together to form a covenant.
So, when Jesus told us that we are the salt, He wasn't just picking an object off the top of His head. Salt is very important and valuable. There are many purposes for salt, some not mentioned here. In order to be useful, we cannot stay in the salt shaker where we feel comfortable. God did not call us to sit and do nothing. If we do nothing, we lose our saltiness, and our verse tells us that we are good for nothing; except to be thrown to the ground and stepped on. If salt is mixed with impure substances, it is useless. If we are diluted with sin, we are useless as well. Just as salt in a salt shaker must be shaken to be used, sometimes we experience a shaking in our lives. It seems everything is upside-down. It could be at that time that the salt is being passed to help us or someone else. Don't despise the shaking!
Will you pass the salt?
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