For Sunday March 20, 2022:
A TASTY PRESERVATIVE
Matthew 5:13 (NKJV)
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
In ancient cultures, salt was so valuable that it was often used as a medium of exchange. It not only added flavor to food but also was valued as a preservative. Animal flesh was dried and salted in order to keep from spoiling—to preserve its life-giving nutrients until it was consumed.
When Jesus told His disciples that they were the “salt of the earth,” they would have immediately recognized the metaphor. But they probably had to think about its implications. The flavor they were to add to the world speaks of the abundant life Jesus came to give (John 10:10). But their role as a preservative required deeper understanding. Without the spiritual presence of God in this world, darkness would quickly overtake everything. When the church is taken up from the earth in the future, evil will have its way (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12). But as long as Christians are on earth, the Holy Spirit is working through them to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8–11).
By living for Christ today, you add abundant flavor to this world and hold back the darkness so that more might believe.
We are the salt of the earth … not the sugar.
Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste.
VANCE HAVNER
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 