SALT OF THE EARTH

Matthew 5:13-20

When we think of someone who we see as having a special goodness about them, we might describe them as “salt of the earth.” We mean that without these people, life would lose some of its flavor. Such people help remind us of what is important. They’re like sounding rods that keep us grounded in what’s real in life. Life is richer because of their presence.

We have heard that we are, as Jesus says during his Sermon on the Mount, “the salt of the earth” and “light of the world.” He often used metaphorical language to help point us to deeper truth. But why is he talking about salt and light today and in what context?

The people of the first century would have known about salt. It was common for instance, for guests gathered for a meal to be seated in relation to the position of the saltcellar – or what today we call the saltshaker. The more honored guests were seated “above the salt,” meaning that they were located closer to the host. Those seated “below the salt” were considered to be of less importance. In Leonardo da Vinci’s painting The Last Supper, Judas Iscariot is portrayed with an overturned saltcellar in front of him. It’s an ominous visual of things to come. The Romans considered it a bad sign to spill salt and thought they could avert disaster by talking a pinch of salt and tossing over their left shoulder.

In the days of the Roman Empire, salt was nearly as valuable as gold. Its uses varied from enhancing the flavor of food to being used as a preservative or even a healing agent. A soldier was paid in part with salt which came to be known as salariu, from which the word salary is derived. A soldier’s salary was cut if he was not “worth his salt,” a phrase that came into use because the Greeks and Romans often bought slaves with salt.

Salt was often used in Jewish purification rites, and it was the custom to rub salt on a newborn infant. From this came the Christian practice in some places to add salt to the baptismal water. When I was confirmed by bishop Tom Shaw – a monk in the Society of Saint John the Evangelist and the bishop of Massachusetts  – I and the others confirmed that day were given a small vile of salt and a small candle as a reminder of Jesus’ claim that we are Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World.

Salt was meant to enhance, to heal, to preserve, and to purify. Salt was an extremely valuable commodity considered to be of great worth. So, what did Jesus mean that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world? How do we ourselves enhance, heal, preserve, and purify the world around us? And what does it mean to lose our flavor – to lose our saltiness?

It helps to consider the context from which these words come, and we don’t have to look far. Jesus speaks to us from The Sermon on the Mount, and his claim that we are Salt of the Earth and Light of the World immediately follows the beatitudes where he outlines the characteristic qualities of one who is deeply committed to the love of God and of neighbor. So, it’s as uncomplicated as that. To be Salt of the Earth means that we are humble, meek, and merciful. We are to strive for righteousness and purity of heart and as children of God we are to be the peacemakers in the world. That sounds like salt of the earth stuff to me.

Although the qualities outlined in the beatitudes may seem extraordinary and a bit beyond us and where we are in our lives, they are not. These qualities are counter cultural – for sure – but they are not beyond our reach, and they are not beyond the expectations that Jesus has for all of us. These salt of the earth qualities are profound spiritual concepts for ordinary living that help bring about the kingdom of heaven right here on earth. It is the extraordinary living of the ordinary lives of God’s salt of the earth people like you and me.

Being salt of the earth people means that we live our lives within the knowledge of God’s abundant blessing upon all our humanness. It means that we can shake away superficial phoniness and move toward becoming pure, whole, and authentic persons that stand for values and beliefs that we know are worth dying for – and better yet, worth living for. We live in a way that enhances those around us, inspiring all people to be the best they can be, regardless of cultural, religious, or denominational stripes. It means that we promote unity, not division; peace, not violence; love, not hatred. We bring healing and purification into places that are wounded and hurting, and all the while losing ourselves as we point to the one true God of life.

Jesus reminds us that we are the light of the world and that we must let that light shine. We are to move in ways that illumine darkness. We must bring the light of Christ into the shadowy corners of the world. So, what does that look like and how exactly are we to do that? If we read further into the Gospel according to Matthew, we see it. Jesus states it clearly. We are to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit those in prison. When we do these things for our brothers and sisters in the world we are doing it for Jesus. It really couldn’t be any clearer. It’s not rocket science. It’s salt of the earth.

And we shouldn’t waste time admiring our work and patting ourselves on the back because first of all, it’s what we should be doing anyway. And secondly, it’s not about us, it’s about God. Jesus said we are the light, he did not say we should be in the spotlight or limelight. We simply love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with God. No big headlines, just real salt of the earth stuff. Otherwise, we risk losing our salty flavor.

We live in a wonderful and magnificent world. Beauty is all around us. But we also live in a world that is filled with suffering. It is a world that is constantly at war and in great need of peacemakers; a world that is all too often driven by greed and consumerism in great need of a true sense of healthy priorities. We live in a world that diminishes the dignity of too many of our human family.

Being Salt of the Earth is the antidote to the domination systems that practice power over the people. Salt of the earth is about power with and for the people.

A sure way to claim or re-claim ourselves as salt of the earth people is to reach out and touch the hurting places in our world. Jesus puts high value on rubbing elbows with the most marginalized and disenfranchised among us. When we do that, empathy and compassion are sure to follow, and we just might experience God’s tears falling from our eyes. And when those tears run down our face and touch our lips we will taste who we are. We will taste salt. And so it is with people like us.

Brother Dennis