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.
Matthew 5:13 NKJV
Jesus expounded these teachings from the Dead Sea (392 meters below sea level), where large quantities of salt came from. The Jews, in order to collect it, filled pools along its shore with water and let the sun evaporate it. The raw salt thus obtained was then washed in sea water, purified and pounded into a very fine powder. Salt was not just a seasoning, it was a natural preservative, necessary for pickling fish, preserving meat, and pickling vegetables, including olives. Visually at the table no one notices salt, but if it is missing everyone feels it on the palate. Since in everyday life it was used as a preservative, it became the very symbol of durability. When the Jews offered oblations they had to add salt to it to symbolize the duration of the covenant with God (Leviticus 2:13; Ezekiel 43:24). The Lord established a covenant with the priests that he called “of salt” to indicate that it would be a perpetual agreement, since it does not spoil and over time keeps its characteristics unchanged (Numbers 18:19). The rabbis used to repeat that “the Torah is like salt and the world cannot be without salt.” In making this image his own, Jesus knows he is using an expression that may sound provocative. He does not deny this conviction, but affirms that His disciples are too, if they assimilate His word and allow themselves to be guided by the wisdom of the beatitudes enunciated. It is no longer only the Law that resembles salt, but the disciples are the salt of the earth. These, having first made their own lives savory, can also give flavor to the earth, to human history by living according to the wisdom of the cross.
Jesus' “you are” is not an ethical imperative, but an identity proclamation in the plural. Personal adherence gives rise to a community context where each individual flaw is covered by the merits of others, so that only a good taste is transmitted to the outside world. As salt prevents putrefaction, so believers should be a brake on the corruption of the world. The apostle Paul compares wisdom to salt, admonishing the Colossians that their “speeches should always be full of grace and seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Other consideration might suggest the salt-soaked and barren lands (Job 39:6) or the sprinkling of salt on cities doomed to extermination (Judges 9:45). I prefer to remember that salt causes thirst, and believers should thirst for the things of God. Those who cook know that putting salt in food requires discernment and measure, but they are especially aware that they perform this action to give taste. Well, disciples should exercise such discernment and know the “measure” of their presence among men: solidarity to the point of “hiding” like salt in foods, and measure, discretion, awareness that they are only givers of taste. Behind this ability is concealed a hard work of shaping and molding that recalls the processing of salt, which undergoes a transformation process that includes shredding and grinding until it is almost invisible. Compared to our lives as disciples, it is about making ourselves available to others.
Jesus warns the disciples of the danger of losing their own flavor. As inconceivable as it may seem, he considers them capable of ruining salt: they can make the gospel lose its flavor. There is only one way: mix the salt with something else that alters its purity and genuineness. The gospel has its own flavor and should not be distorted, otherwise it is no longer gospel. If we tend to sweeten the gospel to make it more “workable,” we are depriving it of its flavor. This is the failure of mission, metaphorically indicated by the image of salt thrown on the road: it is trampled, like dust to which no one pays attention or attaches any value. As salt of the earth, we are called to preserve the faith we have received and pass it on intact to others. Our generation is placed with particular strength before the challenge of keeping the deposit of faith intact: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Let's add salt!
Weekly Bible Reading Plan #47
November 18, Ezekiel 11-13; James 1
November 19, Ezekiel 14-15; James 2
November 20, Ezekiel 16-17; James 3
November 21, Ezekiel 18-19; James 4
November 22, Ezekiel 20-21; James 5
November 23, Ezekiel 22-23; 1 Peter 1
November 24, Ezekiel 24-26; 1 Peter 2
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