Matthew 5: 13

"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 by men.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
Jesus went on to talk about Christian influence.
If the beatitudes describe the essential character of the disciples of Jesus, the salt and light metaphors indicate their influence for good in the world.
The world will undoubtedly persecute the Christian, yet the Christian’s calling to serve this persecuting world. This must be our only retaliation.

Every home however poor, used and still uses both salt and light. Salt had a variety of uses. It is both a condiment and a preservative. Before the refrigerator was invented, salt was used to keep meat wholesome and to prevent decay. The effectiveness of salt is conditional; it must retain its saltiness. Strictly speaking, salt can never lose its saltiness.

I am given to understand that sodium chloride is a very stable chemical compound which is resistant to nearly every attack. Nevertheless, it can become contaminated by mixtures with impurities, and then it becomes useless, even dangerous. Desalted salt is unfit even for manure. In the past there were no refineries. Around the Dead Sea which while contains sodium chloride, also contained much else. Of this dust sodium chloride was probably the most soluble component and so the most easily washed out. The residue of white powder still looked like salt, and was doubtless still called salt, but it neither tasted nor act like salt. It was just road dust.

So too, a Christian. Christian saltiness is Christian character depicted in the beatitudes, exemplified in both deed and words. For effective Christian influence, one must retain one’s Christlikeness, as a salt retains its saltiness. If Christians become contaminated with the impurities of the world, they lose their influence.

Someone once said,
“If you want to find the Church, look in the world. And if you want to find the world, look into the Church.”

We are in the world but we must be able to distinguish and be discerning how we live our lives that we are not contaminated by the world.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me not lose my saltiness by the contamination of the world. Help me to live a life of Christlikeness and follow You. Remind me each day that how I live will determine my Christian influence in the world I live in.
Amen!