Salty Christians

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:13

“Pass the sodium chloride, please,” said Jackson. The steam rose from the mixed vegetables as he reached for the bowl.

“What’s sordum cordite?” asked his younger sister, Libby.

“Sodium chloride. It’s the chemical name for salt. I learned it in science class.”

“You’re smart. I can’t wait to have science class and be smart,” Libby said.

“Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘You are the salt of the earth?’” asked Dad.

Libby scooped up some vegetables. “That’s silly. How can people be salt?”

“It’s something Jesus says in the Bible. The rest of the verse says, ‘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 underfoot.’”

“Why would people step on salt?” Libby asked.

“We walk on salt in the winter,” Mom said. “We put it on roads and sidewalks because it melts ice. But that’s not what Jesus is talking about—they didn’t have snow or ice where He lived. People in His time used salt for other things, and if it could no longer fulfill its purpose, it was thrown away.”

“What do we use salt for besides melting ice?” asked Dad.

“I like it on my French fries,” said Jackson. He glanced at his mom. She always told him he ate too much salt.

“Salt is also a preservative—it keeps things from spoiling. Before people had refrigerators or freezers, they covered their meat in salt so they could cook it later,” Mom said.

“So what do those things have to do with us?” asked Jackson. “How do we stay salty?”

“Well, just like salt adds flavor to food, Christians flavor the world with love,” Dad said. “When we treat others with the kindness and love of Jesus, we point them to His goodness.”

“We’re also part of the church—the body of Christ that’s made up of all those who trust in Him,” said Mom. “Together we preserve the truth and hope of Jesus in a world that’s been spoiled by sin. The church’s job is to tell people that Jesus died and rose again to save us and that He’s coming again one day. Our purpose is to look forward to what’s coming—the eternal kingdom of Jesus!”

“Amen!” Jackson declared.

-Lori Hulvey

How About You?

Are you a salty Christian? If you know Jesus, you can flavor the lives of others with His goodness and love. You can help spread the good news of what He did to save us. Christians are the salt of the earth, and we need to work together as the body of Christ to point people to Him. How can you and others at your church salt the world around you with the hope and love of Jesus?

Today’s Key Verse:
Mark 9:50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Christians are the salt of the earth