March 17: Based on Matthew 5:13: "YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH" 🌍✨
📖 Matthew 5:13: "YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH"
Hey friends, Today I want to talk about something Jesus said that might seem simple at first, but has been rattling around in my heart lately in profound ways.
"You are the salt of the earth."
That’s it. Five words from Matthew chapter 5, verse 13. But have you ever really thought about what Jesus meant? Not just the Sunday School answer, but what it means for us today—in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our online spaces?
A Little Salt Story 🧂🍝
I remember when my kids were young and I was doing my best to cook them a home-cooked meal. One gift that God didn’t grant me was the gift of culinary mastery, lol. But I put on my best Martha Stewart and gave it a shot.
I followed this spaghetti recipe to the letter—or so I thought. When we all sat down for dinner, my youngest took one bite and scrunched up his face. My oldest was more diplomatic, taking a few polite bites before setting down his fork.
“Dad,” he said with that beautiful honesty only kids have, “something’s missing.”
Turns out, I’d forgotten to add salt to the pasta water. If you’ve ever done that, you know what happened next—bland, flavorless pasta that no amount of sauce could save.
And it hit me—that’s exactly what Jesus was trying to tell us.
Salt: More Than a Seasoning 🌟
In Jesus’ day, salt wasn’t just something you put on your fries. It was essential. Life-sustaining. Without refrigeration, salt preserved food. It kept meat from spoiling. Salt was so valuable that Roman soldiers were sometimes paid with it—that’s where we get the word “salary.”
But salt doesn’t work from a distance. It has to make contact. It has to dissolve and disperse to do what it’s designed to do.
Look at these tiny crystals. They don’t look powerful, do they? But when salt touches decay, it stops it. When salt meets blandness, it brings out flavor. When salt encounters a wound—yes, it stings—but it also cleanses and heals.
Here’s what fascinates me though: salt doesn’t need a marketing campaign. It doesn’t need to convince you of its saltiness. It just is what it is—and what it is transforms everything it touches.
In a world obsessed with platforms and influence and follower counts, there’s something deeply comforting about that, isn’t there?
A Warning From Jesus ⚠️
Jesus continues with something curious. He 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."
Now, pure salt can’t actually lose its saltiness. The chemical compound sodium chloride is stable. So what was Jesus talking about?
In ancient Palestine, most salt came from the Dead Sea. It was mixed with other minerals and impurities. Over time, the actual salt could be washed out, leaving behind something that looked like salt but had lost its essential nature—its ability to preserve, season, and purify.
I think about how easy it is for us to look like Christians without living as Christians. To have the language and the Sunday attendance and the fish bumper sticker, but to have lost the essential transformative presence we’re meant to bring to a decaying world.
Salt in Action: Real-Life Examples 🌈
So what does being “salt” look like in our neighborhoods and workplaces today?
Meet Mike 💼
I have a friend—let’s call him Mike. Mike works in a corporate environment where cutthroat competition is the norm. Office politics, taking credit for others’ work, throwing colleagues under the bus—you know the drill.
Mike doesn’t make a big show of his faith. He doesn’t have Bible verses plastered on his cubicle. But when someone is struggling, Mike is the first to quietly offer help. When gossip starts, he skillfully changes the subject. When the team succeeds, he makes sure everyone gets credit.
One day, during layoffs, a coworker came to him and said, “I don’t know what it is about you, Mike, but you make this place better. More human somehow.”
➡️ That’s being salt.
Meet Sarah 🍽️
Or my neighbor Sarah. In a politically divided neighborhood, she hosts dinners where people with opposing views break bread together. Not to debate or convert each other, but simply to recognize each other’s humanity. To listen. The conversations aren’t always comfortable, but they’re always filled with dignity.
➡️ That’s being salt too.
Why Being Salt is Counter-Cultural 🔥
Being salt is beautifully counter-cultural in at least three ways:
1️⃣ Salt works through presence, not dominance.
It doesn’t overpower; it enhances. In a world of shouting and culture wars, there’s something powerful about a faith that doesn’t need to dominate to transform.
2️⃣ Salt works from the bottom up, not the top down.
We often think change requires position, platform, or power. But salt dissolves. It gets into the cracks. It works in the everyday moments and relationships.
3️⃣ Salt creates thirst.
When we truly live as salt—with integrity, compassion, and purpose—it makes others thirsty for what we have. Not because we’ve argued them into the kingdom, but because they’ve tasted something different in how we live.
How Do We Live as Salt? 🧂✨
So how do we live as the salt of the earth in practical terms?
💡 It starts with proximity.
Salt can’t preserve or flavor from a distance. Are we willing to be close to the very places and people that need preservation and flavor? This might mean getting involved in your local school, being present in difficult conversations, or simply being a good neighbor.
💡 It requires integrity.
Salt is consistent all the way through. Are we the same person in private as we are in public? Do we speak with kindness online and offline? Do our Monday ethics match our Sunday worship?
💡 It demands distinctiveness.
Salt stands out. It doesn’t blend in. This doesn’t mean being weird or offensive. It means being courageously kind when others are cruel. Generous when others are greedy. Humble when others posture for position.
You Are Salt—Go Transform Your World! 🌍❤️
Friends, we’re not called to be the spotlight of the world, drawing attention to ourselves. We’re called to be salt—small, humble, often unseen, yet absolutely transformative.
In a world hungry for authenticity, desperate for healing, and starving for hope—you may be the only taste of God’s grace someone experiences today. The question isn’t whether you have enough influence or eloquence. The question is: will you bring the unique, preserving, flavoring presence of Christ to wherever you are?
You are the salt of the earth. Not because you earned it, but because He named you so.
Now, go season your world.
Thanks for spending this time together! Until next time, this is Adam Wilber for FaithLabz. 🙌
If this resonated with you, make sure to subscribe and share this video with someone who might need this reminder today. And drop a comment below—I’d love to hear how you’re being salt in your corner of the world! 🌟
An Invitation to go Deeper….
If today’s message spoke to you, join the FaithLabz 30-Day Prayer Challenge and strengthen your connection with God’s unshakable love. You are never alone—let’s grow together!
