By: Obed Pineda
It is an undeniable fact of life how many things mankind takes for granted, especially in the fast-paced world. With the high octane style of life that society has become some accustomed to, a numerous amount of God’s daily blessings are lost within the shuffle and we forget how vital they are to our existence. It becomes too common a practice that it is not until we no longer have that certain blessing that we stop to realize just how dire it is to our daily life. Two blessings that unequivocally fit into this category are salt and light. Although it is very easy to see the essential necessity light has in our lives, the same cannot be said about salt, especially in our modern world. This is true in great part because today salt is associated more with adding flavor to a dish that is being prepared. Salt, however, has many more important qualities other than adding flavor to steak, even today. One trait that is taken for granted is that salt actually assists in the proper digestion of the food we ingest. It also contains a nutrient, sodium, that is imperative for the human body to contract and relax muscles helping to prevent cramping. A proper amount of salt intake also aids the body in keeping the proper balance of minerals and water. Indeed, salt is a valuable asset to human life that is easily dismissed in current times, but this was not always the case. Our current English word, salary, that is used to speak about fixed wages received from an employer derives from the old Latin word salarium. This ancient word came to be because salt was used as currency in the ancient world, due to how valuable it was. Salt was valued highly by the ancient world because it was very tough to obtain, but more so because of its unique ability to preserve food. This trait was very precious to whoever sought to travel large distances with certain foods that could easily spoil on the arduous trek. It was mentioned at the beginning of this composition that mankind can easily forget the vitality of both, light and salt. The purpose of mentioning these two specific items is because they go hand in hand. During the time that our Lord Christ was on this earth, salt was a product of solar evaporation of seawater. For this reason, salt was regarded by the ancient Romans (according to historians) as the purest thing produced by nature since it was made by what they considered the purest element; the sun. Additionally, because salt was often used as a preservative by the old world, its connection to protecting life did not go unnoticed. Thus, the Master is aware of this link between light and salt He declared to His disciples, “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. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:13-14, emphasis added). With this metaphor, the Lord was able to accurately explain the purpose of His church. It is imperative not to forget that this metaphor was a part of His Sermon on the Mount where He laid the blueprint of what His kingdom was to be. Observe that in both emblems used by Him, He purposely specifies that this task was to be universal. Although He was speaking to a Jewish audience, His instruction was including all of humanity. This valuable detail then reveals that Christ was referring to His church as the salt of the earth and the light of the world; not Judaism. Thus, the question that arises from this revelation is how is the church of Christ the salt of the earth and the light of the world? The apostle Paul, understanding the significance of this instruction, exhorted Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both, yourself and those who hear you” (1st Timothy 4:14-16, emphasis added). It must be noted that these words are written by a Christian, to a Christian. Furthermore, they were written with the intent to “stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24b). Remember that during the Redeemer’s tenure on this earth, salt was primordially used to prevent meat from spoiling. Paul, undeniably, was doing the same with Timothy as he urged him not to neglect his spiritual gift. One can surmise from this exhortation that there was a high probability that Timothy was becoming discouraged due to the lack of respect he had encountered at Ephesus due to his youth (1st Timothy 1:3, 4:12). In the truest form of the Lord’s words, the apostle to the Gentiles was preserving his young apprentice’s faith with his holy influence. He continues to encourage Timothy to beware of losing his flavor by reminding him that by remaining faithful to Christ, he “will save both, yourself and those who hear you.” (1st Timothy 4:16). Notice the order that the inspired apostle provides in the pericope. Similar to the metaphor used by the Lord, Paul teaches his son in the faith that one must first stand firm upon salvation before he can save others. In His metaphor, He declares that we are the salt of the earth before we can be the light of the world. It is wise to recall that at that time, salt was a product of evaporated seawater. This means that the salt rose from the depths of the water, and was transformed into salt by the heat of the sun. Paul concurs with this train of thought for he penned, “all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light’” (Ephesians 5:13-14, emphasis added). When one accepts the Gospel of Christ through baptism, Scripture reveals that “just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, emphasis added). Thus, we are first made pure in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 1:5) and are afterward commanded to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15, emphasis added). The power of the Gospel to preserve us from death will be reflected in the transformation that takes place in our lives. It is through this Divine blessing how we can become children of salt and children of light. We must continue steadfast in Christ if we want to always reflect Christ to the world.