Kingdom Salt

Salt covers a lot of ground, from preserving Salty Old Sea Dogs to flavoring the potage that Esau so readily sold his birthright for. Even Lot’s wife discovered more about salt than she ever dreamed she would.

Off and on ‘salt’ creeps into scripture and I must admit, it always seemed a tag-along to me, somehow. Maybe it is because salt is absent from my own diet, something we’ve avoided in my family. I don’t have an affinity for salt that others have. I must admit, now as my own children are grown, and I watch them liberally pour salt on their food, something in me cringes. Apart from popcorn, I could do without it.

Being a student of history much of my life, I realized the extreme value ancient peoples placed on this commodity. It was precious to them. If they were to preserve some types of food, it was essential. In many cultures it was so valuable it took on a monetary value.

I guess that is one reason I’ve found it fascinating each time I came upon Jesus’ words in referring to the children of God’s kingdom. He reminded His followers that they were like salt, and warned them that, once loosing savor, there was no way to become ‘salty’ again. I always thought Jesus was simply reminding us that as believers in Him, we added a flavor of godliness to the world that was absent if we weren’t a true reflection of God.

Then I stumbled upon something yesterday that has added an entirely new dimension of Jesus’ words and His warning. Salt Rock crystals have a purifying effect. When used in conjunction with mild heat they purify the air from contaminates...from germs....from allergens, those elements which inflict their sickness upon the body.

Fascinating! Suddenly there is so much more depth to what Jesus is saying to my own heart....to the body of Christ as a whole. As followers of God, children of His kingdom, we are meant to purify all we come in contact with. Our words, our actions, our thoughts should be having a cleansing affect on the lives around us. They should be able to safely breathe in God’s love through us. The world’s contaminates should fall off in our presence as the purifying breathe of God finds a channel through us to them. In God’s hands, am I the purifying influence on those around me that Jesus reminds me to be? Something to ponder......



© DeAnna L. Brooks
14 January 2005