Matthew 5:13
As my passion for cooking healthier food develops, so does my appreciation for salt. Because of my family health history, I must be much more attentive to the presence of salt in my diet than some of my friends have to be. For a long period of time, I wouldn’t add any salt to my recipes, even when I was preparing meat to cook. Yet the human body needs this versatile ingredient. Learning the right amount of salt for our dishes is essential. Gradually I learned how to delicately use this ingredient to enhance flavors and create an altogether better meal.
As I was learning this, I also paid attention to the sodium that
was already present in my food. A little bit of good, well used salt
goes a long way. It really brings out the flavors we savor and helps our body function properly. Too much salt renders a dish unfit to eat and
ultimately harms us.
When Jesus uses the image of salt in today’s passage, he assumes that most people know something about the necessity of salt to balance and flavor whatever surrounds it. Salt isn’t bad or corrupting: it serves
a necessary purpose.
Similarly, Christians who pay attention to Jesus’ teaching strive to live out our purpose as well. We are not meant to congregate by ourselves, but to spread into the world to which Christ sends us and enhance it. We maintain our saltiness by staying spiritually centered, attentive to the context in which Christ calls us to live and serve.
Consider
In what ways could I center my life in Christ to become a more effective disciple in my context?
Pray
God, as we move through the days ahead, guide us to center ourselves in your Spirit, so that we may serve as a positive presence wherever we go. Amen.