Scripture Reflections

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
 
I mentioned at the beginning of my sermon Sunday that it was a series of texts from Justin that got my thoughts started about Matthew 5:13-20. One of the things he did was draw my attention to the verb “has lost its taste” in the Greek text. I was delighted to see that the word’s literal root meaning is “to make foolish.” What a fantastic play on words that reveals so much!
 
You are the salt of the earth, but if you have become a fool, how shall your saltiness be restored?
 
At first glance this may seem to be nonsensical, and you might say, “I like my translation better!” But remember what it means to be a fool, according to the Scriptures:
 
A fool is the one who lives as if God doesn’t exist. In contrast, a wise person lives in the fear of the Lord. In other words, the wise person does everything in God’s presence and in light of God’s character. God is holy, so the wise person avoids wickedness rather than participating in it. God is merciful, so the wise person freely shows mercy to those in need, rather than ignoring them. God is savior, so the wise person turns to him for rescue, rather than trying to save himself. God is judge, and so the wise person acts in obedience and humility. Conversely, the fool is oblivious to the presence and character of God and does whatever he feels like doing.
 
Jesus is hinting at something, and his hint answers his own question. What does it mean to lose saltiness? We lose our saltiness—our purpose before God as restorative agents in the world—when we live as if God is distant or non-existent. If we go about our days doing what seems best to us, never considering God’s perspective, we are fools, and have lost our salt. But how might saltiness be restored? The answer from Proverbs is clear—the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When we begin to consider the presence and character of God in each and every moment, our salt is restored!
 
Steven+