[Jesus said] "You are the salt of the earth. 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 by men." (Matthew 5:13).
The common expression, "salt of the earth," is derived from Jesus Christ's most famous teaching of all, the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7).
After listing the "Beatitudes" ("Blessed are the meek . . . "), Jesus told His people that they were the salt and light of the world. Both terms were used metaphorically, to illustrate how the people of God were to stand out from the rest of the world and impact others in a positive way.
Today, when we refer to a person as "the salt of the earth," we generally mean this in a favorable way. Such people are unpretentious, uncomplicated, devoted, loyal, earnest, and honest. They are hard-working folks, who add value to the lives of others.
Another way to describe these people is this: "What you see is what you get."
To most, this may be considered a compliment of biblical proportions.
[photo: Utah Salt Flats]
The common expression, "salt of the earth," is derived from Jesus Christ's most famous teaching of all, the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5-7).
After listing the "Beatitudes" ("Blessed are the meek . . . "), Jesus told His people that they were the salt and light of the world. Both terms were used metaphorically, to illustrate how the people of God were to stand out from the rest of the world and impact others in a positive way.
Today, when we refer to a person as "the salt of the earth," we generally mean this in a favorable way. Such people are unpretentious, uncomplicated, devoted, loyal, earnest, and honest. They are hard-working folks, who add value to the lives of others.
Another way to describe these people is this: "What you see is what you get."
To most, this may be considered a compliment of biblical proportions.
[photo: Utah Salt Flats]
[photo credit: SSB]
