On my way to school this evening I suddenly realized I had not eaten yet today and knowing I had to teach for four hours I figured I best put something inside. Swinging into a fast food restaurant I sat down a table away from a man who appeared to be about fifty years old. He opened his sandwich and also opened several little packets of salt. Before eating his burger he literally blanketed it with salt until it was white. I know the body needs salt but this was amazing.
I mentioned it in class a few minutes later and one of my students suggested since salt is a preservative the man only looked fifty. He was probably ninety. I suggested that while that might be true his blood pressure had to be 220 over 180.
Jesus loved to use metaphors and salt was one of His favorites. He called us the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13) The implications are overwhelming. Does this mean our task is to preserve the earth? Just as the Lord promised to save Sodom if there were only ten righteous people there, could it be similar today regarding the entire world? Perhaps to think so is the result of an overblown sense of self-importance. Yet God has placed great value upon us. Consider what He paid to redeem us. The price was huge.
Written by Roger Bothwell on September 25, 2006
Spring of Life, 151 Old Farm Rd. Leominster, MA 01453