Answer
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus says to His disciples, “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 underfoot.” Salt was an important commodity in the ancient world. Salt that had lost its saltiness would be worthless, just another mineral.
Salt was primarily used to preserve food and enhance flavor. It was also used during religious sacrifices. For example, in Leviticus 2:13, the Israelites were instructed to season their grain offerings with salt: “You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt” (ESV). Salt was a purifying and preserving agent.
When Jesus refers to His disciples as “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), He is saying that they preserve the earth from spiritual and moral decay. Just as salt prevents food from spoiling, believers must prevent moral decadence in the world through holy conduct. Philippians 2:14–15 says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” Believers must exemplify pure and holy conduct, reflecting the holiness of God in the world. In doing so, they are the “salt of the earth.”
Salt also enhances the flavor of food, making it more enjoyable. Believers are called to enhance the lives of others, bringing grace and truth through their words and actions. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (ESV).
In the latter part of Matthew 5:13, Jesus says, “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 underfoot.” It is possible for believers to lose their distinctiveness from the world and influence in the world. Believers should be in the world, but not of the world (John 17:16). Moreover, believers should influence the world for good rather than evil. If we fail to be distinct from the world, then we are like salt that has lost its saltiness. Salt that is no longer salty has lost its prime distinctive; its whole reason for existence is gone.
The loss of saltiness, then, represents a significant decline, in which believers become indistinguishable from the world. This makes our witness ineffective and fruitless. Considering Jesus’ warning in Matthew 5:13, believers must remain connected to Christ, who will ensure that we never lose our saltiness. Later, Jesus taught His disciples about the importance of abiding in Him: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5, ESV).
Just as salt has many benefits (preservation, purification, and seasoning), believers influence the world for good. We must preserve the world from spiritual and moral decay, pursue the holiness of God, enhance the lives of those around us with gracious speech and actions. All the while, we must maintain a distinct identity from the world by remaining connected to Christ. In doing so, we will not be like salt that has lost its saltiness.
