Matthew 5:13
"You are the salt of the earth"
Have you ever tasted a sauce to see what it may need to make it better? I tried out a new recipe the other night on my wife. It was this sweet potato sort of stew thing. We sat down, tasted it. It was good. But there was just something missing...my mind was thinking, “would basal help? a little oregano? maybe rosemary.” But she simply said, “ It needs a little salt.”
I never think of salt. Just a little salt, the flavors came alive. Used in the right quantity, in the right way, salt makes things taste better. Salt makes things more attractive to the old taste buds. When the Lord said, “You are the salt of the earth,” He was saying that we should have a certain quality about us that makes Christ’s message attractive. It is through the function of our spiritual gifts that the Gospel can become attractive.
They didn’t have refrigeration in the ancient world as we do today, so they also used salt as a preservative. Salting meat or fish would allow them to be kept longer. When Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” I believe He was not only saying we are to attract others to Him, but also that we preserve our society through the utilization of our spiritual gifts.
So, we may conclude from this verse:
Active believers preserve their society.
Active believers attract others to the faith.
Jesus also spoke a parable which directly speaks to the use of our spiritual gifts.
Matthew 25:14-15
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
First, make this important observation: the talents were given "according to his own A B I L I T Y " So, each one is individually responsible for what was given him, and no one is given more than he can handle.
Matthew 25:16-18
The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Notice, we have choices with what we do with what the Lord entrust to us!
Matthew 25:19-21
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. “Master,” he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.” His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
The same kind of report and commendation occurred for the second servant. It is important to notice that even though we are to properly utilize what the Lord entrusts to us they are considered by Him as a “few things.” We can conclude,
Fulfilling our responsibility is considered a small thing.
Faithfulness to our talent will be evaluated.
Last is the third servant who hid his talent.
Matthew 25:24-25
Then the man who had received the one talent came. “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”
This servant only knew certain aspects of the Master. One may know of the justice of God, and fear the holy wrath of God, but know nothing of His grace, mercy, compassion and love. This servant really didn’t know the Master at all. Yes God is just and judges, but these are always tempered by His grace, mercy and love. The Lord’s predisposition is first towards love. But the third servant never saw it. Since he never knew the Lord he was banished to the place reserved for unbelievers—“outer darkness.”
His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:26-30
Looking back over both the “salt of the earth” passage and this “talent” parable we find a common denominator: We must responsibly use what God has entrusted to us. We must mature in the use of our gifts.
