Salty

I like Fritos – a lot. I try not to eat too many at a time but that little bit of saltiness can really hit the spot.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the metaphor of salt to paint a word picture for His disciples to help them understand their purpose. Let’s look at how Fritos and Jesus can be used in the same thought!

Matthew 5:13

“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.

Things to think about:

·      Salt’s purpose is to enhance and bring out the flavor in food. Fried corn chips on their own are not very flavorful. But add some salt and voila, you have Fritos! That savory taste is the perfect complement to make them irresistible.

o   We too have a purpose to enhance and improve the lives around us.

o   What are everyday ways we can enhance the flavor of life for others?

o   Have you had a chance recently to be that life-enhancing agent for someone?

·      One thing about salt though is a little bit goes a long way.  Dumping too much salt on food makes it inedible.

o   Likewise, we don’t have to lay it on thick to have the desired effect.  In fact, most times, a little pinch will do the job nicely.  We wouldn’t pour a pound of salt of a steak, we don’t need to pound others with the gospel.

§  Sometimes, we can fall victim to the phrase, “If some is good, more is better!”

o   Why is sensitivity important to getting the appropriate seasoning right with our life and testimony?

o   How have you seen a little kindness go a long way?

o   Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of too much "salt" being poured and actually making Jesus a negative?

·      One of the main qualities of salt is that it makes us thirsty.

o   In John 4:14, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, “…whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

o   When has someone brought the Savior’s salt to you that in turn made you thirsty for His living water?  Said more simply, when have you benefited from someone’s Christian example that made you want more of Him?

·      Jesus actually spends more words here on salt losing its saltiness and being good for nothing.

o   When salt loses its saltiness it gets trampled by men. We can become indistinguishable from everything else "under foot"

o   How do people lose their spiritual saltiness?

·      Here is an acronym to help us be mindful of our purpose:
SALT

o   Savor is found in the Savior

o   Available for use

o   Little goes a long way

o   Take care to remain fresh