Salt was literally worth its weight in gold in ancient times. It was vital for preserving food before the invention of refrigeration. Also, people cooked food very quickly to preserve fuel. It did not acquire the taste that slow roasting would bring. Salt thus helped bring out the flavour of the meal. It was also used in the Kosher process, whereby excess blood was absorbed from meat. Once the salt had completely soaked up this fluid it was useless for anything except for drying icy or muddy roads. Jesus may have had several of these aspects in mind when he spoke of his followers as having to be “salt for the world.”

The people of the Beatitudes are the poor in spirit, the meek, the pure in heart, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. And Jesus says they are the salt of the earth. We know what we mean when we say that man or that woman is ‘the salt of the earth’—they’d do anything to help. They’re fully dependable. They’d never let you down. They’ll gently speak the truth. They’re the kind of person you want for a neighbour. Maybe they’re even the kind of neighbour you’d like to be. We’d be pleased to be called ‘the salt of the earth’.