The Salt of the Earth

You Are the Salt

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Paul wrote that our speech should be “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Jesus once used salt to teach His followers who they are.

Jesus’ words. “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). Jesus said this to the people who had come to hear Him teach.

Salt in Jesus’ day. People used salt to give food flavor. They also rubbed salt into fish and meat to keep it from spoiling, because they had no refrigerators.

Useful in every home. Salt was part of everyday life. A little bit made a big difference.

You are. Jesus did not tell His followers to try to become salt. He said “You are.” People who follow Jesus belong to Him, and He makes them a blessing to others.

Not just a few. Jesus spoke to all His followers, not only to the leaders. Every child who trusts Jesus is part of the salt.

A little changes a lot. One pinch of salt changes a whole pot of soup. One kind friend can change a whole classroom.

Salt that loses its flavor. Jesus asked, “but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Salt with no taste does not help food at all.

A gentle warning. Jesus said such salt is “good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Jesus wants His people to stay different from the wrong around them, not to blend in and lose their goodness.

Little by little. Salt can lose its taste slowly. Small wrong choices, one after another, can make us blend in with the wrong around us. Jesus helps us stay salty.

Quiet salt. Salt does not shout. It quietly makes food better. Being salt means kindness, not bossing other people around.

Staying salty. We stay salty by staying close to Jesus: reading His Word, praying and obeying Him. Our goodness comes from Him.

At school and at home. Salty kids are kind when others are mean, honest when others cheat and brave enough to include the kid who is left out.

Salty words. Paul’s words about speech “seasoned with salt” fit here too. Words with good flavor make people glad you spoke.

Made new by Jesus. On our own, we lose our flavor. We sin and go our own way. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven and made new.

What this means for you. Ask Jesus to help you be salt this week. Look for one person who needs your kindness, and give it.

Paul tells believers to let their speech be “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Jesus had already called His followers salt.

The statement (Matthew 5:13). “You are the salt of the earth.” Jesus spoke it as a fact about His disciples, not as a goal to reach.

Halas. The Greek word for salt is halas (say: HAH-lahs). In the ancient world salt seasoned food and kept fish and meat from spoiling. It was a common and valued part of daily life.

Flavor. Salt does not draw attention to itself; it brings out the good in what it touches. Believers live so that others can taste the goodness of God.

The question. “But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Salt that no longer tastes like salt cannot do its work.

The warning. “It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Jesus’ words call His followers to stay distinct; they are not meant to frighten them.

Distinct but present. Salt only helps when it touches the food. Believers are not called to hide from people, but to live among them with a different flavor.

Who heard it. Jesus spoke to His disciples, with great crowds listening. Some of the disciples had been fishermen. He gave the name to all who follow Him, not only to a few leaders.

A little goes far. A pinch of salt seasons a whole pot. A few faithful believers can change the tone of a classroom, a team or a family.

Losing flavor slowly. Salt does not lose its taste in one moment. Small compromises, repeated, can dull a believer’s witness. Staying close to Christ keeps the flavor.

Not proud. Salt serves the food; it does not scold it. Believers bring goodness with humility, never looking down on others.

Useful, not admired. No one praises the salt at dinner; they enjoy the meal. Believers serve so that God is praised, not themselves.

The source. The flavor is not self-made. Christ lives in His people by His Spirit and produces goodness in them.

Speech. Salted speech (Colossians 4:6) is one place the flavor shows: honest, thoughtful words that are never crude or careless.

The failure. Every believer has at times lost flavor through sin. That is not the end of the story.

The cure. Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose the third day. All who trust Him are forgiven and renewed by His Spirit.

Application. Name one place where you are tempted to blend in with wrong. Ask God for courage to be kind and different there this week.

Peace with One Another

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Paul wrote that our speech should be “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Jesus once spoke about salt and peace together.

Jesus’ words. “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).

To His disciples. Jesus said this to His disciples, the friends who traveled with Him.

Salt is good. Jesus began with something everyone knew. Salt is a good gift that makes food better.

Losing flavor. Salt that loses its flavor cannot be fixed by adding more of the same. It has lost the very thing that made it useful.

Salt in yourselves. Jesus wants His followers to have goodness inside, not just on the outside. Real goodness comes from God working in our hearts.

Peace with one another. Then Jesus said to “have peace with one another.” Peace means getting along, forgiving and working out problems in a kind way.

Peace at home. Brothers and sisters, cousins and friends all bother each other sometimes. Jesus’ words are for those moments.

Peacemaking words. Salty words help make peace: saying sorry, forgiving, and choosing kind words when you feel angry.

Not pretend peace. Peace does not mean pretending nothing is wrong. Sometimes it means talking it out, and sometimes it means asking a grown-up for help.

Listening helps. Making peace often starts by listening to the other person’s side.

Forgiven people forgive. God forgave us through Jesus. Because we are forgiven, we can forgive others too.

Pray for them. Praying for someone who upset you helps your heart grow soft toward them.

Peace with God first. God made peace “through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). Because God made peace with us through Jesus, we can make peace with others.

Sin breaks peace. Our sin broke our peace with God and with each other. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again. Everyone who trusts Him has peace with God.

The first step. You do not have to wait for the other person. You can take the first step toward peace.

Peace inside. When we trust Jesus, He gives us peace in our hearts, even on hard days.

What this means for you. Is there someone you need to make peace with? This week, say sorry or forgive, and ask Jesus to help you.

Paul calls for speech “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). Jesus also spoke of salt, and He tied it to peace.

The saying (Mark 9:50). “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Salt is good. Jesus starts with an everyday fact. Salt gives flavor and keeps food from spoiling, and a meal without it tastes flat.

Lost flavor. Once salt loses its flavor, nothing can season it again. A disciple’s goodness is meant to stay real.

In yourselves. The goodness must be inside. Outward rule-keeping is not the same as a heart changed by God.

With one another. The inner salt shows in outward peace. A believer filled with God’s goodness works for peace with others.

Peace takes action. Making peace may mean confessing a wrong, letting go of a grudge, or speaking gently when you would rather win the argument.

Goodness and peace together. Peace without goodness is only a pause in the fighting; goodness without peace can turn proud. Jesus joins the two.

Words that make peace. Salted speech (Colossians 4:6) is often where peace begins: a gentle answer, an honest apology, a refusal to gossip.

Forgiving as forgiven. A believer forgives because God has forgiven them through Christ. A grudge forgets how much we have been forgiven.

Peace at home. Brothers, sisters and cousins are often the hardest people to make peace with, and the most important.

Peace with God. God made peace “through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). Peace with others flows from peace with God.

Not peace at any price. Making peace does not mean keeping quiet about real harm. If someone is hurting you, telling a trusted adult is the right step.

Sin and peace. Sin breaks peace with God and with people. Christ died for our sins and rose again; all who trust Him are brought back to God.

The first move. A believer does not need to wait to be asked. The one who has received peace from God can go first.

Application. Think of one relationship with tension. Pray for that person by name, then take one step toward peace this week.

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Complete all sections to finish!

Read each section and answer the questions correctly.