Salt of the Earth
Illustration
Stories
Maxine tapped her pen on the table as she looked at the open Bible in front of her. She started to write something and then scratched it out. She sighed loudly and started tapping again.
“I can hear you all the way out in the living room,” Connie said as she came into the kitchen. “What’s the problem?”
“Gramms, I agreed to speak to the youth group on Sunday. Big mistake. The leader gave me Matthew 5 and I’m stuck.”
Connie looked over her shoulder at the Bible. “That’s where Jesus talks about being the light of the world and salt of the earth, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. That’s the problem. Kerrie is doing it with me and took the part about light.” Maxine sighed again. “I got stuck with salt.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I can’t see how being salt of the earth is a good thing. I know the expression, but I can’t connect that to Jesus’ words. Kerrie got it so easy with light. I could do that one in my sleep.”
Connie reached into the cupboard. “Let’s make some cookies.”
“Might as well.” Maxine put down her pen. “‘Cause I really have nothing to say about salt that’s any good.”
Connie put a mixing bowl onto the counter. “Why do you say that?”
“Cause there is nothing good to say about salt.” Maxine went into the refrigerator for the butter and eggs. “Yes, I know that people used to be paid in salt and it used to be valuable but nowadays everything is ‘low salt’ and ‘salt-free’. I guess the image just doesn’t work anymore.”
Connie started mixing ingredients together. “Salt does melt ice.”
“I don’t think that’s a connection Jesus was making since he didn’t live in a place with ice and snow.” Maxine frowned. “Although I suppose I could talk a bit about us bringing warmth to the cold places in life.”
“You certainly could. Even if it isn’t something the first people listening to Jesus would have thought there’s no reason it can’t help us understand his words.” Connie paused. “You want to try the batter before I add the chocolate chips?”
“Sure.” Maxine pulled a spoon out of the drawer and took a small bit. “Huh. No offense but this dough is tasteless. Did you add the sugar?”
Connie looked at the ingredients on the counter. “I added sugar, flour, eggs, butter, and water. Oh, and I added the vanilla.”
Maxine took another small taste. “Gramms, it doesn’t taste sweet at all. In fact it’s bland. Maybe they’ll taste better after we cook them.”
Connie shook her head. “They won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I remember what it is that we left out.” Connie reached into the cupboard and pulled out the salt. “Now watch how much I put in.”
“That doesn’t seem like much at all.”
Connie started mixing again. “Let’s hope it’s not too late to get it all blended properly.”
After a few moments she paused. “Give it a try now.”
Maxine shrugged and took another sample. “Wow. That’s the delicious taste I remember.”
Connie mixed in the chocolate chips and started to portion them out on a cookie sheet. “So, what was different?”
“You added the salt.”
“And what did the salt do?”
“The salt made me able to taste the sweetness and you know I think the vanilla too.”
Connie put the cookies into the oven. “Salt brings out the flavor of whatever it’s added to.”
Maxine narrowed her eyes. “So, you’re saying that when Jesus tells us to be salt of the earth, he is telling us to enhance and bring out all the great things -- the sweetness if you will -- of life.”
“I think you could certainly make that point from what he says. We’re to be the people who make life better for the world. Our joy and faith, our hope and thanksgiving, are to make the lives of others full and rich.”
Maxine dashed to the table and started to write furiously. “I could also say that by us being salt we enrich the things which are all around us. Like when we help people in faith, we give them physical help but also the love of God.”
Connie tilted her head. “I never thought of it that way.”
“Thanks, Gramms for your help.”
“I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
Maxine paused and considered her grandmother. “Then is there any chance I could get another batch of cookies to take to youth group? Ones with all the ingredients including salt?”
Connie laughed and started pouring ingredients into the bowl. “I certainly can do that.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, February 9, 2020, issue.
Copyright 2020 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“I can hear you all the way out in the living room,” Connie said as she came into the kitchen. “What’s the problem?”
“Gramms, I agreed to speak to the youth group on Sunday. Big mistake. The leader gave me Matthew 5 and I’m stuck.”
Connie looked over her shoulder at the Bible. “That’s where Jesus talks about being the light of the world and salt of the earth, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. That’s the problem. Kerrie is doing it with me and took the part about light.” Maxine sighed again. “I got stuck with salt.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“I can’t see how being salt of the earth is a good thing. I know the expression, but I can’t connect that to Jesus’ words. Kerrie got it so easy with light. I could do that one in my sleep.”
Connie reached into the cupboard. “Let’s make some cookies.”
“Might as well.” Maxine put down her pen. “‘Cause I really have nothing to say about salt that’s any good.”
Connie put a mixing bowl onto the counter. “Why do you say that?”
“Cause there is nothing good to say about salt.” Maxine went into the refrigerator for the butter and eggs. “Yes, I know that people used to be paid in salt and it used to be valuable but nowadays everything is ‘low salt’ and ‘salt-free’. I guess the image just doesn’t work anymore.”
Connie started mixing ingredients together. “Salt does melt ice.”
“I don’t think that’s a connection Jesus was making since he didn’t live in a place with ice and snow.” Maxine frowned. “Although I suppose I could talk a bit about us bringing warmth to the cold places in life.”
“You certainly could. Even if it isn’t something the first people listening to Jesus would have thought there’s no reason it can’t help us understand his words.” Connie paused. “You want to try the batter before I add the chocolate chips?”
“Sure.” Maxine pulled a spoon out of the drawer and took a small bit. “Huh. No offense but this dough is tasteless. Did you add the sugar?”
Connie looked at the ingredients on the counter. “I added sugar, flour, eggs, butter, and water. Oh, and I added the vanilla.”
Maxine took another small taste. “Gramms, it doesn’t taste sweet at all. In fact it’s bland. Maybe they’ll taste better after we cook them.”
Connie shook her head. “They won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I remember what it is that we left out.” Connie reached into the cupboard and pulled out the salt. “Now watch how much I put in.”
“That doesn’t seem like much at all.”
Connie started mixing again. “Let’s hope it’s not too late to get it all blended properly.”
After a few moments she paused. “Give it a try now.”
Maxine shrugged and took another sample. “Wow. That’s the delicious taste I remember.”
Connie mixed in the chocolate chips and started to portion them out on a cookie sheet. “So, what was different?”
“You added the salt.”
“And what did the salt do?”
“The salt made me able to taste the sweetness and you know I think the vanilla too.”
Connie put the cookies into the oven. “Salt brings out the flavor of whatever it’s added to.”
Maxine narrowed her eyes. “So, you’re saying that when Jesus tells us to be salt of the earth, he is telling us to enhance and bring out all the great things -- the sweetness if you will -- of life.”
“I think you could certainly make that point from what he says. We’re to be the people who make life better for the world. Our joy and faith, our hope and thanksgiving, are to make the lives of others full and rich.”
Maxine dashed to the table and started to write furiously. “I could also say that by us being salt we enrich the things which are all around us. Like when we help people in faith, we give them physical help but also the love of God.”
Connie tilted her head. “I never thought of it that way.”
“Thanks, Gramms for your help.”
“I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
Maxine paused and considered her grandmother. “Then is there any chance I could get another batch of cookies to take to youth group? Ones with all the ingredients including salt?”
Connie laughed and started pouring ingredients into the bowl. “I certainly can do that.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, February 9, 2020, issue.
Copyright 2020 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
