Sermon on the Mount Sayings Sayings from the Sermon on the Mount have become part of our everyday language. “Do unto others,” “Judge not,” “Turn the other cheek,” and so on. How about this one? He’s a real “salt of the earth” kind of guy? This saying comes from the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus tells his followers: “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.” (Matthew 5:13) In this Sermon on the Mount saying, Jesus is using the idea of salt as a metaphor. To the ancient culture that Jesus was speaking to, salt was a vitally important, valuable commodity. It was necessary to support life. Salt was a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a unit of monetary exchange, and a part of ceremonial offerings. It gave taste to everything it touched. It appears that Jesus’ straightforward intention was that the disciples whose lives he touched should have a preserving, seasoning, and supportive effect on the lives of people they touched. In context, salt was also a special metaphor for the people of the Galilee region familiar with the town of Magdala. Ruins from the time of Jesus have now been uncovered at Magdala, just three miles north of Tiberias on the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee. It was the home of Mary Magdalene and a village known for its fish processing. Fish harvested throughout the Sea of Galilee were hauled to Magdala and then processed and preserved with salt for transportation throughout the Roman Empire. So famous were these salted fish that came from Magdala that the Romans called the town “Taricheae,” which means, “salted fish.” In cultural context, the sayings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount are filled with meaning and nuance. “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.” (Matthew 5:13) In this Sermon on the Mount saying, Jesus is using the idea of salt as a metaphor. To the ancient culture that Jesus was speaking to, salt was a vitally important, valuable commodity. It was necessary to support life. Salt was a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a unit of monetary exchange, and a part of ceremonial offerings. It gave taste to everything it touched. It appears that Jesus’ straightforward intention was that the disciples whose lives he touched should have a preserving, seasoning, and supportive effect on the lives of people they touched. In context, salt was also a special metaphor for the people of the Galilee region familiar with the town of Magdala. Ruins from the time of Jesus have now been uncovered at Magdala, just three miles north of Tiberias on the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee. It was the home of Mary Magdalene and a village known for its fish processing. Fish harvested throughout the Sea of Galilee were hauled to Magdala and then processed and preserved with salt for transportation throughout the Roman Empire. So famous were these salted fish that came from Magdala that the Romans called the town “Taricheae,” which means, “salted fish.” In cultural context, the sayings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount are filled with meaning and nuance. https://www.drivethruhistory.com/sermon-on-the-mount-sayings/
