In God’s hands, fire and force can be used for a number of “drosses,” “impurities,” and “excesses”….But His purpose is always the same: separation for purification.

Last week, we explored the rich and ancient nuances behind Jesus’ renowned metaphor: “You are the salt of the earth”—7 to be exact.

In biblical times, salt carried a remarkable range of associations—domestic, scientific, social, financial, medical, religious, and even linguistic—so when Jesus called His followers “salt,” He wasn’t just pointing to one idea. He was invoking a world of meaning to describe the many dimensions of the Christian life.

But maybe after reading about all of the layers and nuances of Jesus’ salt metaphor, you finished thinking…“Well, I’m glad I know more about the meanings behind the metaphor, but…how does this apply personally? How can I be ‘saltier’ or ‘be the salt’ that Jesus wants His disciples to be?”

That’s not just a great question, it’s the right question.

And profoundly enough, that answer actually comes by extending this ancient metaphor even further. Because Jesus’ metaphor about salt does not merely leave us with more information, but a new invitation.

Here’s how:

In the ancient world, people knew something we often overlook today:

Salt does not begin pure.
It has to become pure.

And there were two primary ways this happened:

1. Drawing salt water from the sea and boiling it over a fire.
2. Mining salt deposits from the ground and extracting it with a chisel.

Purified by fire—boiled until its impurities evaporated.

Extracted through force—chiseled out of layered sediment.

Two entirely different processes, but both accomplishing the same end goal: separation for purification.

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