August 4th, 2026
Mark 9:50 — "Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
When I think of a salty person, it doesn’t tend to be a good thing. The way we use salty today probably comes from the descriptions of sailors who have just returned from a long time at sea, needing a bath and some orange juice. It makes sense that if you have been on a boat for the past 6 months, constantly wet from the damp, salty air, you may not be in the most jovial of spirits. Luckily for us, this is not the image that Jesus is painting for us.
Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
Salt in the ancient world was incredibly important as salt was a preservative, not just a seasoning that your dad always put too much of onto his food. Salt was understood to purify and preserve, and that is what Christians are called to do in the world.
Within the Old Testament law, salt is tied to the image of covenant, with Numbers 18:19 referring to a covenant of salt referencing sacrifices given in faith. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be a covenant of salt to be distinct to the world, holy in the world, and faithful witnesses to the world.
We are first purified by the grace of God, and then we are set apart for a purpose established by God. That function is to grow in grace, bear witness to the world around us, and grow in communion with one another as the body of Christ. We must be salt, but we must not grow salty. We have been invited to participate in the body of Christ and the mission of the Church, and that should bring us joy and excitement, not frustration and grumbling.
Whether we find ourselves out at sea or waiting in a long line at Publix, let us pray that God may give us joy and patience to preserve our saltiness and equip us to bear faithful witness to the world around us as we strive to fulfill our call from Christ: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let’s be salt here in Baldwin County for the glory of God!
United in Christ,
Rev. Joshua Fried
When I think of a salty person, it doesn’t tend to be a good thing. The way we use salty today probably comes from the descriptions of sailors who have just returned from a long time at sea, needing a bath and some orange juice. It makes sense that if you have been on a boat for the past 6 months, constantly wet from the damp, salty air, you may not be in the most jovial of spirits. Luckily for us, this is not the image that Jesus is painting for us.
Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
Salt in the ancient world was incredibly important as salt was a preservative, not just a seasoning that your dad always put too much of onto his food. Salt was understood to purify and preserve, and that is what Christians are called to do in the world.
Within the Old Testament law, salt is tied to the image of covenant, with Numbers 18:19 referring to a covenant of salt referencing sacrifices given in faith. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be a covenant of salt to be distinct to the world, holy in the world, and faithful witnesses to the world.
We are first purified by the grace of God, and then we are set apart for a purpose established by God. That function is to grow in grace, bear witness to the world around us, and grow in communion with one another as the body of Christ. We must be salt, but we must not grow salty. We have been invited to participate in the body of Christ and the mission of the Church, and that should bring us joy and excitement, not frustration and grumbling.
Whether we find ourselves out at sea or waiting in a long line at Publix, let us pray that God may give us joy and patience to preserve our saltiness and equip us to bear faithful witness to the world around us as we strive to fulfill our call from Christ: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let’s be salt here in Baldwin County for the glory of God!
United in Christ,
Rev. Joshua Fried
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