Weekly Playlist  |  February 26-March 3

Sermon on the Mount - The Beatitudes

The Salt of the Land

Read and listen to the passage of Scripture below, and then explore the related resources. As you reflect, consider this question: Why does Jesus call his followers salt?

Read – Matthew 5:3-16

Consider While Reading

The first hearers of these words were mostly low-status, powerless Israelites on the fringes of mainstream society.

Matthew 5:3-16

Kingdom Identity

2 min

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Kingdom Identity
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How good is life for the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of the skies.
How good is life for those who grieve, because they will be comforted.
How good is life for the unimportant, because they will inherit the land.
How good is life for those who hunger and thirst for right- relationships, because they will be satisfied.
How good is life for those who show mercy, because they will be shown mercy.
How good is life for the pure in heart, because they will see God.
How good is life for the peacemakers, because they will be called children of God.
How good is life for those who have been persecuted on account of doing what is right, because theirs is the kingdom of the skies.
How good is life for you when they insult you and persecute and speak any evil lies against you on account of me.
Celebrate and shout for joy. Because your reward is great in the skies, because this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
You are the salt of the land.
But if the salt becomes unsalty, with what can it be made salty again?
It is useful for nothing, except to be thrown out and stepped on by humans.
You are the light of the world.
A city that is set up on a mountain is not able to be hidden.
And they don't light a candle and place it under a basket.
Rather, upon a candle stand, and it will shine on everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before people so that they can see your good works and they can give honor to your Father who is in the skies.

Reflect

What would it have felt like to be in the crowd and hear these words?

About This Translation
This reading uses a new translation from the BibleProject Scholar Team, which aims to bring fresh language to familiar words while using consistent English terms for Greek words used throughout this part of Scripture.

We'll be adding more translations here in the future, but in the meantime, you can find more translations now on the BibleProject app.
Watch – Visual Commentaries, Matthew 5:13: Salt of the Land

Highlight

“In the ancient world, salt had an important function to preserve food and make it last a really long time. This is why, in the Hebrew Bible, salt is associated with God’s long-lasting covenant promises to Israel.”

Listen – The Meaning of Salt in the Bible

Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E8

The Meaning of Salt in the Bible

5 min

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The Meaning of Salt in the Bible
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Highlight

“The place where both salt and light can be used in the same sense is with the idea of a covenant. You use salt to make a covenant, to emphasize the permanence of a covenant in the ancient world. And light is maybe even more clearly something that's used all throughout the Old Testament, especially in the book of Isaiah, to refer to God's covenantal light and revelation going forth in the world.”

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