OCCUPY AS SALT

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, OCCUPY TILL I COME” – Luke 19:13 (KJV)

Believers in Christ are called to OCCUPY AS SALT of the Earth: “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, OCCUPY TILL I COME” (Lk.19:13). Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the SALT of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and tramples underfoot by men.” To “occupy” means: To be productive while waiting for someone to return. Our Lord Jesus Christ used this parable to describe how Believers should live profitably and impactfully while awaiting His Return. It means to be present, involved, and committed to the work set before us; to be active in the world, investing time, talents, and treasures with the intent of increase; and to be a faithful servant who is always prepared for the Master’s return.

There are broad categories of Christians. Thermometer Christians change with the atmosphere around them. If the people they are with are on fire, then they are on fire, but if the people around are lukewarm, they also become lukewarm. They are up-and-down and change with the circumstance. A thermostat on the other hand is used to set the temperature. Thermostat Believers set the temperature wherever they go. That is what Salt does – it changes whatever it comes in contact with! That’s how our lives should be; making impact in the lives and situations of people who see and partake of what God is doing in and through us. We are to wield His influence in the lives of others.

We are not the Salt in the Shaker. We are the Salt of the Earth. Salt has no impact in isolation. The IMPACT of salt is in INTERACTION and CONTACT. Salt is most effective, tasteful, and impactful when sprinkled diversely. Salt longs to occupy. What good is it, if salt stays together as a lump? That’s like the servant who maintained his talent rather than trade with and multiply it. What good would it be for us to live our Christianity only on Sunday mornings when we are all together? We shouldn’t be laid up in a heap in church, but must be scattered as salt upon the meat. As the salt of the earth, we must be sprinkled a little here and a little there: in the family; in the class; and on the job.

We are God’s representatives in history. Too often we debate with the world on the letter of the law when we should be living oracles of God, seen and read of all people. The Lord commands: “Do business till I come” (Lk.19:13b). As Believers in Christ, we are pace-setters, boundary-breakers, frontier-expanders, limit-extenders, and trail-blazers – the salt of the earth, the light of the world, a city set on a hill!