Don’t Lose Your Influence^(A)

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its salty taste, ·you cannot make it salty again [^Lhow can it be seasoned?]. ³⁵ It is no good for the soil or for ·manure [the manure pile]; it is thrown away.

“·Let those with ears use them and listen [^LThe one who has ears to hear, let him hear].”

You Are Like Salt and Light^(A)

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt ·loses its salty taste [becomes tasteless], ·it cannot [^Lhow can it…?] be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and ·walked on [trampled].

⁴⁹ Every person will be salted with fire. [^CThe meaning of this proverb is uncertain; it may mean that the testing of believers purifies (fire) and preserves (salt); or it may refer to believers as God’s covenant people, since salt and fire were part of the OT sacrificial system; see Lev. 2:3; Num. 18:9.]

⁵⁰ “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its salty taste, you cannot make it salty again. So, ·be full of salt [^Lhave salt in/among yourselves; ^Csalt here may symbolize fellowship within the covenant], and have peace with each other.”