Salt and Light

[Jesus said] “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. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 ESV).

 

Remember a few days ago when we began this brief look at the parables of Jesus I mentioned that the concept of the kingdom of God was a reference to behavior as well as position. Being a part of the kingdom of God is not initiated by our behavior, but being a part of it should influence our behavior. Our reading today is a clear declaration of how the Christian community is to act in their culture. Jesus says we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

 

Since the earth is made up of ground and sky, Jesus emphasizes that Christians are responsible to share the necessary spiritual energy for both. In the ancient world farmers used salt in small quantities to fertilize their crops and preserve their foods. In the same way the Christian community fertilizes the world and preserves the harvest.  Light is just as essential to the well being of the community. It cannot be overstated how vital light is in the darkness. As believers we can be the examples of Christian truths that provide light like the sun for the eye of the world to focus correctly.

 

It should also be noted that both of these word pictures include a warning. Impure salt can lose its saltiness. It simply is no longer useful and must be discarded. And a covering placed over a candle can suffocate the flame plunging the surroundings into darkness. Through wrong habits or sinful neglect, we can emit dimmer and dimmer light till only a flicker remains; or worse, until we can no longer tell a difference between the community of faith and the dark world we live within.

 

But thankfully Christ is the light of the world that is so luminous that the Christian community can shine more brightly with each generation. When the light of God’s Word shines on us, the brightness of the city of God cannot be hidden. Jesus pours out his Spirit daily so that Christians, like salt, can produce a thirst for Christ, melt hard hearts and frozen human ideologies, and preserve the values of the Christian faith. What a wonderful identity we have in Christ!