Good morning. I am preparing to lead a discussion in this Sunday’s adult Sunday School class on The Lord’s Prayer. This has caused me to spend time this week studying our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, which we find in Matthew chapters 5-7. One portion of Jesus’ sermon contains this well recognized statement regarding His followers: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth…” What are we to think of this statement of Jesus as it was directed to His followers? Is it a challenge, a compliment, or a simple statement of fact? Notice that the words are not directed as a command but more, I think, as a description of truth. “You are the salt of the earth…”
So, are we flavoring, or a preservative, or a disinfectant? Is Jesus suggesting that we are like the basic, dependable, no-frills substance that the world depends upon? All of these attributes of salt as it was used in the ancient world could apply, and I suppose we could make an argument for each. But I would like to suggest one reality of salt that you may not have considered as of yet: when there is a wound, the presence of salt brings pain.
When we stop to consider that all of the world is wounded, broken and injured by the effects of sin, how would this truth of salt apply? Well, simply put, the followers of Jesus, as we make our presence felt in our broken world, are a pain. We are a painful reminder of righteousness in the midst of a world marred by moral failure. We are a voice of correction to a world that usually doesn’t want to hear it. We are an influence bringing purity to a world badly in need of purification but steadfastly refusing to admit their need. We should not be afraid to be that kind of salt.
“You are the light of the world…”
Have you ever been in the depths of a cave? I don’t think I had ever experienced the dark like I did on an occasion when I was on a cave tour and the guide ordered that all the flashlights, phones, and even glowing watch bands be turned off or hidden away. This left us blinded by a darkness that had no beginning or end. It was a darkness that was absolute and quite disconcerting. Then, after a couple of uncomfortable minutes of absolute dark, the guide lit a single candle. The light was blinding! It was a blaze too bright to look upon, like a floodlight suddenly shining in the darkest sky. But, it was just one candle. It was only so startling in its brightness because of its contrast to the darkness it had defeated.
There is no darkness in this desperate world that the light of Christ can’t chase away. There is no dark corner that the radiance of His love and glory can’t brighten, chasing the last shadow out of existence.
You are His light, His candle in the cave, His brilliant beacon to a world groping through the blackness, looking for a hand to hold. Your light is a beam of hope while they are weeping, wishing for a voice to guide them.
Sometimes we may feel as though we are being a pain, a nuisance to a world that would rather ignore the wounds from their sin. But we are needed to be the salt of the earth, and we are called by our Savior to do our job for Him. Often the world would rather not have the light of the Lord shine brightly, revealing their failures and their shame. But we are the light of the world. Without the sting of our salt, without the light that we shine, desperate needs go without the blessing of His care.
Sometimes we may wonder if our little light has much purpose, but in a world fumbling through the pitch black of sin’s stain, we are a dazzling beacon.
Sometimes we may wonder if bringing the truth of the wounds caused by sin, which is an act that is always uncomfortable and often is painful, is an act of love. We may wonder, but Jesus made it clear: “You are the salt of the earth…” and “You are the light of the world…”
Let the simple, natural qualities of your faith shine through and do their work. Don’t still the Spirit’s voice as He would speak through you. Don’t hide the Lord’s light because the darkness didn’t ask for it and doesn’t seem to appreciate it. You are the SALT of the earth and the LIGHT of the world. Praise God for His revelation of truth and the joy of His healing!
Vern