Salt and Light - Matthew 5:13-16
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the 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 underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Reflection: Today Jesus uses a powerful metaphor when he says, "You are the salt of the earth." We often don't realize how powerful of a commodity salt is. Without enough sodium, which comes from salt, we will die a very painful death. When I was younger, I played sports and often became dehydrated. A couple times I ended up in the hospital, it was a very scary thing. Dehydration is a lack of fluids but also a lack of salt. When I would get severely dehydrated I would have to chug two big bottles of Gatorade. If you will notice Gatorade has tons of salt and electrolytes in it. Without it the body shuts down especially after lots of sweating.
Salt also preserves and kept the meat in Jesus' day from rotting. Many people died from diseases due to a lack of preservatives. Of course Jesus ministered near the Dead Sea, which was also known as the Salt Sea, due to its briny content. Salt is also a cleanser and when put on cuts it stings but cleanses all the impurities away. Salt also takes out the water, as cucumbers are soaked in salt to become pickles.
But here Jesus uses salt as a spiritual metaphor by saying we are the salt of the world. We also know that a little salt goes a long way to season, but too much salt or salt by itself can be repulsive. In the same way Jesus urges his followers to season the world by their Christian identity and behaviors in the right amount. Notice a Christian can be overwhelming, or just the right amount of seasoning to those they meet. So there are two extremes, when someone is so salty that it is overwhelming, or as Jesus says that when the salt loses its saltiness it is no good at all.
There was a book written a while back called "Out of the Salt Shaker", by Becky Pippert. This looked at evangelism as a way of life. Many Christians today have lost their saltiness and have lost their impact on the world. But Jesus tells us today that we are the salt of the world. Why? Because he has called us and chosen us to be His salt and light into a decaying world full of darkness.
I love the saying, "Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Heavenly Father." Notice the only way you can stop light from shining is to hide it under a bushel. The only way the salt is useless is if it stays in the shaker. What does this mean? Many people think they have to be perfect to be used by God or to be His salt and light. But Jesus is saying that you are salt, you are the light of the world. Just let it shine.
So the question isn't whether we have the capability to be salt and light, but will we intentionally allow God to use us for His purposes in the world to give Him glory. As with a lot things this is simple but hard. So I would ask you are you still in the shaker or out in the world? Salt is a powerful, life preserving commodity when it is used properly, and as we allow God's Spirit to guide and direct us we can truly be the salt and light in a world of lost people who desperately need it.
Thank you Jesus that you have called us the salt of the world, help us to let our light so shine so that we will glorify you and the Father in heaven.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the 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 underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Reflection: Today Jesus uses a powerful metaphor when he says, "You are the salt of the earth." We often don't realize how powerful of a commodity salt is. Without enough sodium, which comes from salt, we will die a very painful death. When I was younger, I played sports and often became dehydrated. A couple times I ended up in the hospital, it was a very scary thing. Dehydration is a lack of fluids but also a lack of salt. When I would get severely dehydrated I would have to chug two big bottles of Gatorade. If you will notice Gatorade has tons of salt and electrolytes in it. Without it the body shuts down especially after lots of sweating.
Salt also preserves and kept the meat in Jesus' day from rotting. Many people died from diseases due to a lack of preservatives. Of course Jesus ministered near the Dead Sea, which was also known as the Salt Sea, due to its briny content. Salt is also a cleanser and when put on cuts it stings but cleanses all the impurities away. Salt also takes out the water, as cucumbers are soaked in salt to become pickles.
But here Jesus uses salt as a spiritual metaphor by saying we are the salt of the world. We also know that a little salt goes a long way to season, but too much salt or salt by itself can be repulsive. In the same way Jesus urges his followers to season the world by their Christian identity and behaviors in the right amount. Notice a Christian can be overwhelming, or just the right amount of seasoning to those they meet. So there are two extremes, when someone is so salty that it is overwhelming, or as Jesus says that when the salt loses its saltiness it is no good at all.
There was a book written a while back called "Out of the Salt Shaker", by Becky Pippert. This looked at evangelism as a way of life. Many Christians today have lost their saltiness and have lost their impact on the world. But Jesus tells us today that we are the salt of the world. Why? Because he has called us and chosen us to be His salt and light into a decaying world full of darkness.
I love the saying, "Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Heavenly Father." Notice the only way you can stop light from shining is to hide it under a bushel. The only way the salt is useless is if it stays in the shaker. What does this mean? Many people think they have to be perfect to be used by God or to be His salt and light. But Jesus is saying that you are salt, you are the light of the world. Just let it shine.
So the question isn't whether we have the capability to be salt and light, but will we intentionally allow God to use us for His purposes in the world to give Him glory. As with a lot things this is simple but hard. So I would ask you are you still in the shaker or out in the world? Salt is a powerful, life preserving commodity when it is used properly, and as we allow God's Spirit to guide and direct us we can truly be the salt and light in a world of lost people who desperately need it.
Thank you Jesus that you have called us the salt of the world, help us to let our light so shine so that we will glorify you and the Father in heaven.
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