Supplies Needed: Sonlight and a Shaker of Salt
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:13-15 NLT). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, says this in His Sermon on the Mount. Christ exemplified this example of being salt and light in a fallen world. When Jesus spoke to the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, I believe he was trying to get them to see their role as His followers in a world full of moral decay and darkness. The world we live in today is far worse than it was back when Jesus spoke to the disciples. Moral decay and ignorance is so prevalent in today’s society, that the complete disregard for human life is becoming common place. With the ever looming presence of darkness lurking around today, what does it mean to be salt and light?
For centuries, salt has been used as a preservative in order to keep meat from rotting, but in order for it to be effective, it must be rubbed into the meat, reaching every part, even deep down into the core. Take a look at society today, and even back during the time that the Bible was written. Idol worship, sexual immorality, sacrifices to pagan gods, and all around immoral behavior was prevalent. It was so prevalent that God threatened to destroy Israel, his chosen people, who were persistently pursuing evil. “What sorrow awaits you who lie awake at night thinking up evil plans? You rise at dawn and hurry to carry them out, simply because you have the power to do so. When you want a piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone’s house, you take it by fraud and violence. You cheat a man of his property, stealing his family’s inheritance. But this is what the LORD says: “I will reward your evil with evil; you won’t be able to pull your neck out of the noose. You will no longer walk around proudly, for it will be a terrible time” (Micah 2:1-3) “I, the Sovereign LORD, am watching this sinful nation of Israel. I will destroy it from the face of the earth…” (Amos 9:8). The blatant disregard for what is considered morally good and right is not something that just existed then. The same problems exist today. Idols are in the forms of wealth, fame, and material possessions, as well as many others. Homosexuality, adultery, pornography, and other examples of sexual immorality are all over today’s society. Children are being killed before they even have the chance at life, out of convenience and selfishness. With all of that in the open, and much more left to be said, how different are we today from society in biblical times?
Society itself is like rotting meat and is in a state of decay. So where do Christians come in? Interactions with people who are not believers in Christ are like the action of rubbing the salt into the meat for preservation. Christians are to be an example to the world in the way they live their lives, especially morally and ethically. We are to preserve what has been entrusted to us. This is done, by following what the Word of God says and living a life that glorifies Him in everything. I think it is interesting that Jesus used the example of salt and not sugar for this. I’ve found out many times about the presence of a tiny paper cut on my finger when it came into contact with salt. It burned and irritated the tiny cut, making what was once obscurely noticed uncomfortably clear. I think it’s the same way for Christians, while we would like to possess a closer correlation to the properties of sugar; we most closely resemble the properties found in salt. Getting salt in a wound is unpleasant. The truth of Christianity in a fallen world has much of the same effect.
When Christians interact with those who are not yet believers in Christ, some irritation may occur at first. This is primarily because Christianity practices something totally different from what the world considers to be normal, however, it is imperative for this interaction to occur. As Christians, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. What this means is that we should be in the world, setting an example in how we live, preserving it by following the Word of God and not falling into the trap of doing what the world considers to be right. This is where being a light in the darkness comes into play. So what does it mean to be a light in darkness?
Imagine being in a dark room that you’ve never been in before. In order to find your way out of the room, you need some source of light to show the way and to help guide you through the darkness. Once you find that light, a sense of relief washes over you and the darkness is removed, exposing the way out. Christianity is much like light in this way. This world we live in is full of sinners, Christians included, and because of this it is fallen and full of darkness. Jesus Christ is the light of the world shining down and showing us the way out of the darkness and into the light. Another illustration, of being the light is this. Have you ever been outside when it is dark? What happens when you turn on the light? Bugs of all sizes flock to the light because for some reason they are drawn to it. Perhaps it is because they can finally see where they are going. (Thanks Pastor Heath)
As Christians, it is our responsibility to be the light in the darkness, showing others love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. It is our responsibility to be the light and to show the world the way out of the darkness through the light of the son, Jesus Christ. We are to let the light within us, the new life given to us through Him, shine from us so that all may see the way out of the cloud darkness that this fallen world is under and into the radiant sunshine that is Jesus Christ and into the life that glorifies God in everything.
In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clearly states that we are to be salt and light in this morally decaying and dark world. Not only that, but he also tells us how to do this throughout the entire thing. Jesus shows us through His example of being salt and light in our lives how to be salt and light in the lives of everyone we meet, Christian and Non-Christian alike. I think it is interesting that through teaching His followers to be salt and light, Jesus, being salt exposes some sinful behaviors that were happening and then sheds some light on how to turn away from those behaviors and live a life that is altogether glorifying to God. As Christians, we are called to follow the example of Christ and exemplify being the salt and light to others that Christ is to us. It is our responsibility to let our light shine brilliantly in the darkness and preserve the world which has been entrusted in our care by God.
“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
(Matt 5:16 NLT)
