Salt and Light
Two critical needs of the world
As we continue our look at Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, we return to the account presented by Matthew. Matthew goes into much more of the sermon than Luke.
Matthew 5:13-16
13. You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.
14. You are the Light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it give light unto all who are in the house.
16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
13. You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden underfoot of men.
Have you ever tasted salt that wasn’t salty anymore? You can’t do anything with it. It does no good for food, which is the nourisment of the body. I don’t know that it will even melt snow, which is throwing it on the ground.
In this verse the salt represents the believer. The believer sharing the Word is nourishment for the soul of others. If he simply sits back and does nothing, he helps no one and is of no spiritual good for others. You cannot revive dead salt by adding salt. The Lord can revive the believer, but only the Lord.
14. You are the Light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
This verse should be read with enthusiasm. You ARE the light of THE WORLD! The believer, sharing the Word, helps light the way for those in the darkness. You can be seen with no trouble. Like a city on a hill, everyone can see it.
15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it give light unto all who are in the house.
In our modern world we rarely experience true darkness. So, it can be difficult to appreciate just how much light a single candle will throw off. If you go camping, or if you drive to a location miles away from highway lights or shopping mall lights you might be able to experience pitch darkness.
Years ago, as the wife of a U.S. Army PFC, I learned that it takes the eyes about 30 minutes to fully adjust to pitch darkness. If you can find a place where you can be in the dark, give you eyes time to adjust, then strike a match. You may be surprised at how much light it throws off. I also learned that you never want to be the second guy in a foxhole to light a cigarette off a match, but that is a different lesson.
The point of this verse is that as a believer you don’t want to hide your salvation. You want to share it with others. You should be a light to help others find their way out of spiritual darkness.
16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.
Christ is telling us that we are to be open, visible, and unafraid to let the world know we follow Him. As we obey his commandments, unbelievers and backsliders will see our actions (good works) and will find their way to Him.
The timing of these verses today made me chuckle. I’ve been struggling to master sourdough bread making. I started a loaf yesterday afternoon. When I got up this morning it had risen beautifully and I was very excited to shape it for the final rise.
I peeled back the plastic wrap and could immediately see that something was wrong. It was much too sticky, and wet looking. When I touched it the mass stuck to my finger instead of indenting.
I covered it back over and got in the shower. Just as I was getting out it dawned on me. I forgot to add the salt.
Without salt the gluten network in sourdough won’t develop. The result is a sloppy mess of gooey junk that you can’t form into a loaf. Without the loaf to bake you will not have bread for nourishment.
