A Counter Cultural Message: Salt and Light
A study of the Sermon on the Mount
Sometimes there are things in this life that stick out like a sore thumb; they are noticeable. For example, that yellow car that the neighbor has. There are not many yellow cars on the road. In the United States, only 0.1% of cars are yellow. They are so rare that my family plays a game when we are going places that every time one of us sees a yellow car, we call it by yelling, “Yogert!” and hitting the roof of the car. At the end of the drive, the person with the most yellow cars is the winner. By the way, if you are wanting to play this game, it is important to know that school busses, construction equipment, and trailers not attached to trucks do not count. Also, at least half of the vehicle has to be yellow. Anyway, some things stick out and are noticeable, and when reading Matthew 5:13-16, I cannot help but think that that is how we are supposed to be. We are supposed to stick out.
Jesus continuing to preach the Sermon on the Mount says,
“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
I love this section of scripture because it, like the beatitudes before it, calls us to be different than the world around us. Really, in view of all scripture, it calls us to be like Jesus, who is the light of the world (John 8:12). Jesus stands out, and as his followers, we should also stand out.
Jesus gives two examples of things that we should stand out like. The first of these is “you are the salt of the earth.” When thinking about being the salt of the earth, it is important to look at what salt was used for. In today’s world, salt is primarily used to flavor food. During the time of Jesus, salt had a very different purpose, a purpose more along the lines of what a refrigerator or freezer would do today. Salt was used to preserve food. Now, food that has salt on it still has the flavor of salt even if that salt was put on to preserve the food. This being the case, I think that we can look at being salt two ways. First, as Christians, we should stand out to the world like salt does on food. We should be distinct, our “flavor” should be identifiable and consistent. Everyone knows what salt tastes like, and everyone should know how a Christian acts, that being like Jesus. We also see salt as that preservative, and we as Christians should also be that to those in the world. The way that salt preserves is interesting. It is spread on meat to act as a barrier from bacteria. The sodium chloride, which makes an ionic compound and is salt, makes an environment that is toxic to bacteria. Now, salt cannot preserve forever, but it can for a time. As Christians, we should be spread throughout the world to create environments where others can grow. They are not able to be reached by decay because of a barrier that we put up, and we create an environment where they are preserved and do not have to fight off the attacks of the evil one. We are to preserve the earth.
Jesus doesn’t just stop by saying that we should be the salt of the world. He asks about salt that has lost its taste. In a sense, Jesus is talking about the importance of Christians preserving themselves and keeping their flavor. As I mentioned earlier, salt is an ionic compound called sodium chloride. This compound is made up of sodium and a negatively charged ion of chlorine. These things together are what make salt, nothing else. If salt then loses its taste, it is no longer salt because the sodium and chlorine ion have broken apart and are then nothing. This makes the “salt” useless; it cannot preserve as it no longer creates a toxic environment and it has no taste and cannot flavor food. Jesus says the same thing, that salt that has lost its taste is no longer good and should be thrown out and trampled upon. In other words, Christians are to keep their distinct flavor.
The second example of how a Christian is to stand out is to be a light. Jesus says that we are “the light of the world.” Light stands out in everything that is not light itself. It is light that is used to warn ships of impending danger when they are sailing at night. It is light that is used to allow people to see where they are going. Light is extremely important. Jesus says that we are to be like a city set on a hill. It is hard to hide something like that. As Christians, we are supposed to be seen; we are not supposed to hide or to be there one day and gone the next. We are set on a hill; we are visible and active. We are to also be like a lamp that gives light to all. We are not to be covered up or turned off; we are supposed to shine. Light is something that expels darkness. A lighthouse is used to warn ships by shining a light to indicate danger. The light is visible at night because it expels the darkness that exists. We are to be the same; we are to be lights expelling the darkness of the world and showing the true light of Jesus to others. We do this by obeying what God wants us to do and living our lives not as the world. When we do this, people will notice that we are different. It is then that we must give the glory to God. Jesus calls us to be noticeable; he calls us salt and light. When we are these things, people will notice. It is then that we must point to God, giving him the glory. It is not our place to take the credit or the glory for ourselves; the glory needs to go to God.