“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. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Matthew 5:13-14 NIV
The Context and Focus:
We come to the end of the first part of the sermon of Jesus on the mountain. Jesus had spoken about some attributes that God blesses, and I will do well to consider all that Jesis says here, and ensure that my life lines up with these requirements. What does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? What has he really gained, if all he holds are the perishable things of this world? It has to also be emphasized again who Jesus was speaking to here: disciples first of all, before the crowd. The crowd is always about numbers; Jesus only looks for the few who will be committed to whatever it takes. The crowd is always about visibility and noise; Jesus looks for the people who are content to work silently, not pointing attention to themselves, but letting Jesus be known and celebrated. It is the little that makes the difference; not the crowd. This is why the images of the light and salt used in the verse above is so relevant today.
The Message:
It does not matter how dark the night is; the tiniest sliver of light will make all the difference. You do not match the quantity of food you want to cook with the quantity of salt, otherwise, that food cannot be eaten. Light is quite unique in the sense that you cannot really hold it, yet you know if it is there or not. Salt is almost also the same; you cannot fail to know if it is absent in food. It is also interesting to note that though both salt and light are mentioned after each other, you cannot use one in place of another. No matter how much light you get, it will not make food edible. No matter how much salt you set fire to, it will not give you light. This tells me that God expects me to occupy a particular place at a particular point in time in my life. It does not matter how attractive the other option is; I only get blessed if I am where God wants me to be, and doing what he wants me to do.
The Conclusion:
As amazing as both light and salt are, it is also sobering to know that salt can become worthless, and sometimes, light can also stay hidden. One of the biggest threats to the value of salt and light is sin. It does not matter how much of God you know; sin will mess you up. The light in a Christian's life will be extinguished by sin, and the saltiness of such a life will also be tainted by sin. I cannot be called the light of the world if the Light Himself does not live in me. How can I give what I do not have? How can my life express that which I have never spent any time cultivating or nurturing? Am I also in any way adding to the challenges of salt or light? Am I afraid to speak out, worried about what men will do or say to or about me? There are also both earthly and eternal consequences for not living as light or salt. Once salt has lost its purpose, what else can it be used for? If light had become darkness, how can it do the work it was formed to do? I must check my life today, so that I can become all that God has formed, planted and purposed me to be. Nothing else matters. God's time of favour is here.
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