Sermon on the Mount ... Part 2

Good Morning!

Matthew 5:13-14 (New International Version)
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.

Continuing our commentary on the preacher’s idea of Jesus giving the blueprint for the church in His Sermon on the Mount – after outlining the attributes of a follower in the Beatitudes, Jesus then makes the above statement to His disciples.

Salt had many uses in historical times – but the primary uses were for flavoring and preserving. Remember there was no refrigeration in the time of Christ so salt was used in the drying process that preserved meat and fish. It was also used to flavor food – much like we use it today. What does Jesus mean, then, when He tells His disciples that they are the salt of the earth? Well, if we take the two common meanings, we know that those who are disciples are also disciple makers. In the process the lives of others are preserved. Similarly, the disciples added the flavor of Christ into the lives of those with whom they shared Christ.

Jesus also told His disciples that they were the light of the world. Again, what does light do? Well, it illuminates and, at the same time, identifies. The other night Eddie Cat – one of our many companions – wasn’t “in” for the night. I called his name a couple of times – and I could hear his meow but I couldn’t see him. So I got out a flashlight and began to look around the backyard. Eventually I was able to identify where his meow was coming from and removed the impediment that prevented him from coming in. The flashlight illuminated the yard so I could see. When the disciples shared the Gospel, they illuminated the sin that separates. At the same time, a light place in a window also identifies a place of safety or gives warning to danger (such as a lighthouse). Jesus was telling His disciples that they would point people to safety.

We are also disciples of Jesus Christ. We, too, are salt and light. When Jesus was talking about His church, He points out that we are to carry the Gospel message to all around us. Let’s not lose our saltiness. Let’s not let our light dim. Let our lives be ones that preserve, flavor, illuminate and point to safety – on this, another good day in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Agape’


Mr. Jim