Salt and Light
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:13-16).
I was meditating on Christ’s teaching on being salt and light. He taught His followers that in this world they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In saying this, He wanted to communicate that to His followers that they had a vital place in this world.
Salt is a valuable resource with many different applications. Christ in this instance is focusing upon its use as a flavoring agent. As the salt of the earth, they were to make a difference for the better. Just as savorless salt is undesirable, one could not be considered part of the community of Christ while remaining on the sidelines without any influence upon the world.
Christ also called His people “the light of the world.” This title intimately linked the Christian with the ministry and mission of the Christ. Isaiah’s messianic Suffering Servant would be “a light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6). On another occasion Christ said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12). They were to follow after and identify with their Master. For this reason, it would be silly to light an oil lamp only to cover it with a basket, essentially blocking out the light and keeping things in the dark; instead, the people of God were to shine like a city on a hill.
The first Christians understood the weight of their Lord’s message, which moved them to abandon their former lives to live in a totally new way, which ultimately turned the world upside down. They followed the way of Christ, and loved unconditionally.
Sometimes I find it is so simple just to carve out my own little corner of nowhere and simply watch the world go by. Yet, Christ calls me to do so much more. His call is for me to make difference in this world before I check out. It is not necessarily fame and fortune, but it is something greater. It is being the light of the world pointing to the Light of the Word.
I was meditating on Christ’s teaching on being salt and light. He taught His followers that in this world they were the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In saying this, He wanted to communicate that to His followers that they had a vital place in this world.
Salt is a valuable resource with many different applications. Christ in this instance is focusing upon its use as a flavoring agent. As the salt of the earth, they were to make a difference for the better. Just as savorless salt is undesirable, one could not be considered part of the community of Christ while remaining on the sidelines without any influence upon the world.
Christ also called His people “the light of the world.” This title intimately linked the Christian with the ministry and mission of the Christ. Isaiah’s messianic Suffering Servant would be “a light to the nations” (Isa. 42:6). On another occasion Christ said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12). They were to follow after and identify with their Master. For this reason, it would be silly to light an oil lamp only to cover it with a basket, essentially blocking out the light and keeping things in the dark; instead, the people of God were to shine like a city on a hill.
The first Christians understood the weight of their Lord’s message, which moved them to abandon their former lives to live in a totally new way, which ultimately turned the world upside down. They followed the way of Christ, and loved unconditionally.
Sometimes I find it is so simple just to carve out my own little corner of nowhere and simply watch the world go by. Yet, Christ calls me to do so much more. His call is for me to make difference in this world before I check out. It is not necessarily fame and fortune, but it is something greater. It is being the light of the world pointing to the Light of the Word.
Comments
Post a Comment