“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matt. 5:13-16
In this passage, Jesus used two analogies to give His followers an idea of who they are called to be and what they are called to do as they grow in their relationship with the Father through faith in Jesus.
Salt For the World
First, Jesus called His followers the salt of the earth. In ancient times, salt was a valuable commodity. It was used to seal covenants (Num. 18.19; 2 Chron. 13.5), preserve and flavor food, and given to Roman soldiers as payment. In fact, our English word salary comes from the Latin salarium, which means salt money and referred to the salt given as wages.
We often think of ourselves as insignificant. Jesus, however, called His followers to the significant role of ushering in His Kingdom. When He likened His followers to salt, He was placing great value on them and on the work they could and would do. Each of us is uniquely gifted and called to play a role in the coming Kingdom. We may view it as insignificant, but it is not in Jesus’ eyes.
The salt analogy also contains a caution. Technically, salt cannot lose its saltiness. If it did, however, it would have no value. We, as followers, can lose effectiveness in our Kingdom work when we move our focus from Jesus.
Light To The World
Second, Jesus likened His followers to light. Today, we often take light for granted. With the simple flip of a switch we can bathe a dark room with light. Even our phones can be used to light dark places.
In ancient times, light was much harder to create. Small lamps filled with olive oil were commonly used to create a rather dim light. There would be no point at all to lighting a lamp and obscuring its light by placing it under a basket. It might as well not have been lit in the first place.
What is it that Jesus is saying to us in the 21st century with these two analogies? Jesus is calling each of us to be effective witnesses for Him. Our lives have changed because of our faith in Jesus. If we are unwilling to share the blessing we have received as a result of our faith, we are in effect losing our saltiness. If we keep the peace, joy, mercy, grace, provision, strength and wisdom God has given us to ourselves, we are in effect placing our light under a basket.
God has given each of us gifts to influence and encourage those around us. How is God call you to use your unique gifting to be salt and light to the world?