You Are the Salt and the Light
Speaking to a crowd of believers in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave instructions and encouragement on how to witness as a Christian, how to walk in integrity, how to avoid the practice of retaliation, and spoke to servanthood, faith and other situations that Christians encounter by living a life that honors God.
Jesus spoke directly to believers using the metaphors of: You are the salt of the earth, and you are the light of the world. I am personally intrigued with the concepts of world and earth. I know that I can type a sentence on my computer and in a few seconds that message will be received on the other side of the world. I have seen pictures of the earth taken by satellites, but the sheer size of the earth still leaves me without a real understanding of how one person is going to make a difference. I can only imagine how the concept of being salt of the earth and light of the world must have sounded to the Christians of Jesus’ day.
Yet Jesus in his preaching did not say you will, or you can become, He said you are! You are the salt. You are the light. In that statement, Jesus encouraged and challenged believers. To put that pronouncement into perspective, we must look at the function of salt and light. Salt is a preservative, it is a healing ingredient, and it adds flavor. Light illuminates so that we can see better. Light aids in the growth of plants and it, too, has been shown to evoke feelings of well-being.
Now, let us look at salt and light from a historically spiritual perspective. Salt was so precious during the time of Jesus, it was used to pay debt, trade and even pay the salary of Roman soldiers. Without modern methods of storage, it preserved foods and added flavor to prepared meals.
As a Christian, you are salt, and you are precious. You make a difference by being on this planet, by being on your job, by being in the family that God has blessed you with. You bring the God atmosphere, and you make a difference to individuals and communities that do not know God.
The light is the representation of God and goodness in a place. Without light there is darkness, and in the darkness, there is the work of iniquity. You are the light. You show up in places where the weak and the vulnerable and the discouraged need to see some good stuff. They need to see God working in this earth. You are the light because the light was bestowed upon you and shines through you.
Jesus said we are salt and light, and I choose to believe what Jesus said rather than the negative ranting and raving of mad men and wolves dressed in sheep clothing. To encourage your work as salt and light, I want to share three points:
1. Use the light – Jesus has called Christians by a name that was once only given to a select group of distinguished Rabbi, “calling them the light of the universe” or “light of the world.” Jesus called those who were uneducated, poor and even unnoticed, “the light.” Therefore, as the light, remember to let your light shine so the unsaved, uncared for, the forgotten, can see the light of Jesus Christ.
2. Be intentional – When you deal with your loved ones, be sure to be committed to adding “the God Flavor.” Commit to not being the one to fly off the handle or get so stuck in rules and regulations that you forget to show kindness. Jesus said, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest command.
And the second is like unto it: Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets.” There are times when Christians must use the answer Jesus gave at his trial before Pilate (Luke 23:3), “Thou sayest it.” And when you walk out your door to face an unpredictable world, remember that not everybody you encounter goes to church or has heard the good news of salvation. You are the salt. You have the responsibility to add the “God flavor.”
3. Consider the origin of light and salt – Christ offered new life to those He encountered, and he was persecuted as were many prophets who came after him, but Christians are not defenseless. Christians do not have to muster up the strength to operate as the salt and the light. The strength for all Christians lies in John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” It is the decision to follow Christ and not the world and being illuminated by the light of Jesus Christ that fuels believers. Christians do not operation on self-produced power, and one of the tools to aid Christians is the Word of God. The Word of God is precious and powerful and is a formidable tool in the hand of the faithful. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints, and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
You are the salt and the light. You make a difference in this world.
St James AME Church is located at 360 Dorothy St. in Charleston, and worship service is held on the first and third Sunday of each month at 11 am. You may also join us on Zoom – pastorv.com.
