The Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World

The Salt of the Earth

"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 by men.” (Matthew 5:13 NIV)

Our Lord shows here what the preachers of the Gospel, and what all who profess to follow him, should be; the salt of the earth, to preserve the world from putrefaction and destruction. The word “You” is emphatic. Jesus is saying, “You, my followers and none others, are the salt of the earth.” Salt was used in the ancient world to flavor foods and even in small doses as fertilizer. Above all, salt was used as a preservative. Rubbed into meat, a little salt would slow decay. Strictly speaking, salt cannot lose its saltiness; sodium chloride is a stable compound. But most salt in the ancient world derived from salt marshes rather than by evaporation of salt water, and thus contained many impurities. The actual salt, being more soluble than the impurities, could be leached out; leaving a residue so dilute it was of little worth.

The question “How can it be made salty again?” is not meant to have an answer. The point is that if the disciples are to act as a preservative to prevent spiritual delay in the world by conforming to kingdom norms, they can discharge this function only by retaining their own spiritual virtue.

The Light of the World

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

To be the light of the world is to be the the instruments which God chooses to make use of to illuminate the minds of men; as he uses the sun to enlighten the world. Light of the world was a title applied to the most eminent rabbins. Christ transfers the title from these, and gives it to his own disciples, who, by the doctrines that he taught them, were to be the means of diffusing the light of life throughout the universe.

Often built of white limestone, ancient towns gleamed in the sun and could not easily be hidden. At night the inhabitants’ oil lamps would glow over the surrounding area. As such cities could not be hidden, so also it is unthinkable to light a lamp and hide it under a peck-measure. A lamp is lit and put on a lampstand to illuminate all. Jesus' disciples constitute the true locus of the people of God and the means of witness to the world.

Quesnell remarked: "The Christian life is something very high and sublime, to which we cannot arrive without pains: while it withdraws us from the earth, and carries us nearer heaven, it places us in view, and as a mark, to the malice of carnal men."

The pride of the Jewish leaders

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;  if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:17-24 NIV)

Jews consider themselves the light of the world by birthright and possession of the law. They are supposed to guide and teach others. But by their boastfulness and fruitlessness, they failed to respond to God in terms of trust and obedience. Paul, in Romans 2:17-24 begins to dialogue with a representative Jew. His razor-sharp expression of irony is superb for its skillfulness. He first builds up the Jews, citing their various distinctive way of life and appearing to appreciate them. But he swings abruptly into a frontal assault. Paul did not mince words in spelling out the hypocrisy prevalent among the Jewish leaders. His gifted ability as an orator is unmistakably reflected in his speech. He used the interrogation mark with great deftness. Interestingly Paul employs the same terms actually used by the Jews for the Gentiles.

Jews were characterized by their reliance on the law, given by God through Moses. Such reliance came as the result of a relationship with God enjoyed by no other people. In Paul's time, some of the leaders of Judaism were making such extravagant statements about the law as to put it virtually as more important than God. Many Jews were trying to keep the law for its own sake, to honor the law rather than its Giver.

The new light after the ascension

Though the Jews saw themselves as the light of the world, the true light is the Suffering Servant, Jesus himself as prophesied in Isaiah 42:6. “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles.” A similar passage is found in John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 9:5 affirms this statement as Jesus reiterated that, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Jesus professes to be not only the inexhaustible source of spiritual nourishment but also the genuine light by which truth and falsehood can be distinguished and by which the right direction can be established. Derivatively after the ascension, his disciples constitute the new light. In the Old Testament as in the New Testament, light most frequently symbolizes purity as opposed to filth, truth as opposed to error, knowledge as opposed to ignorance, and divine revelation and presence as opposed to reprobation and abandonment by God.

Witnessing includes deeds

The disciples of Jesus must show their “good works”-- i.e. all righteousness, everything they are and do that reflects the mind and will of God. And others must see this light. It may provoke persecution, but that is no reason for hiding the light by which others may come to glorify the Father. Witness includes not just words but deeds as well.

Real Christians are the children of God and they should ever be concerned for their Father's honor, and endeavor so to recommend him, and his salvation, that others may be prevailed on to come to the light, and walk in it. Then God is said to be glorified when the glorious power of his grace is manifested in the salvation of men.The kingdom norms so work out in the lives of the kingdom's heirs as to produce the kingdom's witness. If salt exercises the negative function of delaying decay and warns disciples of the danger of compromise and conformity to the world, then light speaks positively of illuminating a sin-darkened world and warns against a withdrawal from the world that does not lead others to glorify the Father in Heaven.

Selie Visa