Salt And Light
Jesus, speaking to those that would believe and follow Him, said:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 5:13-16)
This short passage, like many of the sayings of our Lord, says so much; it speaks volumes, instructing God’s people of their duties. He would soon give His life as a substitutionary atonement for their sins and is here informing them of what He expects of His chosen beneficiaries.
Salt, of course, prior to refrigeration, was the common means of preserving meat. It was a preservative. God’s people are the salt of the earth; they are the preservative, the agency that preserves the good and keeps the world from falling into utter and complete moral corruption.
Light is necessary for sight; we cannot see in the dark. There is physical sight that requires physical light and the eye; likewise, there is intellectual sight that requires an understanding mind. God’s people have vision the world lacks; only they can see the kingdom of God:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
They can demonstrate to the unbelieving world by example and by word, the meaning and nature of the perfect environment God provided for His creatures, the kingdom of God.
Also, please note: Christians are not just one of many possible sources of salt and light; Jesus said that they are THE salt and THE light. There are no other sources of salt and light. As the guardians of God’s truth, they are the sole preservers of what is good and the sole dispensers of true knowledge.
Most Christians do not have a proper appreciation of the awesome responsibilities Christ placed on their shoulders in this seemingly simple but actually very deep statement.