Salt and Light

As Christians we are called to be salt and light in this dark world. Our Lord and God Jesus Christ told us, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16). Jesus is using salt and light to illustrate what we should be doing in this world. Salt has the power to add flavor to food, in same way we are flavor of Christ, or as Paul put it, " Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). Salt has the power to preserve, in ancient days people used it to cure and keep meat, and so salt represents salvation, and that we are to seed people with salt, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Mark's translation this salt is described as, "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mark 9:50). We are even given a more mysterious picture of what this salt can do, "or everyone will be salted with fire," (Mark 9:49) which I think could allude to John Baptist's words, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire," (Matthew 3:11), and "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29).

We called to be light, shining examples of Greater Light, Jesus Christ whose light gave mankind life (John 1:4) and who breaks through darkness of damnation and sinful deeds with His blood. The Scriptures teach us that we are sons of light, "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light." After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and hid Himself from them." (John 12:26). Jesus is the Light, the only way of Salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:10-12) and we must spread that light in this dark world through word of our testimony (how Gospel transformed us), Indeed, being salt and light is the call Jesus gave before He ascended, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19). We are suppose to be busy about reaching the lost, showing them Jesus on cross and risen, to share with them the only salvation, to show them God who is love (1 John 4:8) and from where they will only know how to love and have those love lids filled. Jesus told us that He will not return until Gospel is preached to all people, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come," (Matthew 24:14), and "And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations." (Mark 13:10). This is salt and light, letting our lives be living testimonies and using our mouths, and keyboards, and every sounding board to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all mankind. We don't need to be busy having disputes over doctrines made by men (Mark 7:7) or argue over what bread should be used in Communion, we need to be Salt and Light, sharing Christ with a lost world that is being pillaged by the devil.

Let us become that preservative, let us bring salt (salvation) of Jesus to people, binding up their wounds (Psalm 147:3) in the blood and wounds of Jesus. Let us become sons of light, spreading the Life Giving power of Jesus Christ and His love for all people. Let us not become contented to sit on this message of Salvation and let people starve, when they can eat the manna and meat of the Messiah (John 6:54-56). Let us offer drink, the New Covenant to those who come past us in this life, being bold to tell them there is an answer, a way of salvation and God who loves them, and if they believe and confess Him they shall have eternal life (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, John 6:40) and spend their lives saving arms of the Savior Jesus Christ. May our salt not lose its flavor or savor, may our light not go dim and become but a flicker, but let us again take up the cross, counting this world as lost, and make our every effort be to share Emmanuel with every person on this Earth. Let us not be content to sit in pews or be silent in planes, instead be bold, let the salt cure those around us and sting our enemies so that in time they too will come and believe! Let the Light we bear, the Lord Jesus be seen in our lives and in our words! Amen.