Sunday, January 14, 2018

Salt and Light

January 14, 2018

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples that they are salt and light, following it up by saying that if as salt, they lose their savor, there is no remedy, and that light hidden under a basket is of no use at all; it must be raised on a lampstand for all to see. Of interest to me is how often people misunderstand what Jesus plainly says here. I’ve often heard people say, “I don’t talk much about Jesus; I just let my light shine,” implying that somehow living a good life will move others to faith in Christ. The problem is, that isn’t what Jesus says here. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” It is clearly evident that our light is not our good works; it is what illumines them.

If I go around doing good, people will naturally say, “Look at all the good Jim is doing. He is a good man.” Just doing good brings attention to myself. But if I illumine those good works by telling people it is because of what Jesus Christ has done for me, seeing my good works, instead of giving me glory, they give glory to God. My words have illumined my works. The light about which Jesus speaks is our words.

So what about the salt? Salt has many uses; it is a preservative, it flavors our food, can kill snails, and it lowers the melting point of ice. It is this latter characteristic that is pertinent here. Most of us know people who are quite vocal about their faith, but whose lives are anything but exemplary. Their words fall on deaf ears because what they do is speaking louder than what they say. But if my words are backed up by my works, it is a winning combination. 

I think what Jesus is saying here is that if we are careful to do good, we melt people’s icy hearts to hear the words of the Gospel. Or if you will, like a salt lick attracts wild animals, the salt of our good works attracts people, readying them for the witness of our lips. Either one by itself is inadequate; together, our works and our words can be effective in bringing people to our Heavenly Father.


More than fifty years ago, an elderly man gave an object lesson using a light bulb, a dish of water, and some salt. He had wired a light bulb to an electric cord, one strand of which he had cut. He placed the cut ends of an electric cord in a bowl of water and plugged the other end in before slowly pouring salt into the bowl. The bulb began to glow. Salt and light together did their job. I understood, and that night at his invitation, I prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. That elderly man was a lonely widower who later would marry my widowed grandmother, making my spiritual father my adopted grandfather. Tonight I am thankful for this Scripture which opened my eyes and my heart to Christ, and for the life lesson it continues to offer to me and to anyone willing to listen.

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