Salt, Cities, and Light
Matthew 5:13-20
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp-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 in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
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In learning how to cook, I think we know how important it is to season things properly. Of course, you don’t want to submerge something in salt (unless you’re baking in salt), but under seasoning ingredients will lead to an end result that is bland, edible, but tasteless. What does it mean, though, for something to lose its “saltiness?” I don’t think Jesus is giving us a sneak peek of his new and upcoming cookbook “Fishes and Loaves,” but is leading us into a conversation about what it means to commit ourselves to God and God’s commandments. Throughout this portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we find a reference to three everyday realities: salt, cities, and light. These three things become the groundwork for a challenging conviction, which asks if we are willing to let God’s commands lead us to abundant life.
What I find interesting about this sermon from Jesus is that it seems like there is a bit of a conundrum. Because it’s impossible for salt to lose its “saltiness.” Again, I would add I don’t think Jesus is giving us a lesson in chemistry, but contextually speaking salt could lose its saltiness. Occasionally merchants would cut salt with other substances, which had the potential to render the salt tasteless. It’s an interesting metaphor that Jesus uses because it’s a metaphor that also challenges us to think about where we put our trust. Are we going to put our trust in God, or are we going to put our faith into the things that are familiar, but often lead us to places of hurt, hurt we experience ourselves and hurt we deal out to others.
We first find that Jesus begins by evoking the value of salt. Salt was used not only for cooking but was used for treating wounds, preserving food, and trading for other needed goods and materials. Salt that was worthless was taken and thrown into the road to be trampled on by travelers. It’s a bit of an unsettling reminder of the claim that God has on our lives. But how is our righteousness, how is our love, like salt? And who or what has lost its saltiness? Before we have an answer to any of these questions, Jesus has moved onto his second point using the contrasting nature of light. A city or a church in our case, built on a hill cannot be hidden. And in a like manner, you would not put a lit lamp under a basket, not only because it’s a fire hazard, but because you will hide the light as well.
These three elements: salt, cities, and light are brought together in verse sixteen, where Jesus says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” This is our purpose as people created in the image of God! Our aim is to let our lives reflect the love of God so that others may see the goodness of God in our daily lives. The critical thing to notice is that the light that shines from our being does not belong to us; it belongs to God. The goodness that others witness is the overflowing of God’s grace that enables us to “live, move, and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) It would be a little arrogant to say that we are the ones who do all the heavy lifting because if we paused, we would remember that glory belongs to “your Father in heaven.”
So how do we channel the light that we carry? How do we utilize the salt that we possess to season our lives and the lives of those around us? Because in our pursuit of finding answers to these questions, we will enter into a deeper relationship with God as we live out the guiding principles and commands that set us on the right path.
This past week I was doing a little bit of archaeological research into the history of this church (have not found any skeletons). I’ve been looking at past session minutes, correspondence, and other documents, but I came across a report that piqued my interest. It was a “New Beginnings” report that was written in 2012. It gave a snapshot of the church at that time and highlighted areas of growth and areas for thought. Yet, I was intrigued by a section in the back of the report that asked people two questions: 1.) What gifts do you share with the congregation? 2.) Now consider any gifts you have that aren’t shared with the church.
For the first question, I’ll share what some of the responses were:
Building Background
Communicator
Singer and a Worker
Education
Concern for Wellness of Others
I’d say that these are skills that we have utilized this past year, and ones that we continue to use as we walk forward together. It would be interesting to see if there are skills that we can add to this list as we have continued to grow as a people of God.
For the second question, I admit that I got a kick out of one of the answers:
Belly Dancing
Playing Darts
Gardening
Playing Bells
IT Work
Theater Background
Some of these things we have added to our repertoire. Others we could undoubtedly add. I’ve always imagined what it would be like to start a community garden that not only provided produce to the people who grew things but allowed local food pantries to share fresh produce as well.
To be a light in the world, we first must check that our wick is lit. If it isn't, then we need to take a step back and make some changes. In doing so, we will find that we are not only better off but able to fulfill our calling more effectively as well. Perhaps by getting in touch with some of the gifts and talents God has given to us, we might renew our light, may encourage our saltiness, so that in connecting with the things that are close to our heart we may be a witness that reflects the glory and goodness of God. And this glory and goodness is something we can rekindle if we reconnect with the laws and commandments that speak of the promises and steadfastness of God's graciousness.
It is important that we know ourselves, that we align our convictions and our passions with the love, compassion, and grace of God. Jesus came not to abolish the law of the prophets before him, but to fulfill it. It is a law that convicts us to live in accordance with the righteousness of God. It’s important because there will be, and there are times right now when we will be asked to make a decision about where we place our trust. Are we going to place our trust in earthly powers that conquer and divide with force and arrogance that mocks God’s highest law of love and justice? Or will we channel our light, our salt, in a way that others are able to “taste and see the goodness of the Lord,” as the psalmist writes? (Psalm 34:8) The teachings of Jesus this morning go beyond any moral obligation that we might have to ourselves and to others. Jesus is telling us that in order to be healthy disciples, to be healthy people, we need to lean hard into the promises and commandments of God. And if we embody those teachings, then those around will truly know who we are as people God has claimed and sealed in love.
As we draw close to the end of our series on discipleship, it is important that we dedicate time to asking ourselves if we are salt and light. By tending to our hearts and growing deeper in our relationship with God, we will find that when we shine our light forth, it will genuinely reflect the love and life that flows forth from God. May we strive to be an honest and persevering reflection of that light as we go out into the world. Amen.