Salt and Light of the world

SALT and LIGHT of the world

“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.

“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: 13-16

I like Robert Kee’s explanation of this bible verse from the book “Who is my neighbor?” Here is my own abridged version.

Jesus said be salt and light because:

Firstly, it implies that a small amount of each can make a big difference in the world.

A small amount of salt can make a large amount of food tastes better. Similarly, in a pitch dark room, a small light can make a huge difference. But Jesus warns us to remain salty because salt that is not salty is what? speckles of sand?

Salt, like us, have only one use – as the carrier of God’s message of salvation into a dull world and making it a better place.

Secondly, salt and light are made to be consumed.

During the time when Jesus lived, there was no electricity so light mostly came from burning candles. So, along with the element of usefulness is the element of self-sacrifice that we must make if we truly want to serve. To be salt, you must be consumed. To be light, you are a candle, slowly burning to nothing.

1 Comment(s)

Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI