We are Salt and Light
Matt. 5:13-16
13 ‘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.
14 ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 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.
Salt and light are things we don’t pay much attention to until they are not present. If there is the right amount of salt, people don’t usually say, “The cook did a great job putting in just the right amount of salt.” If the lighting is good, people are not likely to comment on it. Too little light and people will comment.
Second, salt and light are helpful because they give themselves away. Salt gets used up bringing attention to the good flavours around it. A lamp gives light, not to bring attention to itself – in the dark or in the daytime – if the lamp is on it is giving light. The lamp does not say I will give light to some place and not other places.
With those ideas, let’s think about the text. Vs. 16 says, the glory is to go to God in heaven for the good works we do. The glory is not ours; the honour is not ours – all of that goes to God. To be salt and light is to bring attention to God at work in the world, not how good we are. That means we are to live as people who do not expect to be honoured and thanked for what we have done, but rather give all honour and recognition to God. Our lives find their deepest meaning and purpose when they are lived pointing to Jesus, pointing to what God is doing in the world.
Just as salt and light bring attention to something other than themselves, so we as salt and light bring attention to Jesus Christ who reveals God to us.
PRAYER:
O Lord, you have made us to be salt and light in the world, may our lives bring you glory, pointing always to your Son, Jesus Christ, to whom be all glory and honour now and forever. Amen.