Day #145: Matthew 5:12-16

Written this week by Alan Lindberg

Background: Jesus now moves into a different way of teaching, by providing examples that people could relate to in their lives. We have seen over the last two days the ways in which we can behave which both please God and help others see Him in us, bringing them closer to Him. Now we see how we use those gifts to influence others for Him can be wasted and become ineffective.

The people shared a common understanding of how both salt and light worked in their lives. Both were critical to them. Salt, a mineral required for life, was a precious commodity that everyone interacted with daily. Light, its presence or absence, made a profound difference in how people lived their lives. Jesus starts each teaching here with the opportunity the people have to be like salt or like light and follows with how salt and light can lose their value.

13 “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.

Salt was thought to have many values at this time, as a preservative, as a seasoning, and as a requirement for life. For each of these aspects of salt there is an equivalent spiritual aspect. His followers have the ability to preserve, or save, others from the corruption of the world through the good news that He came to save us. They are able to provide the “seasoning” of a new and different approach to life by teaching others how to follow God in their lives. They are also able to help give life to others through helping to lead them to Christ and thus helping them to have eternal life.

All of those things can be lost though if we are not an example to others and if we do not share Christ with them. If we don’t do these things, our “saltiness”, our ability to have a positive impact on them for Christ is lost. If we are not influencing people then that ability or “saltiness” is valueless, we may as not have had it. Make sure you are leveraging it to help others.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 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 who is in heaven.

Christ brought light to the world. He said in John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Light is the opposite of darkness. The corrupt live in darkness; the light is the “good” to the “evil” of darkness. John 3:19-21 describes it this way: And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. Through the light we see and can therefore understand a great deal about our surroundings. It leads to understanding and truth. We have that “light” in Christ. Through our relationship with Christ those who are the “light of the world” can shine that light and show others that they follow God. We also have the ability to illuminate the darkness.

Jesus teaches again with this analogy that we should influence others to change their lives by following Christ just as our lives have been changed by following him. Our light, as demonstrated by our following of His path in a way that is clear to others, will help them to follow Him as well. However, if that light is hidden by not revealing our Christian walk, then we are not helping them. We are effectively hiding our light under a basket. We should therefore put our light on a stand, making it clear to others in order to help them. Sharing this light with others not only helps them to know what they should do (follow Him) but also glorifies God through your example.