“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. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. 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.”

The Words of Christ: Matthew 5:13-16

One argument that the scoffers of today’s Christian community have is “Do you take the Bible literally?” They usually use this question to then argue certain passages such as Isaiah 55:12 where “the trees of the field shall clap their hands” and then ask if we are all silly enough to think all trees will grow hands before they start clapping.

There are parts of the Bible that are to be taken literally, such as the seven day creation (a topic for another entry) and other parts to be taken figuratively, such as Christ saying in John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” We don’t expect Christ to have hinges and look like a three-by-seven piece of wood but we do expect to see us as having to go through Him (like a door) in order to be saved from God’s wrath at the end of time.

In the passage above we are compared to salt and light. We are the salt of the earth. What does this mean? Well, before preservatives things like meat were packed or pickled in salt to keep them from rotting, such as packing meat or jerky on a sea vessel going to voyage. Likewise, we are to be a preservative to God’s Word: preserving it through the ages and making it relative and life-giving, as the Word of God is life to those who hear it just as the salted meat kept the sailors alive on their voyages.

Secondly, salt on a wound, though it may sting, helps control infection. So, while it may be unpleasant, it can help the wound from getting worse and will accelerate or empower the healing process. Likewise, as salty citizens of this world, when we spread the Truth, it may hurt for some people to hear it, but it’s good that we tell them the truth. We may have to tell someone that their habitual drunkenness is jeopardizing the marriage or career. You may also need to tell them that unless they commit to turning from their sin and (re)committing their life to Christ they will be on the road toward excommunication from the church (following the process of restoration described in Matthew 18, of course).

Why don’t we want to tell people the Truth? Well, the truth hurts; The truth convicts; the truth exposes falsehood; truth divides (you’re either for the truth or you’re against it); and the truth subjugates: when you hear the truth you must obey its tenants (Gravity is true, no matter how you may want to believe otherwise or disobey, and if you try to jump out a window, you will be subjugated at the rate of 32.2 feet per second!).

Thirdly, salt adds flavor to food. Living in the world without Christ is a bland empty experience. We are to spread that salt on the earth and bring out the richness, the flavor, of all life has to offer through Him and to enjoy all of creation in His name.

As far as us being the light of the world, let me use a cosmic illustration: The sun is a radiant body, spreading warmth and light in all directions. The moon is a lifeless body: a dead rock with no atmosphere and no inner core activity. We see the sun at daybreak as it is: a radiant ball. We see the moon radiant at night too, but it’s not the moon that radiates that light… the moon only reflects light that is poured upon it and the moon then reflects that light to the earth.

We, as sinful creatures, have no spiritual light in us to project upon the world to give it any hope in the eternal future. Only when God shines His light on us, it not only illuminates our dead spirit, but it makes it beautiful to those who gaze upon it and draws them to Him like a moth to a flame. In a sentence, “When they see you lit, they want some of that fire too” and as one of my performance coaches once said, “When you’re on fire, everyone around will want to come and watch you burn!”

God illumines our life, and we are to shine that light to the world: to let them see God in us and draw them to Him. That’s evangelism 101: but first we must be lit before we can carry the flame. There are only two families in this world: The family of light (God) and the family of darkness (the devil). Likewise, every one of us is either a missionary or part of the mission field. If you don’t feel like sharing the gospel, rescuing others from an eternal separation from God’s love, mercy, and favor as a son or daughter for eternity because you might ‘hurt their feelings’ then you have to ask yourself if you’re really lit.

I needed to tell you that. It’s the truth.

I hope it didn’t hurt. If you’re angry and consider me an enemy, if you’re really a Christian I guess you’ll have to forgive me.

Pray for me too. (I need all I can get!)

He told me to tell you he told you that. (Matthew 5:44)

In His Light…

-Anthony