You are the salt of the earth

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

"You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:11-16

Yesterday, we began to read the Sermon on the Mount, which we will read through in chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew's gospel.  We began with what are called the Beatitudes.  By now, Jesus' ministry is popular, and is known through all the territories where Jews live.  He is followed by "multitudes" from every region.  Seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study bible says that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek that is translated into be exceedingly glad means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)  The important thing to remember here is all of the Beatitudes just listed by Christ, the real "art" of discipleship.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."  Jesus uses salt and light as metaphors for the role of disciples in society.  My study bible tells us that because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had religious and sacrificial significance (see Leviticus 2:13; also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  Salt signifies covenant.  If Christian disciples are salt of the earth, they are preservers of covenant with God and give this true flavor to the world.  Jesus is encouraging us to hang fast to our discipleship; it is the thing that gives us flavor, and worth, adding value to the world.

"You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."   God is the true and uncreated Light.  In the Creed, we say that Jesus Christ is "true light from true light."  In the Old Testament light symbolizes God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9; 8:12, 1 John 1:5).  Light is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself, says my study bible.  Faith relies on this divine light, and thereby believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).   Discipleship therefore is both a personal and public reality; we glorify the Father for others by our personal discipleship.

 Salt and light are the metaphors that Jesus gives us for our discipleship, for what we become as disciples.  We are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.  This teaches us about the value of discipleship, what it adds to the world, what it does for the whole of the society, of the community, which is the whole world.  He invites us in to participate in this ministry by being the salt and the light that He carries into the world.  This isn't just about ascribing or following a theory or a theology or a philosophy.  It isn't just an intellectual commitment to a good idea.  Becoming salt and light means being a living disciple, carrying the Kingdom within us, being ministry and living ministry.  In some way, it almost doesn't matter what we do formally as jobs or vocations.  Discipleship is something that infuses life, infuses us.  It becomes something that makes us on purpose no matter where we are or what we do.  It is something that is always with us, throughout all times of our lives.  The Beatitudes teach us that, a life of prayer keeps us there, always connected in to this purpose, this mission, this place where we know who we are because of what we serve.  That's the way to think about what it is to be salt and to be light.  We keep our flavor of discipleship alive and living within us at all times.  We shine a light into the world by doing so, an active light, something that comes from within us because that is where you will find the Kingdom of God.  This is Jesus' invitation, His exhortation:  Be these disciples, be salt and light.  This is worthy of your life and the great value invested in you.  You are the ones for whom the Son has been given, out of love.  This is worth everything.  Without salt and light, we cannot live.