Salt and light
Devotional, week 8
“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 underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built 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 others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:13-16, NIV)
Both salt and light have properties that affect their surroundings. In the same way every Christian is called by God to influence the world around them.
In ancient times, salt was very valuable. The Greeks thought it contained something almost divine, and the Romans sometimes paid their soldiers with salt. A soldier who didn’t carry out his duties “was not worth his salt”. The salt was meant to give taste and preserve the food.
The preserving property of salt makes it unique. As Christians called to be the salt, we help to preserve the good in the society. Note that salt, to be effective, must be in contact with the food it is to preserve. To be effective, we must be involved where we work and where we live.
Salt also adds flavor to a substance. We are seasoning agents. We bring the distinctive flavor of God’s values to all of life. We make life paable especially in these times when life tastes sour and bitter to many. God wants us to add value to our society and give people the opportunity to have a taste of who we are in Christ - as salt to the world.
Light is a symbol used to mean awareness, knowledge, and understanding. To ‘be light’ means to show others the way, to be a model of the higher light which is Christ. “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” (Mt 5:15). This passage shows that Light cannot hide its presence. It would be unreasonable for light to be hidden. It also shows that the resultant effect of light is not to benefit the bearer alone but also others. We are required to shine as a light for others to see. We must show forth the light, not just by professing it in words, but by our deeds and character. When Jesus taught these things, his audience was composed of Israelites. As God’s chosen people, they possessed the Word of God, and were salt and light in the world. Gradually, throughout Jesus’ teaching ministry, he refined this idea that each one who followed him was to have a spiritual impact on those around them.
Let us pray! Lord, refine and purify me, that I may carry Your taste and Your light to the world that is in dire need of You.
