INTRODUCTION
We are busy with a series on the Sermon on the Mount.
Last week we discussed the beatitudes and we looked at the characteristics of a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
We then proceeded to look at the benefits of being a citizen of the Kingdom of heaven.
This week we look at the next part of the sermon, namely our relationship to the world.
For that we read the following:
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 5:13-16 GW
(13) "You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.
(14) "You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill.
(15) No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house.
(16) In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.
SERMON
In our scripture this morning Jesus compared us, the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, to two things.
He compares us to:
• Salt and
• Light
He explains, in this piece of scripture, what our relationship to the world should look like.
The question now stands as follows:
Why did Jesus compare our relationship with the world to salt and light?
Why did he use those two items?
What is the significance of salt and light that Jesus would use it?
Let’s look at this more in depth.
We will start with salt.
Jesus said that:
YOU ARE THE SALT FOR THE EARTH
The confusion
When we read the following part of scripture:
(13) "You are salt for the earth. But if salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.
It might lead to some confusion.
You see, the importance that salt had in the time of Jesus have significantly changed in our time.
Some of the ways that it was used also changed.
Salt, in Jesus’ time, was a precious commodity.
In fact, it was so significant that, as some suggested, Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt.
This is not entirely correct.
Let me explain.
You have heard the expression: He is worth his salt.
This expression means that a person is worth his or her pay, his salary.
The word “salary” actually derives from the Latin word “salarium”
“Sal” is the Latin word for salt.
Now there is some debate over the origin of the word “salarium” but most scholars agrees that it was the money that the Roman soldiers were allowed for to purchase salt.
How this worked was that the soldiers were required to buy their own food, weapons, etc.
These costs would be deducted from their wages in advanced, but there would be some money left to allow them to buy salt.
So they weren’t actually paid in salt, but paid money for salt.
When we look at the Greeks we see that they considered salt to be divine.
And when we look at Moses’ Law we read the following in:
Leviticus 2:13 GW
(13) Also put salt on each of your grain offerings. The salt of God's promise must never be left out of your grain offerings. Put salt on all your offerings.
Any grain offering made to God had to include salt.
Unusable Salt
Also, they would take the salt that was no longer usable and throw it on their footpaths.
You see, unlike today, the salt that they received weren’t always pure.
It came with impurities.
Now pure salt cannot lose it saltiness, but when it is mixed with impurities it can lose it saltiness.
We can deduce therefore that, for the Jews this metaphor regarding salt was understandable.
They understood the meaning and significance of it.
The Purpose
But to understand what Jesus is telling us here we have to dig a little deeper.
We need to look at the purpose of salt.
Salt has two primary purposes:
• It enhances
• It preserves
It Enhances
Salt has the ability to enhance the taste of food.
It has the ability to enhance flavor.
This is most probably this purpose that Jesus is emphasizing in this sermon.
It says in verse 13: “But if salt loses its taste”.
If it loses its ability to give flavor…
The fact is that food, for the most part, tastes bland if it has no salt.
You immediately become aware of the fact that a piece of steak does not have salt on the moment you take a bite of it.
It just tastes bland.
Listen what Job said in:
Job 6:6 GW
(6) Is tasteless food eaten without salt…?
When you place salt on food you make the food palatable.
You make it edible.
Isn’t that what we as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven should be doing?
We need to make the world bearable to God
We need to make the world bearable to others.
Face it, when we look at the world today,
When we look at the news, the crime and what is happening in this world and in our own country we can see that this world would be distasteful to God.
If you were to place yourself in God’s shoes and look down at the earth, what would you think?
You would think that this world is distasteful.
It is unbearable.
But that is why you, as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, are needed.
You are needed to make this world bearable for God.
You are needed to add flavor to an otherwise bland world.
You are there to make it possible for God to continue to bear with a distasteful wicket world.
It doesn’t take a lot of salt to give flavor to food.
Just a pinch of salt will do the trick.
And Jesus is not talking to a lot of people when he gave His sermon.
He was saying to this handful of people that they, as little as they may be, are enough to give flavor to a wicket, unbearable, world.
It doesn’t take a lot of people to make this world bearable for God.
In Genesis 18:20-32, Abraham is asking God if He would spare Sodom if there were a certain number of righteous people in the city.
He starts with 50 and every time God says that He would spare them if that amount of righteous people were found in the city.
Eventually, in verse 32, he says the following:
Genesis 18:32 GW
(32) "What if 10 are found there?" He (God) answered, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the 10."
God is saying here that, if there is but a small number of righteous people, if there is but a few grains of salt, in the city, then the city would be bearable to Him.
It was not so and Sodom was destroyed.
We read the following in:
Jeremiah 5:1 GW
Walk around the streets of Jerusalem. Look around, and think about these things. Search the city squares. See if you can find anyone who does what is right and seeks the truth. Then I will forgive Jerusalem.
God is not asking much.
All he is asking is that we make this world bearable.
We are the salt of the earth.
We are the ones who gives flavor to this world so that God and bear to look at it.
It Preserves
The second purpose of salt is to preserve.
Now unlike today, the people in Jesus’ time did not have fridges in which to preserve their fish and meats and other food.
They preserved their food with salt.
In that same way we, as citizens of God’s Kingdom, need to stop the moral decay in this sin infected world.
“The spiritual health and strength of the Christian is to counteract the corruption that is in the world. Christians, as salt, are to inhibit sin's power to destroy lives. This in turn creates opportunity for the gospel to be proclaimed and received.” (Michael Youssef).
You have been given the privilege, the opportunity, to be the salt of the earth.
This is something that you should not take for granted and something which you should look after, to ensure that you do not lose your saltiness.
Jesus warns us, in verse 13 that “…if salt loses its taste, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people.”
As I said earlier, pure salt can never lose it saltiness.
The only way salt can lose its saltiness is if it is mixed with impurities.
This is the warning Jesus is giving here.
He is saying that, if you allow impurities to enter your life, if you allow impurities to be mixed with your life, then you are at risk of losing your ability to enhance and preserve.
If you have lost this ability then you are of no use anymore.
When salt are mixed with impurities it becomes destructive and poisonous.
You cannot even use it for fertilizer ad it could have the effect of doing more harm than help.
It could end up killing the field.
You as a Christian have been given the ability to be the salt of this earth, but if you allow impurities to enter your life, then you are inviting your salt to become useless and poisonous.
You cannot be used to enhance the world for God and you cannot be used to enhance this world for others.
You will only end up doing more harm.
All that you can be used for is to be thrown on the road, where you can do no harm, and be trampled on.
If we allow disobedience, carelessness and indifference to rule our lives, then we have become contaminated salt.
We have lost our saltiness.
YOU ARE THE LIGHT FOR THE WORLD
Jesus says that we are the light of the world.
He is saying that we are here on earth to transmit His glory to the world.
We are to be the light in a world filled with darkness.
We are to show the world who Jesus is by transmitting His Glory.
By becoming like Him.
By mimicking Him.
Paul writes in:
Philippians 2:14-15 KJV
(14) Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
(15) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Our purpose is to proclaim the praises of God
1 Peter 2:9 GW
(9) However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
But, there is one important thing you need to understand.
We are NOT a light in and of ourselves.
We are only a light in the Lord.
Listen to what Paul wrote:
Ephesians 5:8-9 GW
(8) Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light.
(9) Light produces everything that is good, that has God's approval, and that is true.
So we cannot produce our own light.
We can only reflect Jesus’ light in us.
This is what Jesus said to the Pharisees in:
John 8:12 GW
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark."
As citizens of the kingdom of heaven we only laminate, we only reflect, Jesus’ light to the world.
Think of the moon.
The moon does not have its own light, but we can see it shining at night, because it is reflecting the sun’s light.
Paul writs to the church of Corinth and says the following in:
2 Corinthians 4:6 GW
(6) We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God's glory which shines from Christ's face.
So what is our responsibility as light bearers?
Well, we need to be visible
We need to radiate (give light)
Jesus says uses the metaphor of a city on a hill.
He also uses the metaphor of a lampstand.
He is saying that, as citizens of the Kingdom of heaven, it is your responsibility to be visible.
We need to be seen by the world.
John 13:35 GW
(35) Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other."
You should produce works that are a testimony to your faith.
That is a testimony to Jesus.
You should produce works because you were saved, not to get saved.
Are you visible where you work, or play sports or socialize.
Do people see the real light that shines from you or do you hide it away?
This brings us to the next point:
You must radiate.
You must give light.
A light is designed to shine on a lampstand.
You do not take a light and hide it under a basket.
If you hid your light then you can just as well not have any.
What is the purpose of it if you do not shine?
You should “let your light shine in front of people”
When people see your light shine they will glorify God because they will see Him in you and they will see your good works.
VALENTINE’S DAY
We need to be the salt of this earth and the light for this world.
Today is Valentine’s Day.
The fact is that, even in our relationship, even in our marriage, we need to be the salt and the light of our marriage.
We need to ensure that we are the salt of our marriage by:
Making it bearable.
Like salt it doesn’t take a lot to make a marriage or a relationship bearable.
It takes a nice message, or a special time spent together or a smile at the right time.
But the thing is, it also does not take a lot to make a marriage unbearable.
All it takes is to be grumpy all the time.
All it takes is to not acknowledge your partner and always looking for the worst in him or her.
Impurities in your relationship can also end up making the salt lose its flavor.
What are you bringing into your relationship?
Are you bringing in unfaithfulness or carelessness or indifference into your marriage or relationship?
You need to get rid of it.
If you don’t you can end up losing your relationship as a result of no salt being present.
Also, you need to be the light in your relationship.
How do you shine your light in your relationship?
By reflecting God’s Love.
God’s love is the foundation that you need to build your relationship on.
If you allow God’s love to shine through you in your relationship then you are allowing God to be the central part of your relationship.
God’s love is everything.
If that is what shines through you, then you are well on your way in having a wonderful relationship.
CONCLUSION
God specifically tells us that we are the salt.
We are the people whose job it is to make this world bearable for Him.
We are also the people who need to make this world bearable for others.
We are to preserve God’s morality on earth.
We cannot stand ideally by as others sin as they want to.
We need to speak up and show them that we are here to preserve the Kings morality.
God tells us that we are the light.
We need to be visible and radiate God’s light.
Are you visible to others and is God’s light shining through you or are you to shy to say that you are a child of God and in the process you hide the light.
People needs to see Jesus through you and this can only be done by shining His light through you.
Be careful that you do not allow any impurities to enter your life, because you can end up being salt less.
Jesus has given you the opportunity to be worth something.
Will you take it?
