Part 8 - Salt of the earth and light of the world
Sermon on the Mount
The Christian Character
Matthew 5:3 - 7:27
(Cf. Luke 6:20-49)
This is Part 8 in a 14-part series of studies I call “The Christian Character” as described by Jesus to a crowd of people on a Galilean hillside as he delivered what is more familiarly known as the “Sermon on the Mount.”
The 14 parts are as follows:
Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Beatitudes – the poor in spirit
Part 3 - Beatitudes – those who mourn
Part 4 - Beatitudes – the meek, and those who hunger and thirst
Part 5 - Beatitudes – the merciful and the pure in heart
Part 6 - Beatitudes – peacemakers
Part 7 - Beatitudes – the persecuted and insulted
Part 8 - Salt of the earth and light of the world
Part 9 - Righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees; divorce, oaths
Part 10 - Eye for eye, loving neighbor and hating enemy, being perfect
Part 11 - Three things to do, not to be seen by men and a model prayer
Part 12 - Laying up treasures, eye is the lamp of the body, serving two masters
Part 13 - Do not judge, do not give what is holy to dogs and pigs
Part 14 - Ask, seek, and knock; the narrow gate; false prophets; building on the rock
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Review
Last week we examined the last two beatitudes (or perhaps a single beatitude). Jesus concluded the beatitudes with this two-part teaching. In Matthew 5:11-12 he says we are blessed if we are persecuted and insulted because of righteousness.
“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN PEOPLE INSULT YOU, PERSECUTE YOU AND FALSELY SAY ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU BECAUSE OF ME. REJOICE AND BE GLAD, BECAUSE GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN, FOR IN THE SAME WAY THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS WHO WERE BEFORE YOU.”
We took these last two beatitudes as a pair, because they are tightly coupled. It is conceivable that in Jesus’ mind, v10-12 may be a single beatitude, but it doesn’t really matter whether we consider this teaching as one or two beatitudes. Let us then understand the scope of Jesus’ meaning. It is not everyone who endures persecution or bears insults who is blessed, but those whose persecution is “because of righteousness (v10),” or “because of me (v11).”
The blessing associated with this beatitude is the same as the first beatitude:
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
We concluded there that, while the church is closely associated with the “kingdom” – and is in fact the present-day manifestation of the kingdom, the kingdom encompasses more than today’s church. It includes all those who are, ever have been, or will be under God’s dominion. We found that we are possessors of the kingdom in the sense of possessing both present-day and future citizenship in the kingdom.
Last week we summed up the beatitudes in this way: these beatitudes described the character of the person God blesses. We will find that principle to hold true throughout the sermon. That is why I call the sermon “The Christian Character.”
This is the person Jesus wants us to be - the Christian character resides within a person, bearing its fruit in external words and actions that are consistent with the values Jesus seeks to cultivate in his followers:
• poor in spirit
• mourns
• meek
• merciful
• hungry and thirsty for righteousness
• a peacemaker
• persecuted for righteousness
End of review
Part 8 - Salt of the earth and light of the world
In the rest of Jesus’ sermon on the Galilean mountain, Jesus shows how the person acts who possesses the characteristics he has just described in the beatitudes. In the beatitudes Jesus spoke about what we are inside. Next he moves from speaking about the Christian’s heart and character, and recognizes that those who are so blessed have a relationship to society and the world. Stated another way, the rest of the sermon illustrates the outworking of the beatitudes in a world that is not blessed by possessing the qualities. The rest of the sermon, and all of Jesus’ teaching and actions amplify and explain how the person blessed by the beatitudes thinks and functions.
A person’s internal makeup may drive him or her to act in right ways only for the effect of being “seen of men.” Jesus deals with that character defect later in Matthew 6, where he told his disciples and the multitude up on the Galilean mountain NOT to do their alms, prayers, fasting, etc., for the purpose of being seen as they do them.
Let’s see how he illustrates that:
Matthew 5:13-16 ESV “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.”
Jesus says, “You are…” By extension, that’s us—we are salt and light. We know what salt and light are and are experienced in using them. They require no explanation or instruction.
But what attributes of salt does Jesus refer to when he says we’re salt? And with what attributes do we project light to the world?
The saltiness of salt, and the illumination of light. The application Jesus makes is also easy to understand. Salt is a flavoring and a preservative.
Flavoring--life is made more savory by adhering to the words of truth and the standard of living taught by Jesus.
Preservative--as meat treated with salt is prevented from putrefaction, or corruption, the world (or all in the world who are willing) are spared from the putrefaction and spoilage of ruined lives and eternal death.
Has anyone ever thrown away salt because it lost its salty taste? Probably not. Salt is a stable chemical compound - sodium chloride.
Stored dry for many years, it does not lose its saltiness.
However, salt is a part of the crystalline mineral halite “rock salt” which contains water soluble sodium chloride, among other elements. When it is stored in a way that subjects it to condensation or rainwater, the salt in it, being water soluble, can leach out as brine, leaving a substance that looks like rock salt but is not salty. Maybe the people of Jesus’ time had experienced that.
V14-15 Light of the world
Light is simply illumination. It enables us to see things. Without light we are blind. Not much needs to be said for us to understand how to use light.
We light the world. We provide the world’s illumination. How does this bear out in life? We find the answer by harmonizing “You are the light of the world” from Jesus’ sermon with John 1: 6-9 and John 8:12.
In the first passage John says:
John 1:6-9 (John the Baptist, preparing the world for Jesus’ arrival) There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
…and John 8:12 Jesus says:
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus told the Pharisees that he – Jesus – is the light of the world.
But in the sermon on the mount, Jesus says we are the light of the world.
The only light we have to give is the light we have received. Like the moon, we shed only a reflected light. By reflecting the sun’s light, the moon becomes to some degree like the sun. Though the moon provides light to a lesser degree than the sun, the attributes of light are the same. That’s the way God arranged it in the creation:
Gen 1:16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night
But the moon has no light to give except what bounces from it. To the extent we become like Christ, we are capable of reflecting his light. Paul wrote to the saints at Philippi, “for me to live is Christ.”
In principle, this is easy to understand. So how are we to have these beneficial effects in the world?
It’s worth mentioning that Paul ties this metaphor to something specific:
Philippians 2:14-15 ESV Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
How well do we measure up to Paul’s standard? Grumbling, and disputing among ourselves demolishes the influence we are supposed to be exerting. We are like salt that has lost its saltiness, or light that is hidden under a “bushel.”
Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Jesus continues:
Matt 5:17-18 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
What a curious statement from Jesus! Why does he say this - having no apparent connection to the beatitudes, salt, and light - at this point in the sermon? To find the answer, let’s examine what he said.
What was “the law and the prophets?”
The Jews of Jesus’ day used the expression “the Law” in several ways:
a. They sometimes spoke of the law as consisting of the ten commandments.
Even today, many believe they are the law we are under. It’s not our purpose to explore religious errors of others, so we won’t take the time for examples of it.
b. The detailed instructions God gave to Moses, spelling out the laws of fairness and retribution, worship, and interpersonal relationships were spoken of as “the law” in Jesus day.
c. The “law” sometimes referred to either the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)…
d. …Or it was the whole of then-existing scripture that was spoken of as “the Law”--what we would call the Old Testament.
e. They also used “the Law” to refer to rabbinic, or scribal, law
Jesus didn’t consider it to be law at all. He called it a heavy burden no one could obey. The hearers on the mountain weren’t obliged to obey the commandments of men. In Jesus’ contempt for scribal (or Rabbinic) law, the lesson for us is this:
Never, never, never subject yourself to the commandments of men.
There are many men in the church whose work and insights I admire and even love.
But I must never say, “I follow the teachings of this widely recognized church leader or that highly esteemed preacher or lecturer.” Certainly we benefit greatly from people of the past and present who have probed deeply into the word and who have exceptional facility with expressing biblical truths in an clear, understandable way.
But even the “church fathers” of about the first 3 centuries lacked the right to issue binding strictures upon the church. They offer invaluable insights that are helpful in probing the depths of the sacred writings, but their writings are not law. I must not be a follower of men, and place myself in obedience to their points of view. Beyond what the scriptures reveal in and of themselves - the rest are people’s opinions.
Read the works of men. Study them. Admire them. Treasure them. But do not let even the best of men command you. Their word is not law. We will not be judged by their opinions at the last day.
With all these perspectives on “the law,” which of these things called “the Law” did Jesus say he did not come to abolish? And again, why did Jesus bring it up right then and there? And again, why did he say he didn’t come to abolish it?
After all, didn’t Jesus break the law again and again, upsetting the Jews? They fussed at him because:
- He healed on the Sabbath (Matt 12:13)
- He did not observe ceremonial handwashing (Matt 15:2)
To further complicate things, didn’t Jesus’ work and sacrifice in fact render the law of no effect? Didn’t Jesus set us free from its requirements? Wasn’t the law only a shadow of the good things to come? Didn’t Jesus take the law’s ordinances out of the way, nailing it to his cross?
Romans 10:4 ESV For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Hebrews 10:8-9 ESV When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
Why did Jesus say he did not come to do the very thing he clearly did?
Did Jesus, as he says here, NOT abolish the Law?
I believe he is speaking of the entirety of God-breathed commandments up to that point in time. Everything God directed, Jesus was obligated to fulfill. That would include the Law given at Mount Sinai. He didn’t come to abolish it, but to fulfill it. Nor did he come to abolish the prophets, but to fulfill their prophecies about himself.
Jesus is about to launch into some teaching, which runs to the end of Matthew 5, that looks to some like he is setting himself in opposition to the Law. That, I believe, is why he brings it up at this point in the sermon - so that those who hear him seem to set the law aside would bear in mind that his teaching was not at variance with the prevailing law of his day, but a superior way of fulfilling it.
How did Jesus fulfill the law and the prophets, rather than destroying them?
1. He met the law’s real requirements. While sometimes appearing to violate it, he violated only the prevailing, customary, and settled idea of what the law was. Jesus obeyed it perfectly, both in its precepts and its essence; therefore in him it revealed no sin. Jesus did not come to contest, rebel against, and destroy the law. He placed himself under its dominion.
2. He “fulfilled the prophets” by fulfilling their prophesies.
Luke 24:44-48 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.
v18 “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
When is “everything accomplished?”
What does “until everything is accomplished” mean? (the smallest letter, or the least stroke of a pen).
Possible meanings:
1. It would be easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one jot or tittle of the law to pass before all is fulfilled. Luke put it this way:
Luke 16:17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
2. In judgment, the law will reveal the sins of those who lived under it.
Rom 2:12-13 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Matt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
As Jesus spoke these words, the law of Moses was still in effect. It was the arrangement God gave the Jewish nation for meeting his requirements.
As Jesus did not set aside the law of Moses within his lifetime on earth, neither did He allow his followers to do so, or to teach others to set it aside. Until heaven and earth pass away, it continues to exist and in the last day will judge those who lived under its rule.
3. Consider this: What Jesus taught in this sermon - about life, conduct, and values; and how people were to conduct themselves in relation to others - was entirely compatible with the law of Moses.
The law defined sin, which was in relation to the first and second commandments, with those two commandments borne out in every other commandment in the law.
The attributes and articles of the tabernacle, and later the temple, the sacrifices, and the functions of some of the people in the Jewish system etc., were types (which were prophetic) of what was given perfectly once and for all by Christ. The sacrifice of animals’ blood was for a periodic remembrance of sin--the blood of Jesus was to blot sin out from remembrance.
The tabernacle and temple and things of the law were symbols of what Christ would make real.
The statement of Jesus is to be understood in the proper frame of reference. What is true within the proper frame of reference may be untrue outside the intended framework. Until the Law had been perfectly obeyed in the lifetime of Jesus, and he had fulfilled every prophecy concerning him, the “Law and the Prophets” remained alive and viable.
Jesus’ statement can be interpreted this way: I did not come to destroy the law NOW. Jesus’ teaching was not directed against the law. It was directed to the heart of man. But while the law was in force, he obeyed it according the its true application, not the false derivations men had accumulated over the years.
