Salt and Light

“Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.”  Matthew 5:13-14

Salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), is a basic necessity of life.  Our bodies have a certain amount of sodium which balances the amount of fluids in our bodies by way of our kidneys.  Doctors are always wanting us to cut back on salt because too much can cause health problems.  However, too little can also cause problems.  I have seen folks whose sodium content became imbalanced in their bodies, and they were acting out of their minds.  Salt is also a preservative particularly for meat before refrigeration came along.  Some foods are very bland without a little salt.  I have seen folks pick up the salt shaker and go crazy with it before they even tasted their food.  Salt is so powerful that one grain can be tasted on the tongue.

Thus, since salt is that potent, when Jesus said that His followers were the “salt of the earth”, I think He was telling us that with Him with have a lot more power than we give ourselves credit for.  Not only that, but believers act as a preservative to keep Satan and all of his followers from completely annihilating our planet by their pride and sin.  We think things are bad now but just wait until all the Christians are taken from this earth, whether before, during, or after the seven-year tribulation period.  Imagine when there will be no folks to stem the tide of filth, perversions, and idolatry.  It is bad now even while Christians are still populating the earth, and the ungodliness is increasing at a very fast pace, thus, it stands to reason that if the only ones on earth are the Christ rejecters, there won’t be any peace at all among the world’s inhabitants.  However, we are still here, and we must do what we can to uphold the name of Christ and not back down.  So, let’s start spreading that salt everywhere we go.

But what about those who have either lost or refused to be that salt to preserve and lead others to Christ?  Jesus said that those who have neglected to use their godly influence upon others are basically useless as far as it comes to witnessing for Christ.  He said that if they lose their saltiness, then they should be cast out under the feet of other folks.  That sounds pretty drastic.  It is either “put up or shut up”, although, I don’t think Jesus would say it that way, but if one claims to be born again with Christ living His life through him or her, then to forego the spiritual power that one has to be a witness and promote Christ, what does that say to Christ and to all those who know one is a Christian?  It is almost like one is not really serious about his or her relationship with Jesus, and if one seems not to be serious, then does he or she truly have a relationship with Christ?

Jesus also said that His followers are the “light of the world”.  The light of Christ and that of His followers is the only thing that is keeping this planet from plunging into complete darkness.  I don’t like the dark.  We can’t see where we are going, and sometimes that causes us to stumble over an unseen object.  Also, the dark is an eerie time.  Lots of bad things happen under cover of darkness.  Of course, darkness doesn’t hide anything from the Lord.  Light was the first thing that God made when He created the world.  Before that, there was nothing but darkness.  As long as God’s light does not illuminate and penetrate a sinner’s heart, he or she is like a “black hole” where all types of evil can find lodging.  However, when Jesus, the Light of the world (John 1:9) comes into a person’s heart, the darkness is obliterated, and Light fills that once darkened soul.  Jesus doesn’t physically walk on this earth now, thus He has allowed His followers to be that light among a lost and dying world.  Believers are not only His light, but His hands and feet in doing good to others, His voice of love and mercy as we yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and His heart in seeking out the lost, the lonely, the bereaved, and those who think they have it all together, the ones who believe that they don’t need Jesus.

We can be a pungent flavoring and a preservative to our friends, neighbors, and others, and a light that shines in the darkness of the souls of others.  On the other hand, we can be bland, boring, and one who expresses no joy, love, or mercy to others and who would rather remain in the dark, joining those who are just existing through life with no real purpose or promise of eternal life.  The first choice certainly sounds a lot better.