Matthew 5: 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
Today, we take salt for granted. Go to a good supermarket and you’ll be amazed at all the choices in the salt section. Estimates suggest there are over 40 distinct varieties of edible salts globally. These include common types like table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt, as well as specialty salts such as Himalayan pink salt, fleur de sel, and black salt. Each type varies in flavor, texture, and mineral content, making them suitable for different culinary applications.
Salt holds profound significance in the Bible, symbolizing various spiritual and covenantal truths. In the Old Testament, salt was used in sacrifices to symbolize the permanence of God’s covenant with His people. Salt was essential for preserving food, preventing decay, and thus represented purity and faithfulness. It also served as a metaphor for preventing moral decay in society. In ancient cultures, salt was a valuable commodity, used in trade and as a seasoning, highlighting its necessity for life. It was also involved in ceremonial offerings, emphasizing its sacred role. (AI summary) In modern times, salt in saline solutions continues to be administered to hospital patients throughout the world and used in cleaning and dressing wounds.
According to Jesus, believers were to be agents of righteousness, purifying and healing society. And to doubly emphasize this point, Jesus continued with a second parable.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Today, our vehicles have powerful headlights and we can drive in the dark without fear. But in an earlier age, travelers who became “benighted,” failing to reach their destinations before dark, had to hope they would see the city lights in the distance so they would know which direction to go. The story is told of an early missionary to Ghana who was building his home on top of a tall hill. Each night, he lit a campfire, until the night he traveled to see his family. What this missionary didn’t know was that one local farmer had come to count on seeing the missionary’s campfire as a means of finding his way back to his home village. The morning the missionary returned after being gone the previous night, this man confronted the missionary, complaining bitterly that without the light from that campfire to guide him home, he had wandered in the bush until daylight.
While we might find this story charming, it should actually serve as a warning. We never know how many people are looking to us for guidance. If we fail to shine, we deprive these people of direction and hope. One of the rules of the Kingdom of God is that we are to be channels of grace, pouring out to others.
While Jesus’ followers might have been hoping they would be able to take a passive role with God doing all the heavy lifting, Jesus was warning them that was not the case. If we have allowed God to change us according to the attributes listed in the Beatitudes, we must next allow Him to use us as He wishes. Sir William Wilberforce is a prime example. Wilberforce was a Member of the British Parliament who got saved in 1785 and became involved in efforts to stop the British slave trade. The struggle took 20 years; however, Britain stopped importing slaves into the country with the Slave Trade Act 1807. Not content with this achievement, Wilberforce continued to campaign for the abolition of the slave trade throughout the entire British Empire. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 finally passed only three days before Wilberforce died.
Wilberforce was not merely concerned about the slave trade but also championed causes and campaigns such as the Society for the Suppression of Vice, British missionary work in India, the creation of a free colony in Sierra Leone, the foundation of the Church Mission Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Founded in 1799, the Church Mission Society continues to work throughout the world today. There are thousands of SPCA groups all over the world. Truly, William Wilberforce served as light and salt, leaving a spiritual heritage of kindness and charity.
In 1971, a musical called Godspell based on the Book of Matthew, became popular. While writing this devotional, I found myself remembering these words.
You are the light of the world!
You are the light of the world!
But if that light is under a bushel,
It’s lost something kind of crucial
You’ve got to stay bright to be the light of the world
You are the salt of the earth
You are the salt of the earth
But if that salt has lost its flavor
It ain’t got much in its favor
You can’t have that fault and be the salt of the earth!
(chorus)
So let your light so shine before men
Let your light so shine
So that they might know some kindness again
We all need help to feel fine (let’s have some wine!)
You are the city of God
You are the city of God
But if that city’s on a hill
It’s kinda hard to hide it well
You’ve got to stay pretty in the city of God
You are the light of the world
You are the light of the world
But the tallest candlestick
Ain’t much good without a wick
You’ve got to live right to be the light of the world
PRAYER Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to be salt and light wherever we go. Let us be a blessing to all those around us every day of our lives, and let us love You more each day than we did the day before. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Leave a Reply