The Sermon On The MountExemple

Having received Jesus and the blessedness that he brings, Jesus likens Christians to two things – salt and light. Well, what does salt do and what is it used for? And what is the nature of light? Salt is used, first of all, for seasoning. Without salt, food is bland and tasteless. Similarly, through our lives, we are to add taste and flavour to an otherwise bland and flavourless world. Salt is also used as a preservative to keep things from decaying. So also, Christians are kept and sent by God into the world to slow down and arrest it from decaying and rotting. Intake of salt also makes people thirsty. In the same way, when people come into contact with us, we are to make them thirst for the living waters of God Himself.

To be compared to light is also significant. Like light, we are to make the reality of God and the reality of the world itself visible to a blinded people in a dark world. We are to brighten the corners we may ourselves be in and show others the Way. 

Comparing us to light, not sound, also means that the light of our works travels faster than the sound of our words. Jesus, remember, said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works.” He did not say, “Let your sound rumble before others, so that they may hear your good words.” 

Another spectacular feature of light is, when a white ray of light passes through a triangular prism, it disperses into a multi-coloured spectrum. Similarly, when our life passes through the prism of the Triune God, it disperses into an unimaginable kaleidoscope of colours that adds an unimaginable spectrum of beauty in a colourless world.