Salt & Light

This Kingdom is always on the move, always reaching out, always expanding and we are the primary agents of influence and change. Jesus spoke of the nature of this influence using several pictures. Let’s look at these pictures and attempt to gain an understanding of how His people might influence society around them.

“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.’” Matthew 5:13-16

Salt:

Salt has many, many uses. It is a healing agent, a preservative, and it is used on icy roads, but none of these are in the context of what Jesus is speaking about here. He is strictly speaking here about giving flavor in His use of salt as an influence.

Examples:

A teacher or student in a classroom... A worker in a company... a coach with children... In each of these examples, the person has influence but does not have full authority to bring Christ and His Kingdom ways fully into the setting they find themselves in, therefore, they can influence and flavor but due to lack of authority, their effect has limitations.

Light:

Light is a completely different level of influence than salt. Light can completely transform a dark place, it can change the very atmosphere, and it can completely change the appearance of everything it touches from darkness to light. But we must look at light in two different applications to understand Jesus’ words.

A City set on a Hill:

In this first example, light has a different effect than the second. The light is a beacon of guidance to a desired location. This is the first use of light in Jesus’ example. A light on a hill guides people to the hill, but it does not completely transform the surroundings, nor is it supposed to. In this example, light reveals the way and guides to place desired.

A Lamp in a Room or House:

In this second example, Jesus uses light in a different way. When one goes into a dark room or house and turns on the lights, everything changes! Light does not just guide or reveal, it transforms the entire space and changes the atmosphere in that place. Because of the light, a whole new possibility is released into that room!

Application:

What is the difference between these two principles of influence? Describe what you have learned in your own words. How can your level of influence grow from salt to light?