Matthew 5 - Believers are Salt and Light

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus sermon continues with comparing believers as Salt and Light.

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

In today's world, there is a constant search for purpose and meaning of this life. As believers, we should know our purpose, we should know who the Lord has called us to be and
what we should do. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus has called those that believe in him, those that choose to follow him to be as Salt and Light.

I often wondered why Jesus used Salt and Light to compare believers/followers. There are many great commentaries out there and some of their explanations are really on point. Meditating on this has helped me look at another aspect of the same scripture for the bible study.

Jesus said "You are the Salt Of The Earth." Why use earth and not salt of the world? I discovered, as a young child on a trip to a local farm, that salt is used as a fertilizer. A fertilizer nourishes and aids in the growth of a plant. Jesus was saying that we are called to be that essential mineral to help with the growth of others.

When God created man, he used the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). This creation connects us to all mankind as God created us all. However, we are set apart as believers because we are called the Salt of The Earth. Therefore, Jesus is calling us to be that fertilizer that is necessary for mankind to truly live and grow. If we choose to call ourselves Christians or believers of Christ, follow God's word then this too is a part of our mission while on this earth. As salt we are called to help others to grow in Christ, believers and unbelievers. If we cannot do that among other things we lose our worth and become good for nothing (Matthew 5:13)

Jesus also called us the Light Of The World.  Now when we go back to Genesis again, after creating the heavens and the earth, the First thing that God SPOKE into being was LIGHT (Genesis 1:3). Furthermore, it states that God divided Light from Darkness (Genesis 1:4). There has to be a separation between light and darkness, the two cannot co-exist. If we are called to be light then we cannot mix or meddle in darkness or have darkness in us. We are in the world but not of the world. (John 17:14-15)

The light that radiates from a lamp is used to light up a house. This house that Jesus refers to is The World.  He calls us to be the Light of The World. The world is filled with darkness to those who do not see the light, the unbelievers. We have to let our light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). Our lives have to be examples to others. Our light has to radiate so intensely that it causes others to turn from darkness and glorify our Father in Heaven!

Brothers and sisters, God loves you and wants us to live the life and purpose He has called for us to live. We need to spend time in prayer, mediating on the word of God and developing our relationship with God. Therein lies the true meaning of life and the keys to fulfilling our purpose.

Take care of each other, truly love each other, pray for each other and be the Salt and Light Christ has called you to be and that He in his infinite knowledge knows that we can be.

God bless you!