Salt of the Earth

Matthew 5:13-16 Salt & Light 2-5-2023.

Good morning One River,

I want to start by saying thank you to Cheryl, even though she’s not here this weekend. She did an excellent job walking us through the beatitudes. I would comment to her question. If you remember, she asked us if anyone else spent time thinking about the “Blessed” list as things to strive for. You’re not alone. I too spent a great deal of time in the reading of those first 12 verses in Matthew 5 trying to figure out how to chase after the blessings of the kingdom.

It took me many years and a lot of school to figure out how right she was. The “blessed’s” are not commandments, they’re not something to be strived after. I think we catch a glimpse of that in verse 17 when Jesus says “I have not come to abolish the law”. I spoke on this a few months ago. But that should have been our biggest clue. Even the people of the day thought Jesus was reordering Jewish Law.

You are the people you are. I don’t think anyone in the west, maybe anywhere, embodies all of these areas of blessing. Jesus is using them to tell us about the order of the Kingdom of Heaven. “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” The message of the Upside Down Kingdom.

These are not commandments, they’re factors of the human condition. Jesus is addressing people groups in his current (ancient society).

On a side note, Cheryl said she has a special place in her heart for The Beatitudes. I think I mentioned a way back, that I do too. I did not specifically ask her to speak on this section of Matthew. I was just as surprised as you all were last Sunday. Again, she did great! She really knocked it out of the park.

Guess what we’re looking at today? Matthew 5:13-16.

This is the section immediately after the beatitudes. God really is moving behind the scenes here. You can’t make this stuff up. She actually laid a lot of the groundwork for what we’re talking about today.

We’re gonna look at the Salt and Light passages in the Sermon on the Mount.

Let’s just jump in. Matthew 5:13-16

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time looking at the nuances of this section. I want to start by giving you some of the more traditional explanations for this passage. Then I want to tell you what I think Jesus is really saying here.

SEASONING

Salt is a very interesting substance. We look at it today mostly as a seasoning. It adds flavor to our food and also has some health benefits and if we over use it, concerns. One interpretation is just that. Jesus is telling us that we are meant to be the salt for mankind. We are seasoning, sprinkled in to maintain a flavor of the LORD in daily life for all.

It is widely agreed upon that Jesus was influenced heavily by the Essenian cast of the Jewish system. If you remember there are four casts: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots and the Essenes. The Essenes were the ones that believed the entire system had become utterly corrupt, so they decided to remove themselves to the desert and walled themselves off in a monastic community in Qumran. Sections of the blessings in Matthew 5 are very similar to writings found in Qumran by the Essenian community.

Jesus was agreeing with their blessings. God blessed those that were societal outcasts and those that did not hold high positions in the power structure. But he differed in his belief about our position of influence in society. Jesus was saying don’t hide away. We belong in society. It’s only by working within society that we can be shown to make a difference and by that work, show others a path to God.

This worked well in the early church. Christians were very influential at the time in society. Without being high in the social caste system. As we read from the Apostle John, we became known by our love. But I don’t want to paint a completely rosy picture. That wasn’t universally true. We read from Paul that there was still infighting in the church about who we were following. In fighting about beliefs and infighting about physical practices. However, the overall picture of the early church was one of love and acceptance.

Unfortunately, this didn’t last. Scriptures like this became a source for “othering” people. We simply developed a new way not to interact with people in society that we see as unchristian. It leaves outsiders unwilling to come to the lord, for fear of judgement. What we know, is that it’s not the LORD that judges and “others” people, its usually the church.

Jesus was telling us that we’re here to work within society. Without the overarching goal of trying to change the structure of the system. But to allow our influence to simply be, and trust the LORD to change others as needed. This approach worked in the early church. Eventually, the influence of those with humble means began to take over the world. They created enough influence to reform most of the systems of governance in the modern world. This didn’t always manifest in the best ways, but it allowed God to work on those in power.

Given that most of the people Jesus was speaking to on this mountain most likely would not have had the power and influence to change the structure of society, this was the most effective way to influence change in society and lead others to the LORD.

We would be the flavoring and the light that would shine a way for others to see God clearly. If we believe this interpretation, I would ask, how do you think we’re doing? How are we individually and corporately doing to shine a light and season society to show them Christ?

Jesus’ next line askes about salt that loses its saltiness. What good is it? What good would the church be if we lost the ability to flavor society. If we were no longer seasoning for those looking. What good would we be if we were a light hidden under a bowl? Fare Question.

PERSERVATIVE

Another interpretation of the salt metaphor is that we are called to be a preservative. In the ancient world, salt was one of the very few things that could be used to preserve food. Meat, for instance, was often heavily salted to preserve it, so that it would last longer. This allowed for longer travel and less hunting. It also allowed food to be held over in times of scarcity.

We as the blossoming church are called to preserve faith and light the way for others to God. One of Israel’s greatest faults was their ability to quickly fall away from faith and worship of the LORD. Jesus was telling his fledgling church that the only way to avoid the future fate of Christianity becoming like Israel was to preserve our faith. As the Christ at the beginning of his ministry, he would have known that the church was in for some tough times ahead. This was meant as encouragement to stay strong and hold yourself up so that even in times of trial others could see your faith.

We see this often in the stories of the Saints. Quite often during times of persecution the early church members refused to renounce their faith in Jesus and suffered horrible torture and death as a result. In fact, one of the strongest tools in our arsenal is our ability to preserve the faith under persecution from earthly powers. No single force has been more impactful in the growth of Christ followers than that of attack from Emperors, Kings, Presidents and earthly rulers.

As we show our light during those periods, nothing is more impactful to a society than seeing people suffer and die for their belief in Christ. Our ability to preserve our faith has allowed Christianity to be the most positively impactful group on the planet, despite our numerous shortcomings.

Paul tells us in Romans:

Romans 5:1–5 (NIV) Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Persevere and preservative are often from the same root word, Hypormo.

Jesus is showing us our value

Here’s my third interpretation. Have you ever heard the phrase “he’s not worth his salt”? That comes from the Roman legion in Israel at this time. Sometimes there was not enough Gold or Silver to pay the soldiers. Salt was considered so valuable and universally accepted that it was just as good as money. Roman soldiers could be paid in salt when necessary. Hence “he’s not worth his salt” or he’s not worth what it cost to pay him.

Jesus would have known this turn of phrase. In Matthew 5, he’s just finished telling all these socially undesirable people from outcast places in the culture that in God’s Upside-down Kingdom, they’re blessed. If they suffer or are insulted, they’re blessed.

Then he says “You are the salt of the earth”. This phrase means you’re honest and hard working. You’re worth your wait in gold. You have value. No one at this time had any concept of self-esteem. We’re still miles away from psychotherapy. But Jesus knew people would have had a very difficult time accepting that they had value, they had worth. He’s telling them, God says you have value. But if you lose your saltiness, if you stop believing your value, well then there’s nothing much left to do with you. You’re the light of the world. We don’t hide you, we put you on a stand and use you to show everyone how great the LORD is and what he’s done for you.

Again, Jesus is describing the nature of the Upside-Down Kingdom. He’s maybe the first person in the history of humanity telling the people at the bottom of the social caste system that they’re worthy.

Conclusion

No matter what your personal interpretation of the section of scripture is, I think we all agree on the over all message of Jesus here. He’s telling those that have generally been deemed unworthy by society, that they are, in fact, worthy of everything.

He reminds us that we are not called to recoil from society, but work within existing structures to influence those around us and if possible, those in power. We’re here to season the dish, not completely change the recipe.

Often in our modern mindset I think we can often fall in love with the idea of revolution. We want to change the world in one swift action and overhaul all the injustices of the world. I would remind people that historically that has generally not worked well. Giant revolutionary movements come with their own pain and suffering and usually lots of bloodshed.

This is Jesus saying do what you can, within your means.

Preserve and persevere. Be the light of Jesus for others. Not only should we flavor society, but we should keep the goodness of Jesus and his promises close to our heart. We should endure the uncomfortable comments made of our faith and simply point others to Jesus without a combative tone.

The Quakers are an excellent example of this. Even though they were birthed from violence. They have become synonymous with pacifism and non-violence. They have spent 300 years enduring persecution in various forms. But they have had one of the single greatest influences in modern society in the realm of Slavery, women’s rights, and the call for peaceful solutions to conflict. They have never tried to overthrow the structure of existing government. They are simply the “Salt and Light” of humanity and Jesus.

We are called to Be the Hands and Feet of Jesus. We’re called to be the light. Season society and endure its ways while drawing nearer to the LORD and allowing Him to influence the world.

We should also never forget that as the “Salt of the Earth”, the LORD had proclaimed our good and honest nature. So be good and honest. It’s only by this path, we can truly be the light of all mankind. It’s only by the example that Jesus and others like the Quakers have set, that the world will take us seriously.

But Jesus tells us we have that value. We are worth it. That’s why he came and sacrificed himself for all mankind.

On a side note – I think these instructions and comments come from the LORD as one who sees the big picture. We are quick today in modernity to call out something we see as injustice and want to attack it with all our earthly power. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But Jesus is looking that the long game. It’s taken the church 2000 years to become the force we are today. Some of our influence is good, often times its bad.

I truly believe if we pulled back and focused on the LORD. Focused on HIS actual will, not what we think His will should be given a certain situation. If we could do that, the transformation we could make would be revolutionary. But that revolution would be loving and peaceful.

God’s ways are not our way. Jesus’ ways are not our ways. Israel was a kingdom often crafted out of the idea that we could help along the progress of God. In the end that plan never really worked out for them.

There are 3.8 billion people on this planet that claim Jesus Christ as their LORD and savior. If even a fraction of those people were earnestly seeking the will of God and not what they personally wanted, or what they wanted the will of God to be, we would transform the world.

God is the God of the micro and the macro. We don’t all get to be the ones that make God’s Macro moves in history. But we have scriptural evidence that if we become the people we were called to be. The people of the micro movement. God will handle the big stuff. If we can move the rocks out of the way and dig the ditches. God can build the roads.

The book of Acts and the Epistles are full of no named people, that helped the Apostles change the world.

We need to start asking as a daily task; LORD, how can I be the salt and light of your kingdom today?

Let’s pray.