The Sermon on the Mount: Salt & Light
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We Are going through the Sermon on the Mount
This is perhaps the most famous sermon ever given.
It is a collection of Jesus’s main teachings to his followers
Last week we looked at the Beatitudes, or blessings that Jesus gave to certain people, teaching his followers to value certain things.
Now we look at this next section
“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.
Jesus compares his followers, those who live by and value the beatitudes, as Salt and Light
We should note that this come right after Jesus basically said that his followers would be persecuted and hated by the world.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
You are going to be persecuted by the world, you are the salt and light of the world.
Lets look at these things individually
“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.
Salt:
Salt has many uses.
As someone who likes to cook, salt is one of my favorite things.
Salt adds flavor
When i was trying to watch videos and learn how to cook better, I was amazed to see how often salt was added to a dish.
My favorite youtube chef sells sweatshirts that say “Needs More salt!”
Prior to refrigeration, salt was the mainly used as a preservative. It kept food (especially meat and fish) from going bad too quickly.
It is a disinfectant
If you have ever got salt on a scratch, it burns!!! that is the salt killing the bacteria and other microbes, and it allows you to heal better.
It is toxic at certain levels, and Salt can ruin land.
Salting fields
Israel was familiar with Salt, it had an entire sea filled with the stuff.
Dead sea
To this day, dead sea mud (filled with salt and other minerals) is considered to be very good for your skin.
So If we are the salt of the earth:
then we are called:
To Bring flavor to the world
To make things interesting.
To preserve that which is good
To bring healing to the world
and to destroy that which is bad.
But what if the salt looses its flavor?
If someone claims to follow God, but fails to live a life that glorifies Christ, then he is useless, going to be tossed out.
It’s like the church in Laodicea:
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
“ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Church If you are calling yourself a follow of Christ, but you are not living in a way that Honors Christ, then God says he’s going to spit you out of his mouth.
How do we live in a way that honors Christ?
Look back at the beatitudes.
“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.
The Light of the World
Jesus call himself the Light of the World
But here he calls us the Light of the world
If we follow Jesus, we shine his light in the world.
Light is essential
Light reveals what is in the dark
Helps people see where to go.
Light helps plants Grow
Light Brings warmth and comfort
Too much light can burn
Tiberius, a “city on the hillside”, as seen from the Sea of Galilee
We aren’t to hide our faith.
We don’t put a lamp under a basket
It puts out the light.
If we are called to be light:
People should be able to immediately recognize us,
We should be able to help Guide People to Christ
We should help others grow closer to Christ,
We should be warm and comforting to those who are seeking Christ.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
We - The Church - are a chosen people. Called to lead people out of darkness to Christ
People see the light through our good deeds, our good works.
Works do not save us
But they Glorify God and point people to God.
Church are we living as salt to the people of Oswego?
Do we make things more intersting? do we help bring healing to the people? are we helping preserve that which is good?
Are We a light for the people of Oswego?
Do we by our works show the way to Jesus?
Do people look at us and see Jesus?
Do we bring comfort and safety to those around us?
Church if we are not salt and light, then we may as well be tossed out and trampled underfoot.
