Influence Not Avoidance

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

- The most common use for salt would have been as a preservative. A couple of techniques were available but probably the widest used would have been to cover the meat with dry salt and letting it sit (anyone ever eaten salt cured ham). The salt had to completely cover the meat leaving no part uncovered to be effective.

- We are not called to be countercultural or apart from the world…

1. Our influence needs to cover the world (at least our part of it)

2. Our influence should slow corruption and prevent decay

- Salt, though not a primary use in Jesus’ day, is also used as a flavoring. The amount of salt is important - (steak, Christy and the salmon, my coffee)

3. Our influence must be used and not tainted (makes us useless)

- Interesting enough PURE salt cannot lose its taste, but impure salt can leech out sodium chloride and eventually becomes tasteless

4. We are to be an influence in the darkness and light the way

- We know how light works…the more light, the brighter it shines the more it drives the darkness back

- We reflect God so our influence comes from God and therefore needs to point to God

- The New America Commentary on Matthew says: We must remain active preservative agents, indeed irritants, in calling the world to heed God’s standards. We dare not form isolated Christian enclaves to which the world pays no attention.[1]

5. Our influence is through Christ and grounded in scripture

- Jot and tittle are the smallest marks in Hebrew and so we must understand that ALL of Scripture is to be valued and applied - Jesus did not negate any part of scripture He fulfilled it

- Jesus mentions the Scribes and Pharisees because they were supposed to be the standard of righteousness (much like Christians have set themselves as the standard). The religious leaders missed the intent of the Scriptures and this passage is setting up next what Jesus is about to compare and contrast - for us that is next week’s message…

[1]Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 103.