Sermon Tone Analysis

I. The Position of Light

Again Jesus starts verse 14 the same way he starts verse 13, You are.... Like in verse 13 the “you” is emphatic, forceful, and specific.

Jesus is not just talking to the anyone within earshot.

Jesus is specifically talking to His followers, his disciples.

Again, those who had come to him poor in spirit, mourning over their sin, meek, and hungering for righteousness.

His disciples and children who were part of his family, and his kingdom!

Just as he emphatically stated You are salt of the earth, His children are also the light of the world.

Who remembers what the purpose of being salt was?

Salt was for flavour and in some cases fertilizer.

However, salts primary purpose was preservation.

It was used to preserve meat.

Rubbing salt into meat was help slow down the decaying process, keep it from rotting so that it might be stored longer.

For us, D.A Carson writes,

The point is that, if Jesus’ disciples are to act as a preservative in the world by conforming to kingdom norms, if they are “called to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent … they can discharge this function only if they themselves retain their virtue”

Now that we have reviewed the disciple’s role in deterring decay, Jesus is about to teach us that another responsibility we have is to dispel darkness.

He starts out verse 14 You are the light of the world.

Now, before we consider our role as light, we must understand that Jesus is the true light, apart from Him there is no light.

Isaiah

John

II.

The Presentation of Light

III.

The Purpose of Light

Matthew 5: