Salt and Light

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Introduction: Ethan Crispo hit a local Waffle House looking for a late-night snack. What he got instead, was so much more valuable. Crispo entered the Waffle House on his way home from a birthday party, and immediately noticed a problem. The store was full of “hungry, heavily imbibed customers,” and only one person working, a man named Ben.

Crispo said, “I’ve just sat down at my table and it’s becoming clear I’ll be going home with an empty stomach. From the blue, a man from the bar stands up. Asks Ben for an apron, and begins to work behind the counter. It was a transition so smooth I initially assumed it was a staff member returning to their shift. It wasn’t. It was a kind stranger. A man who answered the call. Bussed tables, did dishes, stacked plates.”

When Ben came over to take Ethan’s order, he gratefully confirmed the man’s mysterious heroism. “‘Who’s that guy? Does he work here?’ ‘No.’ ‘Does he work at any Waffle House?’ ‘Nope.’” Apparently, this man, identified only by a blue shirt he was wearing at the time, so inspired a spirit of cooperation that others joined in to help—including a lady in a dress and high heels.

Pat Warner, a PR director for Waffle House confirmed that there had been a scheduling miscue at this store. He said it wasn’t the first time customers had been seen helping out in adverse circumstances, citing a similar situation during an ice storm in Atlanta. Warner said, “That’s the great thing we have with our customers, the sense of community.” Crispo agreed, “It was just one of the most wild instances of really, really cool people just coming together… humanity isn’t just good, it’s great.”

What we have here is the way we as humans should treat one another. Helping each other with no expectation of something in return. At the very basics of humanity, this should be the way we are to each other. However, for a Christian, this type of treatment is expected. It should be in our very nature to do things like this. Last week in our series we looked at the Beatitudes. The beatitudes are a reminder of our attitudes or views as Christians. They are meant to be a picture of our very character. This very attitude and character is displayed in two metaphors that we find in...

Read: Matthew 5:13-16

Explantation: One of the very points of Christianity is to display the beliefs that one has as they live each day. Christianity was never meant to only be a personal faith. Christianity is meant to be lived out in community with other believers. It is meant to be a faith that is inclusive of anyone that believes on the name of Jesus Christ of the Bible. Your faith is, by the very design, to be displayed. When we follow Jesus our attitude changes and when our attitude changes, we become people that impact others. This impact happens in two ways. These ways are defined in two metaphorical words.

Application:

Salt

The word salt is used to describe a main function of a disciple of Jesus. Salt has two primary uses. One is to season, and the other is to preserve. Just the right amount of salt in your food helps turn ordinarily bland food into a flavorful treat. There is almost no greater disappointment than unflavored food! Before refrigeration salt was used to preserve food, especially meat. It was the reason they were able to eat meat days after an animal was slaughtered. Now, what does this have to do with disciples or the church?

In his book, “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement,” Ralph Winter wrote, “The Church (the Body of believers) is the real agent of the Holy Spirit for culture change in any society (not necessarily the organized church of any particular denomination). The Church is the salt working through the whole dish.”- Ralph Winter. The church, or disciples, must understand that to be salt is to bring flavor or seasoning to the world around us. It is with the influence of a faithful disciple that man has the best the best opportunity to develop into a godly person. The way we impact the world is shown in our willingness to get messy with people. You have an amazing opportunity to season the world around you with godly influence and grace.

You have an opportunity to bring preservation to the world around you. What are we trying to preserve? Godly influence and victory. It is through the disciple that people will see Christ at work. It is through the disciple that people will see the victory that Jesus and only Jesus gives. If the Christian is guaranteed victory, then it should be the Christian that brings that chance of victory to the world around them. The way we season and preserve is done by how the disciple interacts with the lost. Paul reminds us in Colossians, Colossians 4:5-6

Colossians 4:5–6 ESV

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Light

The metaphor of light is used to instruct the Disciple on who they are supposed to reflect. Light exposes darkness, gives direction, and illuminates. When Jesus says, “you are the light of the world,” He is helping us as disciples to accept and take on the challenge of living in such a way that we expose the darkness in this world. Give direction to those who do not know Christ. And illuminate the truth of the Word of God.

How is this? We have to first recognize that we are not the source of light. It is Jesus that is the source of light. He and He alone is the actual light of the world. We simply are reflections of that light as His disciples. We were created to reflect the light of God. John 1:6-8 says,

John 1:6–8 ESV

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

We are not the source of light. We are to live so much like Jesus that His light reflects from our lives. Think about the moon for a moment. We can look up in the night sky and see the brightness of the moon. There are times that I have been hunting and the moon was so bright that I didn’t even need my flashlight to get where I was going! Does the moon produce its own light? NO! It simply reflects the light from the sun. That is a great example of a Disciple of Jesus. When we properly reflect Jesus sin gets exposed, the path to Jesus is made known, and the truth of scripture is illuminated for all to see.

That’s what it means to be a city on a hill! The darkness will never overtake the light! Through Christ we shine so bright that the world cannot help but take notice of the Father! Francis of Assisi said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”- Francis of Assisi

Conclusion: What a beautiful picture we have in this passage of what the church, Jesus’ disciples, are suppose to be! Are you salt and light to the world around you? Do people get an accurate Biblical view of Jesus from the way you live in this life? If not, it’s time to make a change. I challenge you today to make a step toward becoming a disciple of Jesus. Choose to allow Him access to your life that you may become a beautiful reflection of His amazing Grace. Its time church, to live the way you were intended to live, as salt and light to this lost world.

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