Salt and light

Following the blessings of the Beatitudes, Jesus told His disciples that they were the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. The blessing of God has a consequence in us.

Disciples are different in two ways: they have something valuable in them, and they are able to express the character of God in the world.

Disciples are the salt of the earth because of what is in them. Salt was valuable in their culture, simply for its use. What is now one of the cheapest commodities in a grocery store, was for them of significant value. It is needed for every meal; it is useful in the ordinary tasks of life. One of their sources of salt was a mineral deposit found in that area of the world; we mine salt as well in places. But the salt they mined was not pure NaCl, table salt; it had other minerals. If that salt became moist; the table salt could be leached away, leaving what appeared to look like salt, but without the flavor of salt. This salt of the earth, mineral salt, could lose it favor; it was then worthless. No one would have a reason to keep it; it would just be thrown out in the street. That salt of the earth needed to be kept dry; sealed in a closed container. It could not be left out on the table like our salt shakers.

Disciples have something within them that gives them flavor; this needs to be kept hidden away. Disciples can lose what makes them valuable; this needs to be kept in secret.

Disciples are also the light of the world. The good works that result from the blessings of God are like a light shining in a dark place, or a city set on a hill. It is difficult to hide light in a house; no one would do it anyway. It is difficult to hide a city. In World War II, cities were hidden from bombers by blackout; no lights outside, and all windows carefully covered. Normally, the lights of each house make our cities visible at night from far away.

The good works of disciples of Jesus Christ are a light shining in this world. What comes from the work of blessing within us can be seen by others. But the light needs to come from the glory of God, not from us. The way our good works are done is significant.

Jesus is again giving complementary aspects of one work of God. The Holy Spirit within us works through the body. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But there are two aspects of how He works. He works within us using what is done in secret, away from man. This is like the salt of the earth, which must be kept sealed away from moisture. He also works through us in good works, for men to see. This is the light of the world; this is a lamp filling the house with light or a city set on a hill. These are very different pictures, but both are necessary parts of the work of the Spirit.

The corresponding passage in Psalm 18 speaks of the Lord being his stay, or support, and then speaks of the Lord bringing him into a broad place, having rescued him. The hidden work of the Spirit is a stay in our body; the visible work of the Holy Spirit in our body is deliverance from our enemies. We do not have to be bound by failure, overcome by meaninglessness. The same complementary pieces are in Psalm 18.

Disciples are the salt of the earth; if the hidden life is kept, we will be the light of the world.