1 Kings 17:7-16,
Psalm 4:2-3.4-5.7a
Matthew 5:13- 16 Full Readings
We are the Salt and Light of the World
Brethren, as we continue to reflect on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus after presenting to us the Beatitudes, today He brings to us a central message for us Christians, and uses our daily symbols, Salt and Light, to pass this message. Jesus is telling us today that we are the Salt and Light of the world and that our light must shine so that seeing our good works, all people may give glory to our Father in heaven.
These sayings about salt and about the light of a lamp come in various places in the Gospels, to challenge or encourage the disciples of Jesus. In Mark the saying about salt is joined to other sayings about salt, not by logic but simply by the catch-word ‘salt’.
Here in Matthew, right after the opening promises of the Sermon on the Mount, they are surely a challenge to the disciples – not the Twelve, but all the disciples of Jesus, both those who kept company with Jesus and those who have followed after.
The image of salt is obvious enough: food cooked without salt can be bland and tasteless, utterly unexciting. So a half-hearted or shallow proclamation of the gospel wins no converts. The message of the gospel must be piquant, tangy, sharp and challenging. If it does not change the life and temper of the hearer it has lost its piquancy and may as well be thrown out. The proclamation of Jesus aroused annoyance and opposition; the same will no doubt be the case in the world of today.
The image of a lamp is gentler and wholly positive. Think of the flame of a small oil-lamp in the darkness of a large one-roomed house! Under a tub or a bowl or even a bed it will have no effect at all on the darkness, but on a lamp-stand it can bring light into the farthest corners, make social life and activity possible and bring joy to a whole family and its friends.
At the beginning of the Sermon these two images challenge disciples to share the salt and the light of the message they will receive with all who have ears to hear.
This is also our calling today, to be salts and lights of the World.
Augustine said: “Everyone, therefore, who obscures and covers up the light of good doctrine by means of temporal comforts, places his candle under a bushel.” As salt makes food tasty not only that but is used for preservation so should we be as Christians. We have to make the world tasty and a good place to live in by our proclamation of the Gospel, living the Beatitudes and preserving the Gospel as well. If we don't we also lose our taste as Christians and remain Christian by name.
In being salt to the world, we have to be aware of those things which take away our taste and we become useless as Christians. Yesterday we saw that the voice of the world which is always calling us and which is very enticing takes us away from living Beatitudes. It's this world also which will take away our taste and so let's be aware of being taken away by world pleasures.
Losing our saltness or taste means losing the power of God's rich grace and strength at work within us. If we allow the world (which is opposed to God's truth and moral goodness), and sinful habits, and Satan's lies and deception to corrupt our minds and hearts, then we will lose the rich flavor and strength of God which preserves us from moral and spiritual corruption.
The Lord wants us to preserve and enrich our "saltiness" - through Godly living and the rejection of sin - not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others who will be impacted by our witness and behavior.
Paul the Apostle reminds us that we are called to be "the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ). Let our lives not only benefit us but all those who we touch.
Jesus used the image of a lamp to describe how his disciples are to live in the light of his truth and love. We are his disciples and we ought to live to that also. Just as natural light illuminates the darkness and enables one to see clearly, so the light of Christ shines in the hearts of believers and enables us to see the heavenly reality of God's kingdom (Ephesians 5:13-14). Our mission is to be light-bearers of Jesus Christ so that others may see the truth of the Gospel and be freed from the blindness of sin and deception. We are not the source of light, we must be like a moon to reflect the light of Christ to all the world.
How will people know we are salts and lights of the world? This will be seen in what we do, how we behave, in our attitudes, how we are united as Christians, how love each other, and above all through our good works. With these people will give glory to our Father in heaven. The example of a woman in the first reading who fed Elijah with the only food she was left with for her and her son, is a perfect example of how we should be salts and lights to others. As the jar of flour was not emptied nor the jug of oil run dry, it will be so to us when we do god works to others and to God.
Reflect today on how you have been the salt and light to yourself, your family, your community, at your workplace, in the church, on social media and to the whole society at large. Pray and ask the Lord to restore your taste as salt and also ignite your lamp again if in any case you had lost them.
Let us Pray.
Lord may my witness to you as the salt and light in this world bear fruit so that seeing my good works, all people may give Glory to you in heaven. Amen.
Be blessed.
Amen
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