We are the Light and Salt of the World
Brethren, we need to start or to continue thinking, if we have started already about genuine Christianity, genuine conversion, genuine turning back to God, genuine and authentic Christian life and our fundamental call as Christians. Jesus, the Sun of righteousness, came to the world a light of the world to dispel the darkness that covered people and bring them to the light of the gospel. This is the mission he handed over to us and in today's gospel, he clearly put it that we are the light and slat of the world. He uses these simple and ordinary images to pass on a fundamental message and challenge to us his disciples. Today, let us ask ourselves: how are we the light and salt of the world? How can we become one? How will people know that truly we are the light and salt of the world? The bottom line is that our light must shine so that people seeing our good works may give glory and praise to God our Father in heaven.
The image of salt is obvious enough: food cooked without salt can be bland and tasteless, utterly unexciting. Salt was a valuable commodity in the ancient world. People traded with it, like we trade with valuable goods, such as gold and stock. Salt also served a very useful purpose in preserving food, especially in warmer climates before the invention of electricity and refrigeration. Salt, thus, not only gave rich flavor to food, but it also preserved food from going bad and being spoiled. Therefore, as salt purifies, preserves, and produces rich flavor for our daily food, we, too, as disciples of Jesus, are "salt" for the world of human society. The Lord wants to work in and through us, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to purify, preserve, and spread the rich flavor of God's kingdom everywhere - his "kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
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). We must keep our saltness so that we give the aroma of Christ to the world and make the world tasty by proclaiming boldly the sweet words of the Gospel and living them thus the world a better place to live in, in harmony, peace and justice. Jesus however warns us to be care not to lose our saltness, otherwise we shall become useless Christians apart from being Christians by name. 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 our "saltiness" - through virtuous living and rejection of sin - not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others. Let us allow him.
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 lampstand, it can bring light into the farthest corners, make social life and activity possible and bring joy to a whole family and its friends. That is your mission. That is my mission. Just as a single candle can give light to an entire room, so you are capable of being a source of light for many others.
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.
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