Matthew 5:13 ¶ Ye are the
salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be
trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the
light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it
under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in
the house. 16 Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven.
We use the expression salt of the earth for good, common
ordinary people. But this is much deeper than that colloquial expression. Salt
gives food flavor, as the context of this passage says, but also salt was a
preservative throughout much of human history, by being rubbed into meat. It
was also used as fertilizer.
Just as a side thought perhaps we can say the world of men and
women is not worthless and is not destroyed outright because of the followers
of Jesus, because of their existence. If it were not for those who belong to
Christ on this earth there would be no reason for God not to cast it away like a
rotten thing. Christians, those who trust in Christ, acknowledge Him as God in
the flesh, and who wish to obey Him are the only thing between the world and
eternal damnation right now. When they are called out it is all over. Done. We
are the preservative and the fertilizer that grows faith, and the flavor that
is pleasing to God.
When two angels and the preincarnate Christ visited Abraham and it
was announced that Sodom and Gomorrah would be destroyed this scene took place.
Genesis 18:16 ¶ And the men
rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to
bring them on the way. 17 And the LORD
said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a
great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in
him? 19 For I know him, that he will
command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way
of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham
that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And
the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because
their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go
down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it,
which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence,
and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 ¶ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou
also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also
destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after
this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous
should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the
earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If
I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the
place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham
answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,
which am but dust and ashes: 28
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou
destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and
five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he
spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found
there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be
angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he
said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me
to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he
said, I will not destroy it for
twenty’s sake. 32 And he
said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for
ten’s sake.
But there were not even ten good people in Sodom. Not even ten who
followed the Lord God who created them. And the one who did was translated,
raptured, in a symbolic way by being escorted by angels out of the doomed city.
Genesis 19:15 ¶ And when
the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife,
and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of
the city.
16 And while he lingered,
the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the
hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought
him forth, and set him without the city.
In the context here in Matthew it is the flavor that salt provides
that is stressed. The usefulness of salt to make food palatable, to give it
flavor. So, still we can think of how God is pleased with the body of Christ on
earth. Remember how the right sacrifice was pleasing to God as a sweet
savour?
Genesis 8:20 ¶ And Noah
builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every
clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the
LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s
sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I
again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Let your light shine before men is not a reference to Christian
“virtue signaling” by placing a scripture verse in your yard or on your car or
wearing a dove or a cross lapel pin which are not bad things, of course. It is
about your active and daily expression of your Christian faith in trusting God
and obeying Christ.
Galatians 5:22 But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against
such there is no law.
We must be careful that what we do glorifies God and not
ourselves.
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