Mathew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
This portion of scripture is called the Sermon on the Mount or also known as the Beatitudes (Mathew 5,6 & 7)
This was not a public speech, but an exclusive set of instructions to his chosen disciples. We, as believers, are not merely a member of any denomination. Rather, we are called to be His disciples.
Scholars call the Sermon on the Mount the "Ordination Address" to the twelve disciples. It is the essence of the teachings of Jesus to the inner circle of his chosen men, the official teaching of Jesus. Jesus is opening his whole mind out to his disciples; it is the summary of the teachings which Jesus habitually gave to his inner circle. The Sermon on the Mount is nothing less than the concentrated memory of many hours of heart to heart communion between the disciples and their master.
Jesus said to His disciples - "you are the salt and light of the world." Jesus is the real salt and light and He wants His disciples to be exactly like Him as they go into the world to spread the gospel.
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its
saltiness." The flavor that is saltiness is described from the third verse:
Mathew 5: 3-12
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, - those who hungry and thirst for the presence of God.
4 Blessed are those who mourn – those who don't respond in an evil way.
5 Blessed are the meek – meekness is not weakness – meekness and humility is the very nature of God.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – those who, at the cost of their life, stand for what is right.
7 Blessed are the merciful – God has shown us His mercy while we were yet sinners.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart – God is holy and pure – we must have the same mindset of God in our life.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers – where there is trouble and strife, we must be the peacemakers.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness – continue to stand for what is right, without reacting or retaliating.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad - Jesus rejoiced to endure the suffering and cruel death on the cross for us.
The characteristics mentioned above should define the flavor of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, otherwise we are salt without its saltiness.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."
In the ancient world, salt was highly valued. The Greeks called salt divine. The Romans said, there is nothing more useful than sun and salt. In the time of Jesus, in people's minds, salt was associated with special qualities.
Salt was used for healing wounds.
Salt was associated with purity.
Salt was the most common of all preservatives.
The greatest and most obvious quality of salt is that it lends flavor to things.
We, as believers, should give flavor through our words.
Colossians 4:6 - "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
Mark 9:50b - "Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."