Day 16 of 49
Jesus compared the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven to salt and light. Followers of Christ whose character reflects those of the beatitudes will affect the world around them in significant ways.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Mt 5:13–16.
No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.
Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Lk 11:33–36.
What do salt and light provide to the world?
The people in the first century used salt to prevent spoilage. They also used it as an aid to healing. They valued it so much, that Roman soldiers received their pay in salt.
Pure salt maintains its properties. Salt that is mined out of brine or from mines with mixed minerals can lose its saltiness. It becomes insipid, tasteless and useless.
Salt interacts with whatever it touches. Since we continue to live in this world, our lives will make a difference in the lives of the people around us. We can be an example of humble righteousness. We can bring healing to others as they struggle in life. We can offer the invaluable hope that is in Christ Jesus.
However, if we compromise our personal walk with Christ by following our own desires, then our witness loses its value in the world.
Light is so much more than the spectrum we see with our eyes. We need light to survive and thrive. A light in a room gives benefit to everyone within the room. It allows us to see what is happening around us. It allows us to avoid holes or objects that can trip us. Since darkness is the absence of light, a light will always dissipate the darkness.
Jesus called himself the Light of the World. He healed several people who were blind, but he also provided insight into the nature and work of God. And yet, some people preferred to walk in the darkness.
We have been given light to share with those in spiritual darkness. Our light is not meant to be hidden in fear, or kept to ourselves. Our light is to be on display for all to see. Sometimes being light means that we provide help for those with physical or emotional struggles. Sometimes our light means speaking up…sometimes it means shutting up and quietly listening to another.
God knew the world needed salt and light. He gave us the characteristics of those who can be salt and light. He left us in the world so that we can bring the restoration, hope, and insight that are possible through Jesus Christ.
Lord, I feel so inadequate to be salt and light in this world. There are times I want to hide and keep it to myself. Help me to see where the salt and light are needed, and then give me courage to offer the hope that is in you.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Php 2:9–16.
TRICIA LATHROP 