The Salt and the Light
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The Salt and the Light
Salt and light are commodities that we take for granted, but in the ancient world they were greatly valued. Roman soldiers were given their salt rations and would revolt if those rations were changed. Our English word salary literally means “salt money.” The next time you say, “That man is not worth his salt,” you are reminding yourself of the value that people put on salt back in those days.
We flick a switch and have as much light as we need, but the Jews that Jesus ministered to had to carry little clay dishes with oil and wicks if they wanted light. When one of our cities experiences a power failure, we wake up to the fact that light is important, but usually we take it for granted.
Jesus used salt and light as pictures of the Christian. No doubt He was describing the disciples particularly, since He changed from using the third person in the Beatitudes to the second person in these verses. But to apply these truths only to the disciples would rob us of the blessing and rob the world of the ministry that every believer can perform. In the Beatitudes, our Lord was describing Christian character; now in these two illustrations He showed what this character means in everyday life. By using the images of salt and light, He gave us some valuable insights into what it means to be a Christian today.
The Wonder of Salvation
He first gave us an insight into our own salvation. When we trusted Christ, a miracle took place. We became “[participants] in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), so that a new ingredient was added to our lives. Clay became salt, and darkness became light: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8).
Christians are different from unbelievers because they possess the nature of God, having been born into His family. “God is light” (1 John 1:5), and we are the children of light. Throughout the ancient world, salt was a symbol of purity and faithfulness, and Jesus Christ dared to apply this symbol to those who trust Him. It must have shocked both the disciples and the crowd when Jesus gave them those titles. They could understand a king or a great prophet being called “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” but certainly not a group of ordinary laypeople. Still, it is true: Because of the miracle of God’s grace, the Christian is salt and light. A new ingredient has been added, and an old ingredient has been taken away. Sin has been forgiven, the new nature has been implanted, and the Christian stands before the world as God’s salt and light.
That means both privilege and responsibility. Along with the dignity of our calling is the duty of our calling. Jesus does not tell us that we should be salt and light; He tells us that we are salt and light. We cannot change what we are, but we can waste what we are—the salt can lose its saltiness, and the light can be put under a bowl. That does not deny the miracle that changed us; it only defeats the ministry that challenges us. It would do us good to reflect from time to time on the miracle of our salvation—that clay should become salt and darkness should become light. Taking for granted this miracle of God’s grace is certain to lead to spiritual decay. The wonder and glory of it must never leave our hearts. Knowing that I am in Christ enables me, by faith, to do what Christ wants me to do.
The Sermon on the Mount is an impossible enigma to those who have never experienced this miracle. No matter how religious they may be or how sincere, if they have never been transformed by God’s power, they can never live the transformed life described in this sermon. It requires a miracle.
The Plight of the World
Those two images also give us insight into our world. If Christians are salt, then they are living in a decaying world, and if they are light, they are living in a dark world.
Jesus harbored no illusions about this world. To be sure, He saw His Father’s creation and rejoiced in it—the lilies of the field, the sparrows, even the seeds in the sower’s bag. Nowhere does the Bible condemn God’s creation in spite of the fact that creation is groaning because of sin. The heavens still declare the glory of God, and the earth reveals His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). The world of creation is here for us to enjoy.
Neither did our Lord condemn the world of humanity. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16). Sin has done terrible damage to the creature that God made in His image; but God still loves people and wants to save them. The world of creation and the world of humanity have both been ravaged by sin, but both can share in redemption. Humanity apart from Christ is lost, and Jesus came to save the lost.
It is the world that humanity has made that is decaying, that whole system that denies God and exalts itself. When Jesus said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it” (John 17:16), it was this system to which He was referring. We are in the world physically but not of the world spiritually. Like scuba divers in the ocean, believers are out of their element in this present world system because their citizenship is in heaven. The world is a vast graveyard spiritually, and Christians are the only people who are really alive. Jesus looked upon the world as a decaying corpse when He said, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather” (Luke 17:37). And Peter described this world system as “a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). The word translated dark means “squalid” or “murky,” which hardly pictures this world as a paradise.
Death, of course, causes decay. When a living creature dies, it can no longer support its cell structure, so the body begins to decompose. When God created the world and the first man and woman, everything pulsated with life. When sin invaded, death entered the scene, and with death came decay. From a physical point of view, decay became a blessing because it removes unwanted dead matter and turns it into useful soil, but from a spiritual point of view, decay is disaster. It is evidence of a spiritual death: Humanity is separated from God.
We see decay in every area of life. Centuries ago, the prophet Daniel saw the meaning of the image and revealed the fact that the political world would decay—from gold to silver, to brass, and then to iron and clay (Daniel 2). History started with clay, and it will end with clay. Certainly the religious world is decaying; humans have a “form of godliness,” but there is no power (2 Timothy 3:5). “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). One does not have to take a survey to learn that moral standards have decayed. The “terrible times” that Paul warned about are certainly here (2 Timothy 3:1–5).
When things decay they fall apart, and we are seeing society fall apart around us. Marriages have a difficult time staying together, and families are scattered. Law and order are laughed at, and the basic institutions of society are threatened with extinction. On the outside some of the structures look sound, but inside they are rotting away, and it is only a matter of time before they fall. The corpse is rotting away, and the eagles are gathering together.
Not only is it a decaying world but also it is a dark world, in spite of the fact that we claim to be enlightened. There is a great deal of knowledge and little wisdom. Intellectual darkness pervades our public educational systems because God has been denied admittance. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). History is not an account of evolution, with humanity climbing higher; it is a sad tale of devolution, with humanity turning its back on the heights and plunging to the depths. People are not looking for the light; they have rejected the light and are walking in the shadows into deeper and deeper darkness. Humanity’s very light is darkness! “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23).
Darkness and decay go together. Because there is political darkness, the governments of the world are decaying. Because there is religious darkness, the religions of the world are falling apart and desperately trying to save themselves by joining together. And because there is moral darkness, it is not safe to walk the streets even in the daytime. “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples” (Isaiah 60:2).
This darkness and decay help to explain why people are confused. Nothing looks right in the dark. You can see shapes but not sizes and appearances. Everything is distorted in the dark. Is it any wonder that values are twisted and distorted with the world so shrouded in darkness? Gold is more important than goodness, things are more important than people, and God is not important at all. No wonder people stumble and fall. No wonder people cannot tell their friends from their enemies. When Jesus Christ was on earth, the light was shining. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). He warned them: “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going” (John 12:35).
Is there any hope for a dark, decaying world?
The Challenge of Ministry
The third insight that our Lord gave us is into our own position and ministry in this world. The world is decaying, but Christians are salt. The world is dark, but Christians are light.
Salt, of course, hinders corruption. The fact that the world is decaying should not encourage Christians to isolate and insulate themselves or to stand on the sidelines and wait for the great collapse. The contrast between Jonah and Jesus illustrates this point: Jonah sat outside the city and hoped that judgment would fall, whereas Jesus looked upon the city and wept over it because judgment was inevitable. Sometimes we Christians not only hate sin—we hate sinners! Abraham knew how corrupt Sodom was, yet he prayed that the city might be spared. Paul knew how blind Israel was, yet he was willing to be accursed that Israel might be saved. Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon both acted as divine salt in the midst of a corrupt society, and God used them. Their ministries did not prevent the ultimate collapse of the nations, but those men did stand for God and left the nations without excuse.
If the world is as corrupt as it is with Christians present in it, what will civilization be like when the Christians are gone? Little does the world system realize that it is the presence of God’s people that prevents that final collapse and that ultimate judgment. Lot was anything but a dedicated believer, yet his presence in Sodom made it impossible for God to judge the city. His presence in Zoar spared the city; his absence from Sodom condemned the city. One day God will judge this present world system, but He must call His own out of it before that judgment can fall. Meanwhile, our responsibility is to exert all the power we can to prevent decay and to win people to Christ. That does not mean that we must live like the world in order to influence the world. Abraham, separated from Sodom, actually had more influence on the city than did Lot, who was living in Sodom. And he did the city more good! When the kings captured Lot and the rest of the citizens, it was Abraham who rescued them. By risking his life to save them, Abraham gave them more witness in one night than Lot had given them in years. And when Abraham refused to accept the offer of the king of Sodom, he witnessed to the whole city that his faith was in the true God. Lot, immersed in the activities of the sinful city, had no influence upon his own family, yet Abraham, the friend of God, exerted a powerful influence as he interceded for the lost.
Salt not only hinders corruption, but it also seasons whatever it touches. The world is a better place for the presence of Christians, whether the world admits it or not. If we were to take out of civilization the influence of Christian thought and Christian people, little would be left. This is not to say that only Christians have made lasting contributions to society, because many unbelievers have contributed much that is of value. But it is because of the fruits of the Christian message that humanity has the freedom and the dignity to pursue truth. Even modern science, which may scoff at the gospel, is a result of the gospel. When God gave man dominion, He gave His mandate to search and discover and invent. The furniture of the house of civilization comes from many different hands, but God laid the foundation.
When salt touches an open wound, it stings. Christians are not honey to soothe a sinful world; they are salt to convict it. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the church, witnessing through the world, convicts the world “of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). That is one reason the world hates Christians. “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:22).
Salt makes people thirsty. If we are truly the salt of the earth, people will see in us what they are seeking for themselves and will want to take hold of it. Jesus attracted all kinds of needy people—and so should the dedicated Christian. The lost may not agree with our theology or even our way of life, but they will see in us qualities that they lack themselves and would like to possess. The Pharisees repelled the publicans and sinners, but Jesus attracted them. He made them thirsty for what He alone could give. The more we are like Him, the more sinners will be attracted by our life and witness as we are the salt of the earth.
But we are also the light of the world. Jesus defined this light as “good works.” As salt, we must have the kind of character that penetrates and purifies, and as light, we must have the kind of conduct that points to God. We like to think of these good works as religious works, but Jesus did not define them that way. Good works are simply works motivated by love, energized by the Spirit, and done to the glory of God. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Unsaved people certainly can perform good deeds, but these are not like the Spirit-directed good works that come from the lives of God’s people. Too often good deeds point to the doer, but the good works Jesus talked about point to God.
Once again, we must avoid extremes. There are those who believe they have not served God unless they have preached a sermon or given out a piece of Christian literature. There are others who reject that kind of service and think only of the “practical” things of life, such as healing the sick and feeding the hungry. Social action sometimes replaces evangelism. Actually, our good works glorify God only if they begin with God and are empowered by His Spirit. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “He will bring glory to me” (John 16:14). Whether we are giving a neighbor a ride to the store, helping a child with his or her lessons, or teaching a Sunday school class, if our works are motivated by love and empowered by the Spirit, they will point others to God. There are no such categories as religious works and secular works, for the Christian is to “do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Missionary doctors heal the body that they might demonstrate God’s love and eventually have the privilege of helping to heal the soul. Christian neighbors help those around them, not simply to win the right to be heard but because showing Christian love is in itself a ministry to the glory of God.
Salt and light balance each other. Salt is hidden; it works secretly and slowly. Light is seen; it works openly and quickly. The influence of Christian character is quiet and penetrating. The influence of Christian conduct is obvious and attracting. The two go together and reinforce each other. Conduct without character is hypocrisy; character without conduct is disobedience. A church officer once told me, “I don’t go around the shop doing a lot of good works. I just let my light shine for the Lord.” But the way to let your light shine is to do good works. And those good works must be backed up with true character, the kind that is described in the Beatitudes.
Both salt and light must make contact if they are to do any good. Salt in the container can never have any influence; neither can a light hidden under a bowl. Too many Christians have the idea that they are serving God by sitting in church when the greatest needs are outside the church building. We fellowship with God’s people that we might receive the grace needed to serve Christ out in the world. Worship builds character, and character leads to conflict. Separation from sin does not mean isolation from sinners. The salt must make contact if it is to do any good, and the light must be seen. Why is it that so few believers dare to make this contact? The answer to that question leads us to the fourth insight that Jesus gave us.
The Dangers Ahead
The Lord gave us insight into the dangers that are involved when you and I attempt to be salt and light in this world. There is, first of all, the danger that the salt might lose its saltiness and become good for nothing. Our modern salt doesn’t lose its flavor because it is highly refined, but back in Jesus’ day, salt did lose its flavor. William Thompson, in his classic work The Land and the Book, tells about a merchant who rented several houses in which he stored salt. The merchant, however, forgot to cover the dirt floors of the houses and simply unloaded the salt directly on the earth. When he returned many days later, he discovered that his salt had lost its flavor from being next to the ground. The entire supply was actually thrown into the street, where people walked on it.
Christians are not yet perfect; there is still that old nature within that can cause them to sin. The greatest problem we face in serving Christ is having contact with sinners without being contaminated by sin. Jesus Christ was the friend of publicans and sinners, yet He was “holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). There was contact without contamination; there was true separation without insulation or isolation. Only the Spirit of God can keep us from losing our flavor as we seek to minister to the lost. Of course, this loss of flavor would be a gradual thing. First there is friendship with the world (James 4:4), and then we are spotted by the world (see James 1:27). This leads to a love for the world (1 John 2:15) and then conformity to the world (Romans 12:2). By then, the salt has lost its flavor and is good for nothing.
We must also beware of the light’s being hidden. Only we can hide our lights. The religious leaders tried to hide the lights of the apostles, but the more the lights were threatened, the brighter they blazed. The history of the church is the story of the light shining in the darkness and the darkness trying to put it out (John 1:5). Our Lord was not talking about people losing their salvation, because such an experience is not possible. His subject was witnessing, glorifying God by the lives that we live. Unless the oil of the Holy Spirit feeds the wick of witness, the light will go out. “But you shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8, literal translation).
It is worth noting that Jesus put the lamp on the lamp stand (“candlestick”) where it could give light “to all the house.” If our light is going to shine at all, it will shine first at home. The man out of whom Jesus cast the legion of demons wanted to go with the Lord and serve Him, but Jesus told him: “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). We think that the greatest darkness is the farthest away, when it may be right at home. And the light that shines brightly at home will reach people away from home.
In these days of mass movements and great organizations, we tend to belittle the witness of one person. “What can a little salt do to influence a whole world?” we ask. “What good is a little candle when the world is so dark?” And yet the emphasis in the Bible is on the work and witness of one person. When human history was at its darkest after the flood, God called one man, Abraham, and this one man has blessed the whole world. When Israel was experiencing its darkest hour in Egypt, God called one man, Moses, and the result was freedom. God has always had His person waiting in the wings when it seemed impossible for the drama of history to finish on a note of victory.
God is still looking for people who will be salt and light. It is a difficult and dangerous ministry, but it is an essential one. Salt and light must give of themselves so that others might be helped, and what they do is usually taken for granted. But whether the
salt and light are praised is really not important. The important thing is that people glorify God.