Salt & Light

Meditations on the Sermon on the Mount 

June 6, 2024

Salt & Light

“You are the salt of the earth.

You are the light of the world.”

Matthew 5:13a, 14a 

With the Beatitudes, Jesus has given his disciples the characteristics of their life in him. The Apostle Paul reminds us of our responsibility to cooperate with God in His mission to form Christ within us: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Our Godly desire is to make the beatitudes, to make the life in Christ, our way of life. When we do, we become salt and light to the world.

It is so very essential that the followers of Jesus embrace and own his call: we are to be salt and light! I can see two obstacles immediately as I think of my life, both individually, and as a part of a local church. First, for me personally, I want to avoid conflict. However, it is into the fray we are called. I must admit there is hesitation within as I try to emulate Isaiah’s response to God’s call: “Here I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). It is unnatural for me to want to be salt and light where discord and strife abound.

Secondly, we live in a culture where it seems only the mega-church is valued. Many smaller churches are little noticed and quickly forgotten by denominational officials and most parishioners alike. However, in Jesus’ economy, the lone individual offering a cup of water to a stranger is as highly regarded as the mega-church and her scores of mission teams dispatched far and wide. Salt and light are needed across the street, and across the sea.

My Takeaway: Jesus’ word to me today is a stirring reminder that my life matters to him. He can see all the 7.5 billion people in the world, one at a time, including me. He knows me and knows where I am. The desire of his heart is for me to trust him and allow him to be salt and light through me, wherever I may be, even, or perhaps especially, where discord and strife abound.

Sē’lah

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.