Sermon on the Mount (4) – Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16)

by Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

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We are all familiar with this scripture passage. Jesus clearly defined our identity as Christians – we are the salt of the earth, we are light of the world. We must take note of a very important verb in this passage, “are”. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. Jesus is not saying we must be the salt and light of the world. This is an issue of life – if we are not salt, we are not light; no matter what we do we cannot become salt and light. Salt and light are our identity, we are salt and light. Salt cannot lose its saltiness, light cannot be hidden. We are salt, we are light. What are the uses of salt and light?

I. We are Salt

1. Salt Creates a Longing

We all know that if we take in too much salt, we will become thirsty. When we go out to eat, we often feel thirsty afterwards. This is because the restaurants put in a lot of salt in their dishes, they do this to make the dishes delicious and make us crave for them. If you like to play ball, you sweat profusely during play. It is not enough to drink water afterwards because you lose a lot of salt content. You would need to ingest salt in some form to replace your body’s needs.

When there is too much salt, it creates thirst; when there is too little salt, it also creates thirst. We are the salt of the earth, when people see us, do they feel a certain longing? Do they long to become a Christian too? This is the exhortation of the Bible for wives – if their husband do not believe the word, the wives may win them over by their behaviour, creating a hunger in the husband to become Christians. Jesus said: “…that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” From our lives, we must show the glory of God; this is the function of salt.

In the Old Testament, there was a woman named Naomi, her daughter-in-law was Ruth. We all know Ruth, yet ignore Naomi. Ruth was a Moabitess, who because of faith followed her mother-in-law back to Judah. She became the wife of Boaz, the great grandmother of King David. Ruth was really admirable. But Naomi was even more admirable, for Ruth came to know the Lord because of her mother-in-law. Ruth saw the glory of the Lord in her mother-in-law’s life, making her unwilling to leave her. She told Naomi, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God… May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

How can a pagan say your people will be my people, your God my God? Naomi was salt. She caused Ruth to feel a longing for God. We all know that the relationship of mother and daughter-in-laws are full of struggles. Daughter-in-laws do not like to live with their mother-in-laws, because two women fight over one kitchen, whoever controls the kitchen becomes the mistress of the house. Ruth said I will go with you, I will not leave you. Naomi must have been truly different, causing Ruth to desire to follow her. Naomi was salt.

In the New Testament, Jesus was salt of the earth, Matthew 4:18-22 records Jesus calling his four disciples (two pairs of brothers) to follow him. The first pair was Peter and Andrew. At that time, they were casting a net into the lake, trying to catch fish. Suddenly Jesus said, “Come, follow me.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Later on, Jesus saw James and John, they were preparing their nets. Jesus told them, “Come, follow me.” They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him. Jesus had a special drawing power, so that people long to follow him – some left their boats, some left their nets, some left their parents to follow him, because Jesus was salt.

Brothers and sisters, we are salt. How many areas in our lives are desirable to others? But when salt loses its saltiness, men will not find anything desirable, in fact they will trample us, because we have lost our testimonies.

2. Salt acts as a preservative

In the Old Testament, when the people make offerings to the Lord, they add on a little salt. This becomes an everlasting covenant of salt, for salt acts as a preservative. It represents the indestructible covenant between God and man. Jesus said you are the salt of the earth. When we are at home, we are as preservatives in the home. When we are in the office, we are to act as preservatives in our workplaces. When we are in the church, then the church functions as a preservative. When we are out in the society, then there is preservative in the society.

We are the salt of the earth, we must be a firm rock in a turbulent stream and not be carried away by the tide. During Noah’s time, people were eating and drinking, marrying and remarrying. Eating and drinking and marrying are normal activities, but add the word `again and again’, then that is already indulgence of the flesh. This is a manifestation of people loving revelry more than loving God. We must not forget that this was the situation in the whole world. Nobody then would say you are doing wrong.

In fact, when everyone is doing it and you don’t, people will criticize you, and say you are pretending to be upright. People will persecute you saying you are a killjoy, you don’t know how to get along with your fellowmen. Noah was salt during his time. He was a firm rock against the turbulent tide of that time. He was not willing to flow with the trend, because he was the salt of the earth. Noah had three sons. The Bible tells us there were eight in his family who entered the ark. Why were there eight? Noah did not have three wives. Noah’s three sons didn’t have more than one wife each. One husband and one wife was Noah’s standard. When everyone were marrying and remarrying, Noah was not swayed. He acted as a preservative; he was the salt of the earth.

3. Salt acts as a harmonizing element

Mark 9:50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Salt acts as a harmonizing element. The Bible commands us to be at peace with each other. Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

The Sermon on the Mount says blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. We are peacemakers, not troublemakers. Wherever we go, we bring peace not trouble. We create peace not trouble. If everyone shuns you and it is not because you are holy, it could probably be because you are trouble, you have lost your peacemaking function! St. Francis’ prayer says: Make me a channel of your peace – Where there is hatred let me bring your love, Where there is injury, your pardon Lord, And where there is doubt true faith in You; Make me a channel of your peace; Where there is despair in life let me bring hope; Where there is darkness only light, And where there’s sadness ever joy.

II. We are Light

The Lord said: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. We are light, there is no question about that, but why do we are lights fail to shine sometimes?

1. Light under a bushel

What is a bushel? A bushel is utensil for measurement. Before, when people were poor, they don’t buy 25 kilos, 50 kilos of rice, they buy a bushel or two only. The vendor uses a bushel to measure an exact amount, no more and no less. So, a bushel represents being exacting or petty. We cannot shine for the Lord, if our light is hidden under a bushel, keeping accounts with others constantly. A petty Christian cannot shine his light for the Lord.

Abraham and Lot’s Story: When their wealth had increased, Abraham and Lot could no longer stay together. Abraham told Lot: If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left. You choose first. Lot did not waste time and immediately chose the plains, because Lot was very petty, he was good in accounting. They were both shepherds, and their flocks needed grass and water; there were plenty of water and grass in the plains. So Lot chose the plains. Abraham had no recourse but to go up the hills. We see then that Abraham shone his light for the Lord, and as for Lot’s light, it could not be seen at all.

This year, I went on a vacation with my family to Singapore. Because I was not familiar with the country, I asked my friend who lives there to make arrangements for me. When I arrived, he was already at the airport waiting for us. He brought us to the hotel and handed each one of us an MRT card with more than a week’s worth of train fare. Every night he would bring us out to eat in the best restaurants. We felt very embarrassed by his tremendous generosity, so I told him firmly not to come anymore on the next night. When we were to check-out of our hotel, we found out that he had already paid everything for us. We had booked two rooms and I knew that hotel rates in Singapore were very expensive. I felt very uneasy, so when I returned the MRT cards, I placed the payment for the hotel charges inside the same envelope. When he received the envelope, he immediately sensed what I had done and refused to accept it. But I insisted adamantly. I told him that if he does not accept it then I will not return to Singapore again. He had no choice but to accept my payment. But he immediately brought us to a restaurant and treated us again. My children kept saying that this uncle is so kind. He is a Christian whose light is shining. I’ve known him for a long time, and he is someone who has never been petty, his light is shining brightly.

How about us? Some Christians would keep account of every cent, every quarter. When they hear someone say something about them, they would immediately react and make a big fuss. Sometimes people would come and tell me their problems. Afterwards I would realize there was no issue at all. How come they make such big issues of non-issues? Where did our light go! Someone said: I can eat anything, beef, pork, fish, but I cannot swallow being shortchanged. Your light under a bushel cannot shine for the Lord. May we all learn to bear with being shortchange sometimes.

2. Under the bed

Mark 4:21 “He (Jesus) said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?” The Gospel of Mark added one more – under a bed. Some people put their lamps under a bed, such that it cannot shine its light. What does bed symbolize? A bed may symbolize at least two things.

1.A. Laziness

A bed is a place for resting. There is nothing wrong at all with resting. The Lord created the world in six days and made the seventh a day of rest, so that man could rest. But rest is not just an enjoyment. We rest in order to gather strength for tomorrow’s labor. But some people become lazy because of their bed. They are not willing to stand up and shine their light for the Lord. Often our spiritual failures begin from laziness.

2 Samuel 11:2 One evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. David didn’t want to get up from his bed until the sun was gone! As a result he saw a woman bathing and fell into the sin of adultery.

We truly must be alert! Since I graduated from seminary 22 years ago, aside from times when I didn’t feel well, I had always arrived at my office by 7:30 a.m.; because I am afraid of turning into a lazy pastor. When a person begins to turn lazy, his light will slowly dim. When a Christian labors diligently for the Lord, his light becomes brighter and brighter. Paul was such a man. For thirty long years, he labored diligently for the Lord. He spread the Gospel from the Middle East to Europe. The founder of The Church Assembly Hall, Watchman Nee said he would need 300 years to do what Paul did in 30 years. On one hand, of course it was because Paul was gifted, but on the other hand, it was also because Paul was very diligent!

2.A. Immorality

Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure.” Genesis 49:3-4 ““Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up to your father’s bed, onto my couch and defiled it.” To put a lamp under a bed also means immorality. Immorality extinguishes our light for the Lord. The Book of Genesis records Reuben as a good example. He was supposed to be the first child of Jacob, he possessed honor and power; but he sinned with his father’s concubines and lost his light and his honor.

A lamp under a bed, on one hand means a lack of diligence, and on the other hand, it also means impurity of life. A Christian who lives like that cannot shine for the Lord.

3. Under a Cellar

Luke 11:33 “No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.” In the Gospel of Luke, one more item is mentioned – a cellar. Cellar means under the ground. Underground is a place where there is no light, a place where there is total darkness.

We often say: where there is light there is no darkness, for darkness cannot overcome the light. But in history, once, darkness overcame light because darkness swallowed up the light. That was in Egypt, the Lord sent the ten plagues through the hand of Moses, and one of those plagues was the plague of darkness. Exodus 10:21-23 “…total darkness covered all Egypt for three days…”

Imagine, if you were an Egyptian, when total darkness came, what would you have done? I am sure you would go light a lamp. However during those three days, the light from any lamp lost its usefulness, for the Bible said it was a darkness that could be felt. Darkness became like an object that covered the light. This is a frightening occurrence! Maybe you are thinking: How can that be! Brothers and sisters, when we humble ourselves, we will acknowledge that in our daily life, there are many areas which we do not let others see, which we do not want exposed, because if they were, we will be ashamed. Aren’t these things exactly as the case of darkness overcoming the light?

We are the light of the world, but when there are dark things in us, light is lost. The Church is where the children of light come together. This should be a place full of light. There must not even be a hint of darkness in it. But in reality, it is not so. In many churches, including CBCP, there is an air of politeness on the surface, but behind the scene, there are backbiting and slandering. Sometimes, factions and divisions appear in the church, isn’t this a case of darkness overcoming the light?

I pray that this will not ever happen to CBCP. When the church is full of darkness, the church is no longer a church. The Lord Jesus said: We are salt, we are light. Salt cannot lose its saltiness, neither can light be hidden. Salt must maintain its saltiness, and light must continue to shine. May the Lord bless us, so that we will be salt that has saltiness and light that has radiance.