There are epic movies and classic stories where the hero has the mantle of a great task placed upon him. In one form or another, the words “You’re the only one who can do this,” come through and the hero or heroine takes up the task, whether it is like Jack in 24, or Frodo in the epic Lord of the Rings, or some other character. We imagine how we would do –would we take up the task, would we be chosen, would we feel the swell of pride and the challenge if we hear the words, “You are the only one who can do this.” Like Joshua in the Bible, would we take up the challenge and lead the people, or would we shirk away? Would we try to pass it off or be deprecate ourselves and say someone else should? Like Moses in the Old Testament would we come up with excuses why we couldn’t or shouldn’t take up the task?
Jesus has started speaking to those who would follow Him. In the early chapters of Matthew we find an intense path to God –the sermon on the mount and Jesus starts off with the beatitudes. Earlier this month we looked at this path that Jesus lays out, this path to a deeper relationship with God. Blessed are you when you follow this path –oh the blessedness of, oh the joy of growing closer to God, of walking down that path!
And then it is almost as if Jesus takes a pause. There is an unasked, an unstated question, “have you started down this path? Have you seen your separateness from God, Your lost-ness, and accepted blessing, the guidance and the path towards God? If you have, then… and now Jess begins to teach some of the nuts and bolts of the journey.
We cannot take what Jesus teaches in the rest of the SOTM out of isolation from these first dozen verses. Jesus now speaks to those who have seen their lost-ness, who mourn over their sin, who submit to the leadership of Jesus, who long for spiritual growth and righteousness, who want mercy and show mercy, keep themselves and seek to live in purity and wholeness though Christ and who become peacemakers –bringers of others into connection with God. Jesus speaks to them –Jesus speaks to us with an intensity and purpose.
Verse 13 of Matthew 5, “You are…” verse 14, “You are…” Can you feel the challenge? Can you feel that mantle being placed on your shoulders? Although he does not say, “You’re the only one who can do this,” he has placed the task before us. Will we take up the task, or walk away. The journey towards God is not easy –Jesus never said it would be. You will be persecuted! But great is the reward! The question I want you to answer in your life today is, will I take up the task? Maybe you have answered it already, maybe you have set it aside for a while. What is the task?
Read Matthew 5:13-16.
Now that you have started the journey, started in the path towards God, Jesus says, You are salt –you are light. It is not a question of whether you want to be salt or light but how you are as salt and light. When you see your lostness and sin and accept the gift of life offered through Jesus Christ, when you begin that journey towards God you become salt and light.
I think this is one of the things many Christians, or followers of Jesus, fail to see –that they are salt and light. When we become a Christian –a follower of Jesus Christ He through His Spirit comes into us and begins to infuse in us those qualities and attributes that are himself –he begins to work in us to make us more like Himself. This is given the nice word sanctification.
Pau the apostle, writes that we have moved from death to life. John the Disciples says we move from darkness to light. Jesus says, You are salt –you are light. Why? Because I am in you and leading you on that journey towards God.
The task is given, the mantle is placed. Will you be salt that is effective or salt that is cast aside? Will you be light that shines or is covered and hidden?
Salt and light are two of the most highly regarded aspects of life in the Ancient world. Inscribed in many Roman writings is the saying "there is nothing more useful than sun and salt". Kind of like "Coke is it" or Dodge Trucks are Ram tough." It was a saying of the day which reflected the importance of each of these to the people of Jesus day.
We know the importance of each –salt is very needed for our very survival. Salt is a key component of our electro-chemical make up. It is needed for cells to communicate and for them to function. We know what a low electrolyte count can do to our system as our body gets way out of whack. Also we know the importance of sunshine for life but also for providing us with vitamin D –an essential part of what is needed to make our immune system work right and also for our bones to be strong and healthy.
We know the importance of each in the broader scale as well where salt is used as a preservative (food), for taste, even for heat and cold (ice cream, heating). Sunlight is essential really for all life on earth –photosynthesis just is one key part. And just as in our time, those Jesus spoke too knew the importance of each – the common yet essential. And he used these two elements to talk about our influence –our impact in the world.
Influence is something we looked at a few months ago. And recently several of us went to conference where we heard this again –leadership is influence –pure and simple. We are all people of influence. We influence our children –they influence us. Our work world, our schools, our churches, our friends. We can have major or minor influences in people’s lives.
This last week I experienced two different moments of influence. First, it was on my way to my parents place after being picked up at the airport. As we were driving along the highway we saw a truck that had a Chicago Blackhawks flag stuck on the back. Remember this was when Vancouver was still playing them. There were people honking, giving this guy the finger, even veering close and cutting him off. Influence. My niece, who was driving, even got into it by honking and my mother booed –my mother! This guy was having a rather major influence on the attitude and driving patterns of many people –just by flying a Blackhawks flag in Canuck territory.
Influence. One simple act –waving a flag having major influence in others lives.
Salt and light are aspects of influence. Jesus gives us the purpose of being an influence –our goal, in verse 16. Read it carefully. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Read it again.
Tie this with salt –let your saltiness be savory among men, that they may taste your good life and praise your Father in heaven.
Our purpose in being salt and light is to ultimately bring glory to God. That is the purpose for which Jesus came –I have come to do (read John 17:1-5). Over and over Jesus brings this up –that His purpose was to do the work of the father, to bring people to the father, to bring glory to the Father.
Other writers bring this up in the NT as well. Paul in I Corinthians 10:31 sys, whatever you do (eat or drink) do it all for the glory of God. Our purpose, our objective is like that of Jesus –to bring glory to the Father. Salt and light have a purpose –to bring glory to the Father.
You are salt –you are light –your purpose is to bring glory to the father! Plain and simple. And Harsh! Listen carefully to the words of Jesus here –remember, he is making a declarative statement –You are! (read verses again)
Listen to them in another version –more from the Greek text –(Read from page).
Jesus spoke often in black and white –not shades of grey. We like to interpret things in shades of grey. The speed limit is 90 km/hr but I can go 10-15 over that! It was just a little white lie –we even call a lie white!
Jesus did not say here that we are to become salt and light, that we can think about it and decide. He did not even give us the option of being salt-lite or having a dimmer switch. We are salt -we are light! This is your task. Back to the beginning of the message –the mantle is placed upon you. It is something you must do –will you accept? Will the salt and light? Or well, look at the alternative –cast aside?
I would like to end in bringing it in context with the previous verses. As with all of the sermon on the mount, I think we need to see them in context of the path of discipleship that is given in the beatitudes. Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers. I think that this is in large part speaking of evangelism –bringing the good news to others, helping them to gain peace with God. Being salt and light is an important part of that –influencing others towards God –that is part of our journey to be peacemakers. But as we seek to be peace makers there will be opposition. People often do not like to hear that they are lost –that they are poor in spirit, and they react negatively towards this. Persecution, insult, false sayings, evil things. Unpleasant. And so because of this we may pull back from being peace makers –telling people about the good news.
Notice that it is right after this that Jesus makes the imperative statements you are! You are salt you are light, you are to influence others towards the father –this is you calling, you task, the mantle is placed on you. Do not hide this, do not be ineffective. Salt which is not salty is cast aside –light which is hidden is useless. You’re the ones who can do this. Will you take up the task? Will your saltiness and light be seen amoung men and bring glory to the Father? Will you influence people towards God that He may receive the glory?
Pray
Examine life and seriously ask –is my life as a follower of Jesus, being salt and light? Am I influencing people towards the Father that he will receive glory. Or am I like tasteless salt, a light hidden. Is it time for me to lift up the basket and let my life shine? Am I a peacemeaker between God and man?
Lord Jesus, let me be salt, let me be light that others may see my good works that honor you and then give you the glory!
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