by David Flatt
Synopsis: Examining what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount about "Salt and Light," David explains the positive effect of incorporating the Beatitudes into our lives.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matt. 5:13–16, KJV).
Jesus was and remains the Master Teacher. This sermon especially distinguished His authority as a teacher. Therefore, nothing Jesus ever taught was random or off the cuff. Forethought and purpose were evident in everything He did. This is demonstrated at this point of the sermon.
Jesus began His sermon by identifying qualities of blessedness. For worldly-minded people, the Beatitudes are strange and puzzling. However, these character traits are the means by which the kingdom of God is advanced on earth as it is in heaven. If we seek to live by these traits, we will become the salt of the earth and light of the world.
Jesus is teaching the power of example. To do this, He illustrates His point by using the examples of salt and light. Salt preserves, seasons or brings out flavor, sanitizes, and extracts moisture. In whatever application salt is used, it makes a noticeable difference. Sometimes, however, salt can lose its chemical properties and potency. When this happens, salt is entirely useless. Jesus described useless salt as being trodden under foot. In His day, dried salt deposits from the coastline of the Dead Sea or the Mediterranean Sea would be used for traction on steep paths.
Of course, light is a common metaphor throughout the Bible with deep spiritual meaning. The first recorded words spoken by God were, "Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3). Paul would later write of the light at creation symbolizing God bringing Jesus the Messiah to the world (2 Cor. 4:6). Light dispels darkness. It exposes what is kept and practiced in darkness. It is also a symbol of knowledge.
Citizens of God's kingdom are to seek to preserve those who are decaying from sin. The decay of sin is a sign of the coming death (Rom. 5:12). We must enlighten darkened minds and hearts with the light of truth. Idolatry and its ensuing sin results from wrong thinking and darkened hearts (Rom. 1:18-25). There are right and wrong ways of thinking. While many are not ready to hear this, the world is ruled by dark powers of evil, desperately needing to be illuminated by the Light of God's word. Yet, how s this to be accomplished?
Salt and light are powerful elements. When introduced and applied, neither goes unnoticed. Both must be properly used. If food is over-salted, it is inedible. If a light is too bright, it can cause blindness. Using the power we have as citizens of God's kingdom is challenging. We must carefully exert influence for the sake of advancing the kingdom.
Many have been misguided in how they have tried to advance God's kingdom: how they have tried to be salt and light. Some have been brash and condescending toward those needing the gospel. If we use the Beatitudes to understand how we are to be as salt and light, we will have a better grasp on how to advance the kingdom.
In a word, we advance the kingdom by love. While not yet directly mentioned, love is very much in the background of the Beatitudes. Love for God and our fellow man is demonstrated through the Beatitudes. Love is the means by which citizens of the kingdom can powerfully influence the world to glorify their Creator. Redemptive, self-giving love is unusual in the world. Love shapes our understanding of the power we possess and how to use this power to influence others for the sake of God's glory.
The use of power in the kingdom is here worth our consideration. On one occasion, James and John approached Jesus about sitting on either side of Him in the kingdom (Mark 10:35-45). These brothers acknowledged that Jesus was king, but wanted to be landlords in the kingdom. They wanted power. Jesus responded to their selfish demand by saying, "Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:42–45).
The power that James and John desired was the kind of power the Gentiles used to rule the world. The sons of Zebedee were well-acquainted with this kind of power. For about seventy years, the Roman Empire had tyrannically oppressed the world. Israel was no exception to their oppressive hand. The Romans used violence to acquire and maintain dominance in the world. Now, in this historical context, Jesus had been preaching about establishing a kingdom of His own. Surely, His kingdom would use similar methods of exerting power.
Of course, just the opposite was true. Power would be used in an entirely different fashion in God's kingdom—no longer being expressed through force, violence, and oppression. As the prophets foreshadowed, weapons of warfare would be repurposed into farming equipment; the lion and lamb would lie down together in peace (Isa. 11:6, 65:25; Mic. 4:3). Power would be evidenced through self-giving, most clearly demonstrated when Jesus died as a ransom for many.
Understanding the proper use of power in the kingdom is critical. The proper use of power helps us better understand the intent of the Beatitudes. The qualities of self-giving love are the means by which the purposes of God's kingdom are promoted in the world. Living by the Beatitudes will help promote the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
What is the goal of power? What is the goal of the kingdom? What is the goal of a godly influence? Is the goal of the Beatitudes the means to make us better than the rest of the world? Is the goal of the Beatitudes to give us a moral and ethical code of conduct whereby we do the greatest good and the least harm?
The goal of the Beatitudes is to compel others to share in a lifetime of glorifying our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). The goal of power in the kingdom is to cause other people to recognize their Creator and glorify Him. When idolaters have the image of the Creator they once rejected renewed by the Messiah in the Spirit, they can return to the original purpose of being human: glorifying the Father of us all. All that is involved in this process is detailed, but the goal of the kingdom is just this simple. When idolaters seek the image of God to be renewed within themselves, the kingdom of God grows on earth as it does in heaven.
Do citizens of the kingdom have faith in the life described by Jesus? Jesus declared that this life would powerfully impact the hearts and minds of those who bear witness to it. We tend to overlook the actual teachings of Jesus regarding how to grow the kingdom, focusing instead on superficial things to accomplish this end: dynamic preacher, nice facilities, or social activities. Jesus tells us to live by the Beatitudes, and thus become the salt of the earth and light of the world. Perhaps we struggle to grow the kingdom, because we are not growing the qualities of the kingdom in our own lives.
Does Jesus have our attention? In just a few sentences, He has boldly declared the character of kingdom citizens. He has explained the purpose of why He wants citizens of a specific character. Have we been sufficiently challenged to this point?
If we want to become the salt of the earth and light of the world to advance the kingdom of God, we would be wise to examine our hearts and minds deeply. The world can blind us to what it truly means to be a citizen of God's kingdom—what it means to be a Christian. Jesus did not declare, blessed are the capitalists, patriots, Republicans, or Democrats. He did not declare the blessed are Americans, the middle-class, or two-income families. To successfully grow God's kingdom in our lives, our communities, and our world, we must resist, and reject worldly measures of success, strength, and prosperity.
The world desperately needs us to become salt and light. The world is crooked and perverse: inside-out and backward (Phil. 2:12-16). The only way the world can be righted is through obedience to Jesus (Rom. 1:16-17). This obedience is powerfully encouraged through the Beatitudes. Rather than just skim over these traits, let us slow down, and make an honest assessment of them in our lives. The salvation we and others so desperately need as sinners depends on us becoming salt and light through the Beatitudes.
Author Bio: David Flatt and his family have labored with the Thayer Street congregation in Akron, Ohio since 2008. The church website is thayerstreetcoc.org. He can be reached at dflatt85@yahoo.com.
