Far from being out of touch with things around us, as some portray us today as they seek to marginalize our influence and relegate us to some backwater part of the culture, from Jesus’ perspective we are front and center – the very key to His plans. You Christians, if you match the description of these beatitudes, are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Not "a" salt and "a" light but "the" salt and "the" light - the only one. Don’t ever forget that my friends! Your presence here is by God’s design and your mission is divine.

In an earlier day a large industrial company located in a small town wanted to expand its operations. When the matter became known to the public there was the usual element of opposition from people who didn’t want to see any further industrial growth in the community. "What good does it do us," they asked out loud, "to allow this company to expand solely for their own profit?"

The owners of the company withdrew their request from the city planners for awhile and decided to try to make a point. They went to Las Vegas and bought a bunch of silver dollars. Then they returned home and started paying their employees in silver rather than checks. Silver dollars, seldom seen in the money circulation of the little town before, now began to flow over counters in stores, gas stations, theaters and restaurants. Nearly every kind of transaction soon involved the exchange of silver – until they had made their point and the influence of that company on the prosperity of the community was better understood. The opposition to the expansion was withdrawn and the company completed its additions to the benefit of all around.

The power of influence is sometimes difficult to realize. It is the power of influence that is behind the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:13-16, where He said:

Continuing again this morning in our series from the Sermon on the Mount called Learning from the Worlds Greatest Sermon in Matthew 5-7, today’s message, based on Matthew 5:13-16 is called, "God’s People Influence the World."

Both salt and light, as mentioned here by Jesus, have strong influential properties. You do not come into contact with either without being affected. We’ll consider each one carefully in this sermon.

Before we do that though, I want you to understand the context of Jesus’ words. Note that He said "you are the salt of the earth" - "you are the light of the world." To whom was He referring?

In the context of what He has said so far in the Sermon on the Mount, I think we’d have to say that He was referring to those who are blessed by God because they realize that due to their sin they are poor in spirit, and they mourn that condition. Because of this realization, they have set aside their personal arrogance and are gentle or meek. Though they realize they are not perfect, they hunger and thirst for righteousness in their lives. They are merciful because they know God’s mercy themselves. They are pure in heart because they have realized God’s concern for even their motives. They are peacemakers because they have first experienced God’s peace themselves and now desire for others to have it. But alas, they also are those who have discovered that the world around them sometimes despises these things to the extent that they insult them and persecute them and say all kinds of evil against them falsely. This does not stop them however, because they realize two things: First, that this is the way the world has always treated God’s true people, including the prophets who came before them and second, because they know that their reward in heaven is great.

To the people who match this description then, Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world…."

According to Greek scholars who have studied this passage, in the original language the "you" is emphatic and it is plural. The idea is, "You people alone are the salt of the earth… you people alone are the light of the world."(1)

This exclusivity, which we noted all the way though our study of the beatitudes, is important. Those who make up God’s people – the redeemed – the true church - though they are often misunderstood, persecuted, devalued and maligned - which can become very discouraging – according to Jesus these people (and I hope you count yourself among them) have a critical role of influence in this world for God. We and we alone have a divine mission. We are God’s means for spreading His influence. Far from being out of touch with things around us, as some portray us today as they seek to marginalize our influence and relegate us to some backwater part of the culture, from Jesus’ perspective we are front and center – the very key to His plans. You Christians, if you match the description of these beatitudes, are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Not "a" salt and "a" light but "the" salt and "the" light - the only one. Don’t ever forget that my friends! Your presence here is by God’s design and your mission is divine.

OK. Let’s look more specifically at these metaphors of salt and light and see what we can learn. Let’s look first at:

Though Jesus didn’t elaborate on His choice of the metaphor of salt, its meaning was probably obvious to those who first heard this sermon. There have been numerous suggestions from people today as to what characteristics of salt Jesus was attributing to His followers. Some have suggested that since the color of salt is white; perhaps He wanted to convey the idea of purity. In that case this would mean that we are the embodiment of God’s purity on the earth. Yet if we look more closely, His point had to do with the saltiness of salt, not the color. He says in verse 13, "If the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?"

Others have suggested that Jesus’ metaphor of salt here refers to the characteristic flavor of the substance when used to season food. In that line of thinking, Jesus words would convey that it is the role of Christians to "season" an otherwise drab and tasteless world and make it more pleasant and tasteful. Those with this idea sometimes say that Christians must not be dull or boring but must convey a pleasant taste and excitement to the world around them that would attract people to God. The problem I have with that idea is that true Christianity is far from being the thing the world reaches for in their lives as they would a salt shaker for their food to find more excitement and good taste. More often they find our faith revolting and objectionable and restrictive. Some, who have developed this line of thinking, in their attempt to make Christianity more "exciting" have in the process, turned it into a dog and pony show, gutting the faith of its real meaning in the process. Given the truth stated later in the Sermon on the Mount that only the narrow gate leads to life and only the few will ever enter by it,(2) I find it hard to believe that there will ever be a time when Christianity will appeal to the vast majority of people in such a way as to make them desire it to make their more tasteful and exciting, no matter how salty it becomes. To add to that, Jesus has already spoken of the world’s tendency to persecute God’s people, which is a far cry from reaching out to it to make their lives more pleasant.

A similar idea of salt as a flavoring that makes more sense to me is the thought that the presence and "taste" of true Christians in the world makes the otherwise rotten world more acceptable to God and thus forestalls His judgment. This idea is bolstered when we consider the exchange between Abraham and God in Genesis 18 where the patriarch asked God if He would spare ancient Sodom from destruction if there were only 50 righteous people present in the city. To that God said "yes." Then Abraham said, "What if there are only 45 or 40?" He received the same "yes" answer. "What if there are only 30, 20, or even just 10?" God said he would spare the city if there were just 10 righteous people living there. Of course Sodom wasn’t spared because there were only four righteous people living there – Lot and his wife and two daughters – and even these were questionable. But God removed these people prior to raining fire and brimstone on the wickedness that remained.

It’s ironic, don’t you think, that because she looked back in disobedience, Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt? Would we be going too far to assume that God’s attitude toward her was, "If you won’t be salt in your community, I’ll make you salt?"

Some have suggested that Jesus’ employment of the word "salt" here conveys the idea of great value. Salt for us living today is plentiful due to our advanced methods of refining and distribution. In ancient times however, salt was a precious commodity – sometimes very hard to come by. There was even a time in ancient Roman history where salt was so valuable it was used as a means of exchange – like money. At one time Roman soldiers were actually paid in salt – which led to the modern expression of one who is "not worth his salt." If this is what Jesus meant, He was conveying the special worth of His people. As the salt of the earth, you are a precious and special commodity.

Others suggest that perhaps Jesus was referring to the stinging effect of salt when you rub it into a wound – meaning that Christians are to sting the world, prick its conscience, and make it uncomfortable by their witness and message. That indeed is the affect of the truth of God’s word sometimes so it could have been what Jesus meant. Let me say though that if that is what the Lord meant, much of the modern church has surely drifted away from its purpose as often there is so much concern for not offending people that the actual stinging truth of the message gets left out altogether. A church that doesn’t confront the world with its sin in the process of offering God’s great remedy of the gospel is not doing God’s work. Sometimes the truth of the message does sting and there is nothing we can do, aside from omitting, to make it otherwise.

Salt also creates thirst. The other day I heard somebody challenge the old adage that "you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink." The guy said, "I can make him drink. Just feed him some salt and he’ll drink."

It could be that what Jesus meant by "salt of the earth" was that our presence creates a thirst for God in this world when we live the way we should and share the message of Christ. Yet perhaps you’ve experienced, as I have, that often the only thing produced by our presence is contempt for the things of God.

I was in the middle of writing his message last week when I drove from my home office to the church office in the afternoon. I turned on the radio as I drove and just happened to tune in to the Michael Medved talk show in time to hear one of his callers say, almost in a rage, that he thought all Christians should be rounded up and shot and the sooner that happened, the better off the country would be. Though the show host did an excellent job of conveying the Christian contributions to our culture, this guy wouldn’t back down. All I can say is that I’m glad people like this aren’t in the majority. The Christian witness did not produce thirst for the things of God in this man’s case. It only produced hatred at a level you seldom hear so candidly in the public media.

Of the various things Jesus could have meant by His statement about salt, the one that makes the most sense to me underscores the ancient role of salt as a preservative. In the days before Frigidaire and Amana, Mason and Kerr, the major means of preserving food from spoilage was salt. Things like meat, for instance, could be kept for extended periods of time when cured and packed in salt.

According to the FDA website, salt restricts bacterial growth in many foods. As it comes into contact with the food item it lowers the amount of "free" water molecules which bacteria need to grow.(3)

Likewise, the presence of God’s people, as we come into contact with the world, retards the growth and advancement of sin, slowing the progression of moral and spiritual spoilage of society.

Without this divine retardation of sin and decay, society is in a constant downward spiral into hopeless destruction. This was seen first in the world before the flood. It went from the bliss and perfection of the Garden of Eden to the nearly total destruction of the flood. Then after the flood the descendants of Noah again were headed down the path of corruption when God called Abraham. Judaism experienced several high points of spirituality in its history, but each time they were followed by a decay and breakdown. The same trends can be noticed today. As Paul wrote 2 Timothy 3:13: "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." The presence of God’s people is like salt in that it retards spoilage and slows the progression of sin in society.

Along this line let me note a couple of important things. First, for salt to have its preserving effect there must be contact with the item needing preservation. Likewise, we must have contact with the world if it is to be preserved. I’m sure this is one of the reasons that Satan is trying so hard today to eliminate the Christian testimony from the public setting.

Jesus made it very clear elsewhere that though we are not "of the world," we are definitely to be "in the world," influencing things around us. Listen to His words as He prayed to His Father in John 17:15-18: "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world… As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world."

For us to "hole up" someplace and just wait for the return of Christ, shunning interaction with the world around us is not the will of God. There has to be contact with the salt in order for decay to be retarded.

While I’m on the subject, especially since we are in that season, I believe it is the Christian’s responsibility before God to vote. This idea that since we’re citizens of another realm we have no role in this world flies in the face of Jesus’ salt metaphor. If you put the salt on a shelf someplace in a jar so that it has no effect on the meat, you share responsibility for the spoilage that results. In this country at least, we have the matchless legal privilege to speak up and have a preserving effect on our society through the ballot box. Why would we want to ignore it? No, I’m not referring to a Democrat, Republican, Independent thing here. I’m referring to a moral thing. If we have the chance, for instance, to reverse an immoral law by our voting and we pass it up, we share the blame when things go morally wrong around us. In fact, look again at Jesus’ words in verse 13: "… But if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men." A Christian witness with no influence is, according to Jesus, "good for nothing" except trampling under foot.

No, the first purpose of the church is not politics. The first purpose of the church is to reach out to the world with the gospel and to nurture and develop those who respond to it. But our presence should have a preserving effect whenever and wherever we have contact with the world.

We’ve talked about salt as a preserving influence – let’s also talk briefly about Jesus’ second metaphor:

"You are the light of the world," He said in verse 14. "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

Unlike salt, which has a gradual, hidden influence, light has a sudden, flashy, noticeable influence. It is very difficult to ignore light – especially when things around you are dark. Jesus here compares His people, His church to a city set up on a hill that simply cannot be obscured from view and a lamp that is purposely set up high on a lampstand so that it lights the whole house.

Our faith is not meant for hiding in the shadows. It is not meant for concealment as a private affair. Those who see their faith as a "personal matter between themselves and God alone" to the extent that no one ever knows they are Christians are off course in their understanding of what the Lord has taught us.

By the way, it is my opinion that a politician who uses that line – "I have a personal faith that is between myself and God alone" – does not posses true Christian faith. More likely he or she is simply pretending to have faith to get votes. If there is real faith, according to Jesus, it "cannot be hidden."

Do people in your world know that you are a Christian? If you answer is "no," then I ask, "Why?" Is it because you don’t know how to let them know? If so, Jesus gives the answer here for you. He says in verse 16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Two things are necessary for this to happen. First you must have good works. Your faith must be active in what you do. If you do not carry what you do here in this building outside and into your life where it impacts your behavior, then you’re probably living a sham. Paul put it this way in Philippians 2:15-16: "…Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…." Do that and you’ll be noticed because your life will be a contrast to what is around you.

Second, when people see your good works, they must attribute it to the influence of God in your life. It isn’t enough, when you do good works and people see it and compliment you, to smile and say "Thanks. I try to do what is right." That focuses attention on you. Instead you must focus the attention on God. Perhaps you could say, "Thanks. I do these things because I’m a Christian," or "Thanks. I’m just doing what my Lord wants me to do." Does that seem too forward? If so, then I ask, "How else people will know the source of the good in your life if you don’t tell them?"

Not everyone around you is happy with the state of things in this darkened world. They just don’t know what to do about it. They don’t have any answers. Those they look to for help don’t either. Secretly perhaps, some of them wish things could be better. Perhaps they’re raising kids and are concerned about all of the destructive paths that present themselves, but those around them either don’t seem to care or are caught up in promoting the darkness themselves. Then in the course of living, they come upon you. You’re a Christian and your life if different – seen in the way you act and the things you do. They notice. At first they are skeptical but that light in your life just keeps shining, bringing the issue up again and again. Finally perhaps, they develop the courage to speak to you. "You seem different," they say. "I can’t quite figure it out. Why are you not like all the others around us?" Then you tell them why.

A life lit up by good works is an attractive life. If we darkened this room to the point that no one of us could see, and then I shined a tiny pen light up front here, you would all notice, even though it is a relatively small, even weak source. That’s the way light is. It attracts attention and the darker the room the greater the power of attraction. We’re supposed to be lights.

"You are a chosen race," wrote Peter in 1 Peter 2:9, "a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…."

"…Do not be partakers with them," wrote Paul in Ephesians 5:7-10, "for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord."

If you’re discouraged about the growing darkness around you and the state of moral decay in this society, rather than give up in despair, why not consider this positive side of it? The darker the room, the greater the effect of true light. You can count the darkness a curse or you can consider it a growing opportunity. Many Christians believe they are powerless because of the growing darkness around them. Yet all the while they are carrying around God’s solution to the problem. They have their lights switched off and they need to turn them on. Perhaps it’s because they’re afraid to draw too much attention. Perhaps they aren’t confident enough to believe that it will work. Either way the result is the same. So I say to all of you what Jesus said. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Henry Rogers, a brilliant lawyer of a few years ago, wrote a book entitled, The Eclipse of Faith. In it he imagined that some powerful hand had wiped away the influence of Jesus Christ on our civilization, as a hand might wipe the writing from a chalk board in a classroom. He imagined himself going into his library to discover that every vestige of Christ’s life and influence had disappeared. He opened his law books which had contained the legal safeguards protecting women, children, the poor and the innocent and found huge sections missing. He turned to his histories of art and found that some of the world’s greatest masterpieces had disappeared. He turned to his literature books only to find blank pages where formerly there had been the great writings of Dante, Milton, Browning, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Longfellow, Whittier, and many others. Stories like Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol" were lost completely.

Next he turned to the world of music and found gaping holes where there had once been works of musical genius. Handel’s "Messiah" was utterly gone – not to mention the great hymns of the church through the centuries.

Rogers then realized that if the influence of Christ were not present, the schools, the hospitals, the orphanages, the missions, and many other of the world’s great benevolent institutions would never have been.

Finally the lawyer cried out that he wouldn’t want to live in a world where Christ’s influence was absent.

All it would take to make such a thing happen would be for God’s people to cease being salt and light to their world.

If you are a Christian you are already salt and you are already light. You just need to bring it to bear on the world around you.

Footnotes: Please use your back button to return to your place.

1. R.C.H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel; Augsburg Publishing House, printed 1964, pp. 198-201.
2. Matthew 7:13-14
3. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/a2z-p.html#preserve

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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