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Matthew 5:13-15 and Luke 6:46-49 (Matthew 7:24-27)

Fact: you are salt

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”

Sodium chloride, a.k.a. salt, is absolutely essential for human life. Salt is needed for the transmission of nerve impulses and for the contracting and relaxing of muscles. It is also necessary to regulate blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are sometimes advised to lower the amount of their salt intake. But too little salt, and your blood pressure will plummet, which actually could contribute to cardiovascular problems. The body uses salt to regulate fluid levels, and so it is essential to good heart, kidney and liver function. Salt also kills bacteria, so in the absence of other sterilizing agents, in an emergency it can be used to treat wounds (though admittedly, it is painful, which is why we have the expression, “pouring salt on an open wound”).

A good half hour or 45-minute mineral soak will make you feel like a million bucks (one of the bonuses of spending an afternoon at the Dead Sea!)

In the ancient world, salt was considerably more difficult to obtain than today. And, because it was used to preserve food before the existence of canning and refrigeration, it had very high value. The Latin words sal and salarium are the basis for the words ‘salt’ and ‘salary’. Roman soldiers were required to purchase their own food and equipment, and the salarium was a subsidy – a sum of money they received to purchase salt to preserve their food during extended military campaigns. The type of sodium chloride (NaCl) available to us today is very pure and, because it is a very stable element, it never loses its flavor. Salt in the ancient world was much less pure, so it actually could lose its flavor.

When you hear the expression that someone “isn’t worth their salt” it means they are thought to be undeserving of their pay. When you are told to take something “with a grain of salt” it means not to put too much trust in it, just as a grain of salt can make something that tastes foul (like Brussel sprouts) a little easier to swallow. And, of course, a pinch of salt always adds nice flavor to a meal.

So, in light of these things, what did Yeshua mean when He said to His talmidim (disciples), “You are the salt of the earth”?

It really has dual meaning. On the one hand, if we are really His followers, and if we are allowing God to work the necessary changes in our character, it will reflect in our conduct – our attitudes and actions, making life a little more convivial for everyone around us. Like a modest dash of salt enhances the flavor of that juicy, piping hot medium-well steak, a genuine disciple of Yeshua will add n’eemoot – pleasantness to the lives of those around them.

And, just as salt kills bacteria and preserves perishable food, there is a sense in which this world is preserved from descending into utter lawlessness and merciless violence by the presence of godly individuals. This isn’t a new idea; nor was it new in Yeshua’s day. We have the ancient example of Abraham bargaining with God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if even a handful of righteous men could be found there. Adonai would have done so if even just ten godly men were there.

But there is also this to consider; just as salt on an open wound is painful, if we are outspoken about our faith, and trying to live a godly life in a morally corrupt and lawless society, people will turn on you. Do you remember how the people of Sodom resented Lot for his urging them not to do an evil thing? They were ready to kill him! And he wasn’t the only example. The people of Israel resented Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb and murmured against them repeatedly, especially when Moses urged the people to repent and trust in Adonai. On multiple occasions, our people were prepared to kill the righteous few.

Some of the wisest and godliest men in all of history – Israel’s prophets; men like Isaiah and Jeremiah, whose memory we now revere, were despised in their own generation. They took our people to task for our brazen disloyalty and sin against God. As a reward for their courage to speak the truth, these men were persecuted, slandered, beaten, and in several cases, murdered. Messiah said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you…” and He was right, and everyone knew it. But the religious leaders, following the very same pattern, didn’t want to hear it, either, and set out to get rid of Him.

Yeshua didn’t say, “Aspire to be the salt of the earth.” He said, “You ARE the salt of the earth.” The question is: are you salty? Do people know you follow Yeshua, or have you kept that little detail under wraps? Are you willing to rock the boat in a good way, challenging people to repent and believe, or do you fit in so comfortably with the crowd that you are completely innocuous – useless; like unsalty salt?

Fact: you are light

“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. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

When, in Genesis 1, we read, and God said, “Let there be light; and there was light…” it isn’t talking about the creation of the sun. The sun, moon and stars weren’t created until the fourth day. When the infinite God created the vast, but finite, physical universe, it didn’t have light until He spoke and light came into existence within it. Light is a property. Darkness isn’t a property; the degree of darkness in a place consists in how much or how little light is present there.

Our perception of light is a fascinating thing. In fact, it was a study of how the extraordinary and complex human eye functions, in relation to the electromagnetic spectrum of light, that first got me to realize there had to be more in this universe than what our limited vision allows us to see.

Light is measured in nanometers (nm). A nanometer is one billionth of a meter – so small that they are typically used to measure the size of atoms and molecules! Each nanometer represents a particle of the wavelength or band of light energy. What is visible to the human eye is that portion of the light spectrum falling between 380 nm (ultraviolet) and 780 nm (infrared). But that spectrum extends, potentially infinitely, in either direction. We perceive most likely just a fraction of it. It was this realization that first convinced me of the existence of living beings at farther ends of that spectrum, outside of our optic limitations. It got me thinking about the existence of God, and angels, and eventually I came to faith in Messiah Yeshua.

It goes without saying that light is a necessity for all of life on earth. Even the most basic process of growth in plants is called photosynthesis, from the Greek words jwV or fwtia, meaning light. We need light to see where we are, where we are going, and what to avoid. We need light even for our emotional well-being. What we call seasonal affective disorder is a fancy name for the days getting shorter and it getting dark earlier, and it’s depressing. Haven’t you felt the difference between walking down a dark street with few lights, versus walking down a street where there are more porch lights on, and it feels so much more welcoming? Don’t the additional festive lights of Chanukkah and Christmas add emotional warmth to the otherwise cold dark days of December?

So, let’s unpack what Yeshua meant when He said to His talmidim (disciples), “You are the light of the world”

This world is shrouded in spiritual darkness and is under satanic control. The vast majority of human beings are oblivious to it. Some actually delight in the fact. But even beyond the ruinous condition of the world, far too many people are on a trajectory toward eternal judgment.

A city on a hill cannot be hidden…

At the risk of seeming redundant, let me again point out that Yeshua didn’t say, “Aspire to be the light of the world.” He said, “You ARE the light of the world.” If you are a genuine believer, eventually it’s going to show. The lights of a city are visible from a considerable distance, but they are a welcome sight to someone who has been driving at night for hours.

Who we are on the inside sooner or later will make its way out, and we will be a known quantity. If you love the Lord, people will have you pegged pretty quickly. Your light will be visible from a long way off. But do your co-workers and friends know about you? Are you known as the ‘Jesus Freak’ of your neighborhood?

Yeshua went on to say, 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.

As an ambassador of Messiah, you are the equivalent of someone who, in the midst of a crowd of people helplessly groping about in a deep, dark cave, has a torch lamp, and are uniquely in a position to help lead the way out into the light. Isn’t it obvious what you should do? Why on earth wouldn’t you use it, and light the way? Once freed from the darkness, people are going to appreciate what you did.

Why would anyone hide the fact that we know the way out of judgment and into reconciliation with God and eternal life? Are you afraid people will call you a ‘goody-two-shoes’ or accuse you of being judgmental? Are you afraid they won’t like you anymore? If you keep silent about Messiah, you might avoid some uncomfortable situations, but what kind of friend would you be? If you’re worried about what people will think of you, there’s a name for that: Yirat Adam – the fear of man. And the fear of man is a trap. So long as that is what governs you, you will never be free. You’ll have to walk on eggshells. You’ll have to triangulate every word you say, and every action you take, for fear of how it will be interpreted. What kind of life is that? Instead, let your light shine, and be a free person.

Maybe it will help us to be reminded that it isn’t about us. If people don’t like who you are or what you are saying, remember that their quarrel isn’t with you. And you can remind them of that fact. It’s about Messiah Yeshua. He may call us the light of the world, but we aren’t the light source – He is. We are merely pointing people to the One who is the true light, who has come into the world. Our job is to reflect His light, much as the moon doesn’t have inherent light, but reflects the light of the sun.

So, be like the moon: reflect the S – O – N.

Fact: ignoring Messiah’s teaching is perilous

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

It’s interesting how this particular parable is prefaced with a k’vetch. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Oh, the joys of leadership. Ask any pastor, and they could tell you story after story (they won’t, but they could) of people who were making bad decisions, or heading down a potentially destructive path, and the pastor earnestly counseled them to do the right thing, to make wiser choices, to humble themselves and look to the Lord, only to have their advice ignored and sometimes even to have the person turn on them!

Sefer Mishslei – The Book of Proverbs, is replete with warnings about the disaster that comes to a person who is too proud to receive instruction or correction. It’s frightening when I think how many people, from week to week. sit in services, passively listening to messages from God’s Book; even mentally agreeing with it, but doing nothing about it.

In 2008 Hurricane Ike caused a 20-30 foot tidal surge to hit Gilchrist, TX, and almost the entire town was wiped out.

Here is a photograph of the only house on the Bolivar Peninsula that survived.

You see, the owners, Warren and Pam Williams, had lost their previous home three years earlier to Hurricane Rita. When they had the specs drawn up for this home, they had it put on super high stilts that were also set deep into the ground. They also had the house engineered to withstand a category 5 hurricane.

Now let me show you what it looks like when a poorly-engineered house is hit by a storm.

That, Messiah Yeshua told us, is just what will happen to our lives if we dismiss His instruction, and continue on about our lives on our own terms. Because, as I alluded to earlier, we don’t live in a spiritually and morally neutral world. This world is in deep darkness. If you are not putting Yeshua’s teachings into practice in your life, you are spiritually regressing, as though you were on a moving walkway that is going in reverse. If you walk with determination, you will make progress, even if a bit slowly. But if you stop walking, you’ll be carried backward quickly.

It could be argued that this particular parable of Yeshua’s serves as the foundation for all His other parables and teachings. If you only passively listen to them, but don’t take them to heart, and put His instruction into practice, it will go badly for you in the end.

How do you want your life to turn out? Be the wise builder, not the foolish builder. Recognize that Yeshua is the Light, and that His instruction is precisely what we need for life in this world, and in the World-To-Come. You are the salt of the earth, so be intentional, and flavor those around you with His goodness. You are the light of the world, so hold up the light and help those around you see just how good God really is, and point the way to the One who is the Light.