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Sermon: Salt and Light

This morning’s reading was from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where we heard the Beatitudes and then some instructions, and it is these instructions (vv. 13-16) that I have taken as my text this morning: Jesus’ discourse on salt and light, and how it applies to our lives as believers. In these verses, Jesus shares “two piercing metaphors on salt and light to illustrate the impact that the disciples will have on the world around them”,1 comparing them to salt and light and commanding them to be an example to others that they might in turn lead people to worship God. As J.C. Ryle explains, in his ‘Expository Thoughts’, “These verses teach us, in the first place, the character which true Christians must support and maintain in the world.”2

So let us consider salt and light in order, before considering what effect these instructions have on the life of the Christian believer.

Salt

“You are the salt of the earth.” (v. 16)3

When Jesus describes His disciples as salt, He is making an important statement. “He means,” says Calvin, “that it is their office to salt the earth”.4 This is to say that they themselves are not salty. This is not Jesus building the Disciples up, saying what great guys they are and how full of salt or the Spirit they are. This saltiness is not something that they have created, nor is it in their gift, but rather it is their responsibility. It is perhaps seen nowadays in the context of a Gospel Minister, where he is charged with spreading the Gospel, but he himself is not the Gospel. So here, Jesus’ disciples are the salt not because they’re great and godly people, because they themselves have been liberally “seasoned with the salt of heavenly doctrine”5 through their encounters with the Lord Jesus.

In using something like salt as His metaphor, Jesus was undoubtedly encouraging us to use our senses in understanding what He said. We can consider, therefore, how “salt has a peculiar taste of its own, utterly unlike anything else.”6 We know that the Christian faith is different to any other world religion. For our God is not vindictive or capricious, we do not have to earn our way to heaven, and we are not threatened with coming back as a lesser being after we die. Rather in the Christian faith we see that our God loves us more than we can ever know, and in His Son Jesus came to take the punishment for the sins that we ourselves committed. Not only does He not punish us for our sins, but He takes that punishment upon Himself. It is very hard to describe salt, isn’t it. If I was to describe it, I might say it was ‘salty’, but that isn’t much help. Maybe it tastes like Marmite, but what does Marmite taste like? Well, it tastes salty! Trying to explain salt to a person is mightily difficult, because it is its own unique flavour, it is peculiar.

Those of you who know the King James Bible will recall that in 1 Peter we are told that, as Christians, we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;” (1 Pet. 2. 9 KJV) Indeed, there was, in the part of the world I grew up in, once a denomination called ‘The Peculiar People’ (long since renamed, sadly). And yet, even as the title may sound, well, peculiar, the instruction remains. As Christians we are called to be markedly different from those around us, in our words, our actions and our thoughts. We are not meant to be different because we are unique and attention-seeking, rather we are meant not to conform with the world, but instead conform with God’s Will. How salty are you? Salt can only really be described by using words with ‘salt’ in them: can you only be described with words pointing to Jesus? Or have you begun to conform to the world around you?

Furthermore, we can consider the effect that salt has on its surroundings. Living by the coast you will be very familiar with the effect that salt water has: I suspect your cars rust far faster than they do in Glasgow! Or perhaps you go out on the water and, on returning, discover (as happens to me) that your glasses are coated with a very fine layer of salt from the spray of the sea. Those of you who are cooks know that “when [salt is] mingled with other substances it preserves them from corruption; it imparts a portion of its taste to everything it is mingled with.”7 We know that salted meat lasts longer than unsalted meat, and salted chips taste far nicer than unsalted ones, and that this is all down to the salt. I wonder whether you have ever encountered those Christians, good, saintly people, with whom spending only a few minutes can really recharge your batteries and fill you with the joy of the Lord? I know a few such people, and can attest that they are not only salty, but that their salt does rub off on other people.

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It is no longer good for anything expect to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (v13)

Salt, however, is useful, says Jesus, until it has “lost its taste” (v13). While I have never encountered this, Ellicott suggests that Dead Sea Salt has been known to lose its taste after many years,8 although this has been debated in recent years; but whether or not salt does lose its saltiness, what matters to us is that if it did lose its saltiness, there would be no purpose to it. Non-salty salt is pretty useless!

However, losing its saltiness is not the only way that the salt could become unusable. Plumptre explains that:

the salt which had become unfit for sacrificial [temple] use in the store-house was sprinkled in wet weather upon the slopes and steps of the temple to prevent the feet of the priests from slipping, and we may accordingly see in our Lord’s words a possible reference to this practice.9

For Temple Worship, the salt (like everything else) had to be pure. If it became contaminated in some way, it all had to be disposed of, hence being used underfoot.

We should not, however, take this as a threat. After all, we do not rely on a works-righteousness that says we only get to heaven if we do enough good things. We rely fully on the Lord Jesus Christ and His abundant grace for us. We can, however, take it as an encouragement: there will be times in our lives where we are at our most salty, where everything we touch is seasoned from above, and where we can do our most for God. Here we have an encouragement to ‘make hay while the sun shines’, to speak that word in season before it is too late for you to act. And of course, even when our bodies begin to fail us and we can no longer be the physical witness that once we could, we still have the power of prayer: some of the most salty and saintly people were those who are housebound but shower folk in prayer.

Light

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (v14)

Jesus then turns His attention to another metaphor. He describes His disciples as “the light of the world” (v14). Now of course, as we know from John’s Gospel, this title doesn’t fully belong to us:

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn. 8. 12)

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. (Jn. 1. 9)

The Lord Jesus Christ is “the true light” who brings light to mankind, and in reading this text we must never forget that. However, even so, you and I, as Christians, are “all children of the light, after having been enlightened by faith, and are commanded to carry in our hands ‘burning lamps,’ (that we may not wander in darkness,) and even to point out to others the way of life”.10 (“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning”, Lk. 12. 35) This means that we are “to live in such a manner, as if the eyes of all were upon [us]”.11

What can we know about light?

Firstly, light is entirely distinct from darkness.12 We can never confuse light and darkness, for they are polar opposites. Do you and I hold on to our former things of darkness, the things we said or did or felt or longed for before we were born again in Jesus Christ? If so, we are not truly a light, but are rather a degree of darkness. Those who put their trust fully in Christ, who live to serve and love Him, because of all that He did for them, live in the light. Now, of course, even those carrying the light can sin, for “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3. 23) However, “Jesus’ disciples have kingdom life within them as a living testimony to those in the world who do not yet have the light.”13

We needn’t worry, however, whether our light is as big as the light within person sitting next to us. After all, as Ryle reminds us, “The least spark in a dark room can be seen at once.”14 It was our late Queen who, in one of her annual addresses, reminded us that a candle in a dark room gives off a great light. Even the smallest light can be the difference between absolute darkness and light itself. If you have been born anew in Jesus Christ, then you have that light within you. It may be bigger, it may be smaller, it may be brighter, it may be dimmer, than the person sitting next to you, but that matters not. What matters is that you use your light in the same was as the faithful servant used his talent. (Matt. 25. 14-30)

Perhaps you will have heard the little song that we used to sing in Sunday School, Jesus bids us shine?

Jesus bids us shine with a clear pure light,
like a little candle burning in the night;
in this world of darkness we must shine –
you in your small corner, and I in mine.
15

What matters is not the size of the light, but that it gives light in the darkness.

“Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket.” (v15)

Jesus continues with His analogy by discussing how the light was used. We are told that “The typical lamp in a Jewish home was fairly small and was placed on a stand to give maximum illumination.”16 Of course, homes in Jesus’ time were not as they are now, often one or two rooms, very ‘open-plan’, so one light was sufficient. And this lamp (likely some form of oil-based candle) was positioned high up so that it gave light across the house.

Being fairly young, I have no experience of homes lit by paraffin lamps, but I did used to preach in a church which was lit in this way. In the little hamlet of Chilton, just outwith the market town of Sudbury stands St Peter’s Church. I preached in there once or twice, as my friend was Chairman of the Trustees. The Church is still lit by lamplight, in the form of paraffin lamps. On a dark winter’s night the church is illuminated brightly because these lamps are placed high above people’s heads to give light right across the church. The fact that they are small and have little power is irrelevant when they are lifted high.

But again, what did Jesus mean when He declared that His followers were the light(s) of the world? Well, we can recall that “[Light] was the first thing called into being. Without it the world would be a gloomy blank.”17 God’s first creative action, back in Genesis 1, was to speak light into creation, for without the light, creation itself would have been meaningless. Without light in the world we would see nothing, feel nothing, have nothing: there could be no life, for light is an essential for life.

And while we rely on physical light, provided by the sun, so too you and I as Christians are reliant on the spiritual light of Jesus Christ, without which human life would be meaningless, and without Christ, as we know, people perish: the light of Christ is essential for eternal life. As light-bearers we are called to show people what life in Christ is like. We won’t save people in and of ourselves, for that can only be the sovereign decision of God, but He can and does use us in the process of a person’s salvation. “The world will see the light of the kingdom through the good works done by Jesus’ disciples (and believers today), with the result that the Father who is in heaven will be glorified.”18

Lastly, of course, we can consider how God has used light in times past. Having led His people out of Egypt, God gave the people a pillar of cloud by day (perhaps offering them shelter from the burning sun), and a pillar of fire by night (giving them much-needed light and vision on their journey through the dark wilderness). We can recall too how the Magi or Wise Men were awakened to the birth of Christ by a new star rising in the east. Following this star, following its light, they were led to the house where

they offered the young Christ worship and obeisance.

Action: Now What?

So far we have considered the meaning of salt and light, and tried to extract from this short passage something of what the Lord Jesus may have meant as He was speaking to His disciples. The question, however, will surely have been on your hearts: what might this mean to us?

Peculiarity

Firstly, there is a question for each and every one of us at worship this morning: Am I a Christian?

J. C. Ryle wrote, on this passage, “There must be something marked, distinct, and peculiar about our character, if we are true Christians… Have we grace? Then it must be seen – Have we the Spirit? Then there must be fruit.”19 We considered earlier how unique salt is, and how it is very difficult to describe without making use of the word ‘salt’. As we are described in 1 Peter, “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people;” (1 Pet. 2. 9 KJV), my question for all of us would be ‘How peculiar are we?’

Now, of course the question sounds funny to our ears. There are many Christians, indeed many Churches, that I would describe as peculiar in a pejorative sense, but this is not what’s meant here. We are not asking ourselves whether we are odd, daft, silly. We are asking ourselves what difference the Christian faith has had on our lives. Are we still living the same lives, albeit now describing ourselves as Christians? Are we still associating with the same people, telling the same lewd jokes? Are we still forgetting or ignoring the Commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20. 8), or indeed any of the other Commandments?

Simply put, if somebody was to accuse us, you or me, of being a Christian, and take you to court over it, would they and the prosecuting council have enough evidence to convict you? Or would you walk out of court, case ‘not-proven’? How peculiar are our lives?

Of course, in asking this question, we have to be clear on the topic of Good Works, which itself is another sermon’s worth at least. However, as I am sure you know, when we perform Good Works, or do things differently because of our relationship with Christ, we do not do it in order to ‘earn’ or ‘buy’ our salvation, as if such an exchange was possible. We are sinful and in desperate need of a Saviour, and no amount of Good Works on our part would ever merit us a place in heaven. But this doesn’t mean that we can just stop being good if we call upon the Name of the Lord. After all, as James asks, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” (Jas. 2. 14)

When we think of the ‘peculiar’ nature of salt, or the fact that we are light-bearers for Christ, we must ask ourselves whether we are making Christ’s sovereignty over our lives clear to those around us. For if we don’t, people will not “see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5. 16)

Magnetism

Linked to this question is its follow-on question, namely do we (as Paul did) “aim at what is honourable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man”? (2 Cor. 8. 21) Of course our primary aim in the Christian life is to live to God’s glory. Every one of us will know the answer to the first question in the Catechism, where the Chief End of Man is “to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever”,20 and yet the way we do this can have a serious effect on others.

Take Sabbath Keeping, for example. A friend of my wife’s, when she realised we were in the Free Church, said, ‘Aren’t they the ones who won’t let you do anything on a Sunday?’ Now, we all know the tropes that are used about Free Church Sabbath-keeping, the chained-up swings, the dour faces walking towards the Church. These people are keeping the Sabbath, but “in the sight of man” (2 Cor. 8. 21) they look ridiculous.

My wife’s answer to her friend’s question was to try and explain all that the Lord Jesus had done for her, in her life, and say that the Sabbath is itself a gift from God, where we are given space and time in a busy week to rest in God, to attend worship, to fellowship with other Christians, to build each other up, and to be taught in the faith. Far from being a chore, the Sabbath is a blessing which we would never choose to be without. She felt, later on, that the lady had been surprised and impressed by her answer.

The way we bear and share our light with others can make all the difference. While not letting go of sacred truths (which we must guard with our very beings), we have the power display them in such a way that draws people to Christ, or repels them. We have the chance to show them that our light, which came to us from Jesus Christ, is not only a guide and light in our lives, but can be in theirs too. What a great blessing that is!

Linked to this, of course, is a warning. When bearing the light we must be careful that we don’t become like the Pharisees who showed off their spiritual status before others, making ostentatious prayers in the marketplace, etc etc (Matt. 6. 4). When we are carrying the light of Christ, we should not aim “‘to be seen of men,’ and win their praise, but to win men, through our use of the light which we know not to be our own, to glorify the Giver of the light.”21

So friends, be encouraged in your walks with the Lord this week. For He has gifted you, through the Holy Spirit, the position of being salt and light to your families, to your colleagues, to the people of Oban and beyond. Yes, at times people may look upon you as silly, perhaps even ‘peculiar’, and sometimes may not respond to your message, but by God’s grace we have been gifted with the salt and light and commanded to bring them to the dark and flavourless world in which we live. May yours and my example (our light and saltiness) which stems solely from our relationship with Christ, be of such encouragement to others that they are magnetically drawn, not to us, but to the Lord Jesus Himself.

And now to Him be all glory, in the Church, in our lives, and in our hearts, this day and forevermore.

Prayer

  1. Lane T. Dennis, Wayne Grudem, and J. I. Packer, eds., ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, First Edition (Crossway, 2015), 1827. 

  2. J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1986), 36. 

  3. This and all other Bible quotations, unless otherwise stated, taken from the English Standard Version (Anglicised). 

  4. Jean Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1981), 270. 

  5. Ibid. 

  6. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 36. 

  7. Ibid. 

  8. The Rev. E. H. Plumptre DD et al, ‘The Gospel According To St Matthew, St Mark, and St Luke’, in A Bible Commentary for English Readers by Various Writers, ed. Charles John Ellicott, vol. 6 (London: Cassell and Co., n.d.), 22. 

  9. Ibid. 

  10. Calvin, Matthew, Mark and Luke, 273. 

  11. Ibid., 274. 

  12. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 36. 

  13. Dennis, Grudem, and Packer, ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, 1828. 

  14. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 36. 

  15. Susan Warner, Jesus Bids Us Shine, 1881, Hymn, 1881, https://hymnary.org/text/jesus_bids_us_shine_with_a_pure_clear_li. 

  16. Dennis, Grudem, and Packer, ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, 1828. 

  17. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 36. 

  18. Dennis, Grudem, and Packer, ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, 1828. 

  19. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 36. 

  20. Roderick Lawson, The Shorter Catechism: With Explanatory Notes and Review Questions, Christian Focus Publications ed (Great Britain: Christian Heritage, 2017) Q. 1. 

  21. The Rev. E. H. Plumptre DD et al, ‘Matthew, Mark and Luke’, 23.