You are the salt of the Earth.

[MoreCoffee]

In the sermon on the mount Jesus said to the disciples "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. "

I sometimes wonder how salt can lose its saltiness but I guess that is not the point Jesus makes here. Being "the salt of the earth" implies something about what being a disciple of Jesus Christ means. The other things that Jesus says about being a disciple are summed up in these words

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.​

Which gets me thinking - exactly how are Christians so distinct from the world that they can be its salt and its light and a city that is on a hill that cannot be hidden? What marks the way of life that Christians have that would make you remark about it and them?

Some of Jehovah's witnesses visit me and they remark that their organisation is marked by the love of its members one for another, by the member's modest style of dress, by their honesty, conscientiousness in work, by their preaching of the gospel even in the face of opposition and by their dedication to helping others to learn about Jehovah and his kingdom.

I know that many Christians have questions about the claims made by Jehovah's witnesses and about the theology of their organisation and about allegedly questionable moral and other practises of their religious organisation but it seems to me that the ones who visit me and mention the positive qualities they associate with Jehovah's witnesses have some evidence in their favour. The fact that they are at my door talking to me is evidence that they preach actively and the content of what they say is evidence that they want to teach about Jehovah and his kingdom. I do not share their theology and I am well aware of the things that are said against their religion but I'm just saying they are doing something about their religion and that appears to be what being salt, light, and a hill top city that cannot be hidden implies.

It's worth giving some thought to what you do that marks you and your church as salt, light, and a city [of God] in this world. What do you think it means to be salt, light and a hill top city that cannot be hidden in your life and the way of life evident in the people of your congregation?

 

[Josiah]

I was told that in the cultural context of the time, "salty" meant to be distinctive, to give flavor, to make it different as we sense it.

I think this is just part of a major theme for Jesus: that Christians are not to be copies of the secular world around them (it was a Jewish theme, too). Ideally, people who know us should know there is something DIFFERENT about us - our attitudes, our hearts, our lives.

 

[Albion]

I like the basic point you've made, MoreCoffee, but I have two reservations.

For one, the message IMHO appears to be referring to the showing of an example by one's lifestyle. The light and the salt, therefore, don't refer to evangelism.

And two, the Jehovah's Witnesses show us some good examples, as you noted, but they also show--in many other of their doings--just the opposite.





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[MoreCoffee]

I do not think of Jehovah's witnesses as exemplary Christians yet they live a life that is distinctive in its own way and they see that as being testimony to the teaching of Jesus Christ. And if you look at my current signature which says

Pope Gregory I was well known for his alms to the poor, and he gave quite generously of the riches donated to the Church by the wealthy people of Rome. Everything from money to land was given to the poor in some fashion. He made clear to his subordinates that their duty was to relieve the distress faced by the poor.

He ordered his clergy to go out into the streets to find and care for the poor in person.​

You will see another aspect of living life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Care for the poor and for the disenfranchised matters in the teaching of Jesus Christ expressed in the first part of the sermon on the mount.

In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus speaks of those who are called to the kingdom. First he clarifies their mission: to be the light of the world and not merely a light in the world. This does not mean that all people will become Christians, but that the Church has to be salt and light to the world. Scripture mentions salt as the element that preserves food. In the Old Testament there is a covenant of salt it was an everlasting Covenant of God with those who were to serve him (Num 18:19). So the disciples of Jesus are called salt of the earth at least in part because through them the world benefits from an everlasting Covenant with God. Part of their calling to be disciples is to continually enkindle in the world the desire and struggle for true justice and perfection, and not allow human societies to be satisfied with something less. Justice embracing all of life - not merely legal cases in the courts - is a part of every Christian's calling in the world just as being salt and light have lasting and broad repercussions for what is salted and what is illuminated.

These are some things I was thinking about as I created this thread. I am sure there is more in the experience and thinking of all of you. Keep on expressing your thoughts about the verses here and their implications for living as Christians in the world.

• 13 You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.
• 14 You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead, it is put on a lamp stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do, and praise your Father in heaven​

 

[Josiah]

The LDS seems to be the fastest growing denomination where I live...

I can tell you why: Those nice boys in the white shirts on their bikes say NOT ONE WORD about the horrible theology of their denomination, they ask "what can we do for you?" And then do it. Showing genuine care.... not using any bad language..... just being nice and caring... they are admired.

I've always felt that evangelism involves TWO things: Right words and loving action (it's a SET). But people won't care what you know until they know that you care. Jesus said, "By this will the world know you are my disciples, by your love."

It bugs the daylights out of me that we seem to be REALLY bad at this..... I have a Buddhist coworker; he's one of the most gentle, most genuinely caring, most generous people I know. And the Mormons go around helping perfect stangers, whether they listen to their (crazy) theology or not. Jesus must be shaking His head....

 

[MennoSota]

The LDS seems to be the fastest growing denomination where I live...

I can tell you why: Those nice boys in the white shirts on their bikes say NOT ONE WORD about the horrible theology of their denomination, they ask "what can we do for you?" And then do it. Showing genuine care.... not using any bad language..... just being nice and caring... they are admired.

I've always felt that evangelism involves TWO things: Right words and loving action (it's a SET). But people won't care what you know until they know that you care. Jesus said, "By this will the world know you are my disciples, by your love."

It bugs the daylights out of me that we seem to be REALLY bad at this..... I have a Buddhist coworker; he's one of the most gentle, most genuinely caring, most generous people I know. And the Mormons go around helping perfect stangers, whether they listen to their (crazy) theology or not. Jesus must be shaking His head....

Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He does "help" quite well.

 

[Albion]

I do not think of Jehovah's witnesses as exemplary Christians yet they live a life that is distinctive in its own way and they see that as being testimony to the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Oh, I don't question that. They certainly do think of themselves as the epitome of Christian disciples.

My point was that they actually are not that...and this probably should be said before they are held up by us as examples we would do well to emulate.

 

[NewCreation435]

I think it ties into the first two great commands that Jesus said exist which is to love God and to love others. We are to be known by our love. Unfortunately, we are often instead known for what we are against. The lack of love in the church is one reason I think it has lost a lot of its influence in society

 

[MoreCoffee]

I think it ties into the first two great commands that Jesus said exist which is to love God and to love others. We are to be known by our love. Unfortunately, we are often instead known for what we are against. The lack of love in the church is one reason I think it has lost a lot of its influence in society

That is likely true, influence declines when the influencers are no longer trusted. A loss of trust may also explain some of the loss of numbers that churches have experienced. Yet some religious groups - such a Pentecostal churches - see growth in numbers and maybe even increases in influence; do you think the population as a whole trust Pentecostal people and churches more than they trust other Christian groups?

 

[NewCreation435]

That is likely true, influence declines when the influencers are no longer trusted. A loss of trust may also explain some of the loss of numbers that churches have experienced. Yet some religious groups - such a Pentecostal churches - see growth in numbers and maybe even increases in influence; do you think the population as a whole trust Pentecostal people and churches more than they trust other Christian groups?

It really would be impossible to make a generalized statement that Pentecostals or any group are more influential or more trusted because they are growing. I believe we are living in an age that the Bible speak of when people will gather teachers for themselves to tell them what their ears want to hear. Growth could be attributed to more trust, but it is just as likely if not more that church growth is attributed programs or to a popular speaker that people like to hear

 

[MoreCoffee]

It really would be impossible to make a generalized statement that Pentecostals or any group are more influential or more trusted because they are growing. I believe we are living in an age that the Bible speak of when people will gather teachers for themselves to tell them what their ears want to hear. Growth could be attributed to more trust, but it is just as likely if not more that church growth is attributed programs or to a popular speaker that people like to hear

So what Christians cause you to think "there goes a person who is salt for this world and light for it too."?