In this passage, Jesus has just begun preaching the Sermon on the Mount. He has laid the foundation of what characteristics the citizen of the kingdom will have. He said that the humble person who mourns over their sin against God will be gentle, thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure, and peacemaking. The Lord says those that have these characteristics will be blessed and will inherit the kingdom of heaven. After laying that foundation, Jesus shows us what the follower of Christ will be to the unbelieving world around them.
Contrast can be defined as the state of being strikingly different from something else in close association. A few years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to go on a cruise. Our first stop was St. Thomas. We went to bed after looking out at the engulfing darkness of the sea and woke up as we pulled into port at the island. I’ll never forget the breathtaking view as we looked out at the sharp colors of the blue sea, all the green of the island dotted with houses up on the hillside. It was the contrast between the darkness of the night before and the amazing color we were seeing that enhanced the moment.
Jesus uses sharp contrasts to illustrate what the follower of God should be in relation to the unbelieving world around him or her.
SALT OF THE EARTH
Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Salt has many characteristics and uses. Good salt is pure, it enhances flavor, it preserves, it softens, and it slows decay. Good salt was vital to life at the time of Christ. They obviously didn’t have modern conveniences we do today, such as refrigeration. Salt was very important to the preservation, safety, and quality of food and water.
Jesus contrasts good salt with useless salt. In first century Israel, salt that was mined near marshes, lagoons, or the dead sea could become contaminated with gypsum and become stale. That salt was useless and was spread as a surface on the roads they walked.
We should have the same effect on those around us as the good salt. For example, God uses His people to draw others to himself by their witness. Your witness is evident in the way that you interact with God and His word and prayer, as well as what you speak, how you live, how you treat others and how you deal with trials that come your way.
A key use for good salt is to slow decay. We may never know how much the presence of followers of Christ slow the spiritual decay of society. In 2nd Thessalonians 2 the apostle Paul speaks of the restrainer. The restrainer is the presence of the Holy Spirit in His people, the church. The lives and prayers of Gods people encourage His mercy to the rebellious and often restrain their behavior.
In Genesis 18 Abraham pleads with God not to destroy Sodom in judgement. Abraham asks God to spare Sodom if there are but ten righteous people in the city. God agrees, but there were not ten found righteous and the city is judged. Sodom had become completely depraved, and even today, 3000 years later, is still the standard for a wicked society. The salt was gone, the restrainer was gone, and God removed the only faithful people, Lot and his family, and He dealt the city justice. The conversation between God and Abraham shows God’s willingness to show mercy to an entire rebellious city on behalf of a few Godly people living in the midst of the wicked.
Jesus is saying in this passage, and to us today to be Christians that have the characteristics listed in the beatitudes that we may be the salt of the earth to share the gospel through our words and actions!
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Matthew 5:14-15- You are the light of the world. A City set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Light and darkness are the ultimate in contrast. By its definition, darkness is the absence of light. You can’t have both at the same time. The bible is full of references to what light and darkness look like in the lives of people.
Light is described as the true knowledge of God (Psalm 36:9, Matthew 6:22-23) goodness, truthfulness, righteousness (Ephesians 5:8-9) and joy and happiness (Psalm 97:11, Isaiah 9). Darkness is the absence of those things leading to depravity and despair. It’s also frequently a characteristic used to describe Satan and his dominion.
THE SOURCE OF LIGHT
John 8:12- Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Light always has a source. Jesus in the book of John tells the religious leaders in Jerusalem that He is the source of spiritual light! This is a big claim, He is claiming to be God and the pharisees know that and in the following verse (John 8:13) let Jesus know that they disagree.
In Matthew 5:14-15 Jesus tells His audience that they are the light of the world. Which is it? Is Jesus the light of the world as the John passage says, or are His followers the light of the world as Matthew says? The answer is both. But Matthew 5:14-15 explains the difference.
Jesus compares citizens of His kingdom to a city on a hill and to a lamp. Both a city and a lamp must be plugged in to a power source. In first century Israel, that power source would have been a wax or oil that was burned, today it would be a source of electric. Jesus claimed to be that source in John 8:12. He tells His audience in Matthew 5 that they are to illuminate the darkness around them as a city placed on a hill or a lamp
that is placed high up on a lampstand looking for their light to shine as far as possible!
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!
Matthew 5:16- 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.
What is this light Jesus is speaking of? In vs. 16 he tells us that it is your good works done with the right motivation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us clearly that salvation is a gift of God, received by grace through faith, so that no man may boast. In other words, if salvation can be obtained by our works, we would be able to boast about our great accomplishment. The only contribution we make to our salvation is the sin that separated us from God to begin with. That’s why it was necessary for Jesus to come live a perfect life and die in our place. His sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for all your sin and my sin. If we will place our faith in Him alone and accept His gracious gift, He will save us from the domain of darkness and make us a child of God.
Ephesians 2:8-10- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
God created us in His own image, and then after we rebelled He redeemed us to make us more like Christ Jesus to be luminaries to others around us so that they may believe. The good works that we’re called to must, however, be done for the right motivation. At the end of Matthew 5:16, Jesus says when they see your good works, they will glorify your Father who is in Heaven. It’s important to note that He didn’t say “they will know that you’re a good person” or “so that everyone’s behavior will improve”. It’s to bring glory to God!
CONCLUSION
In the coming verses in the next three chapters in Matthew, Jesus is going to give more detail about the incredibly high standard required to enter the kingdom. It’s a standard only He could fulfill. He fulfilled it perfectly before going to the cross and dying a sinner’s death, so that you may be a child of God. I hope you have trusted in Him for your salvation. If you have then you have been given the gift of eternal life and the help of the Holy Spirit. Let your light shine before all people and be the salt of the earth!