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.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Just last week an 89 year old man named Harold Camping achieved his “15 minutes of fame!” His name and image were plastered all over the internet and on most television news shows. How did he do it? He predicted that the world was going to come to an end on what he called “Judgment Day” which, according to his calculations, would take place on May 21, 2011 at 6:00 pm. He also predicted that some 200 million Christians would be “raptured” in the process (“rapture” refers to those believers who are alive when Jesus returns who will be caught up with him and taken to heaven without experiencing death).
Well, we’re all still here – which, when you really stop to think about it – given what we believe as Christians, is both good news and bad news! But in all his muddled and confused thinking (in Matthew 24:36 Jesus said, “No one knows that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven…”) Mr. Camping may have gotten one thing right: influence.
Jesus said that his followers are to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. The analogies of salt and light, when properly understood, are about influence. In the ancient world, salt was seen primarily as a preservative. While salt was used as a flavor enhancer, it was deemed more valuable for its preservative qualities. In the pre-refrigeration world, the only way meat could be preserved for any length of time was to be packed in salt. Salt kept meat from rotting. So, when Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth…” he is saying that something about his followers is intended to preserve the world from corruption!
Light, then as now, is that which reveals – that which shows the way. As such, light becomes a metaphor for truth. When Jesus says, “You are the light of the world,” he is saying that by the way that we live, we can actually reveal the truth of Jesus and his gospel to those around us. Simply put, as followers of Jesus we are to have influence in the world in which we live.
It seems to me there are several applications for the analogy of salt and light. We can apply the analogy to our individual lives; as in, “I want to live my life in a way that is salt and light in the world.” We can apply it to the church; as in, the church is to have a preservative influence on the world. And finally, I believe we can also apply it to our homes, to our families.
Have you ever thought about your home – whether your home is a 4 bedroom suburban house or an efficiency apartment or a retirement center – as salt and light? Have you ever thought that Jesus wants your home to function as that which helps preserve from corruption; as that which reveals the truth and shows the way to Christ? If I understand what Jesus is saying, he is telling me that my home is not just a place that give me shelter, or a place for me to eat and sleep. He’s telling me that my home – and the people who dwell there – can be a positive and powerful influence in the world.
Ask God to help you make your home just a little more salty – and a little brighter – as you grow “Faith @ Home.”
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