Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:13-16
Matthew 5:13-16
This summer, in honor of the Tokyo Olympics, my village put on a “Village Olympics” with a bunch of high-intensity games such as “wet yoga” and “spicy uno.” Of course, our Olympic competition needed to start with an emotional and compelling opening ceremony. A villager played the Olympic theme on the Block Rocker as my co-leader burst through the door holding a candle lighter which he used to light my lighter as I stood in front of our village “athletes.” It was passing the torch, but safer and on a budget.
This image of “passing the torch” is something to keep in mind as you process this passage. Just as the passing of the torch symbolizes the beginning of a new Olympic games, so Jesus is passing the torch to His disciples as he initiates this new kingdom. Throughout history, God has been preserving His people and pushing back the darkness of evil. As members of Jesus' kingdom, we are now called to do this work alongside him as salt and light. Let’s unpack these two metaphors through the lens of their original culture in order to better understand Jesus’ call.
First, salt. Salt, though usually just used for taste in our culture, was primarily used as a preservative in Jesus’ day. It prevented the spread of decay, both in food, but also for wounds. Because of its ability to preserve health, it was seen as very valuable. In Roman culture, soldiers were given a “salarium,” which was money specifically for buying salt. This is where our word “salary” comes from.
Notice how Jesus says, “you are the salt of the earth.” He does not say, “strive to be the salt” or “pray about being the salt.” As his disciples, that is simply what we are. We are people who preserve goodness in the world. Think about what God says of humanity in Genesis 1: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” The call of humanity has always been to mirror the image of God by creating and preserving his goodness as a community.
Next, light. This one is a bit more intuitive for the modern reader, but let’s take a moment to activate some of the darkness/light images that would have been at the forefront of the minds of the original Hebrew audience as they heard Jesus speak these words:
The “darkness was over the surface of the deep” as God said “let there be light” in Genesis 1.
Through Isaiah, God says of Israel that “I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42).
Jesus saw himself as the light, saying “I am the light of the world” in John chapter 8. Yet here, Jesus still says that his disciples are the light of the world.
The work of bringing light that was started at the ordering of the cosmos, continued through the faithfulness of God to Israel, and then brought to all through Jesus himself is now being given to the disciples as ambassadors of the kingdom. Jesus is passing the torch to his disciples, those who follow him and trust in him. That means us, too.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you are salt and you are light. No getting around it.
So what do we do about this identity we have been given? Well, the answer lies in the rest of Jesus' teaching. As you continue to read and meditate on this teaching over the next few weeks, view it through the lens of your identity as one who brings goodness, healing, and light to others. As one who preserves righteousness.
Jesus has given us his ultimate healing and light. Now that we have the “torch,” we are tasked with passing it to others by inviting them into His kingdom. May the Lord empower you to do just that.
