Salt & Light | Matthew 5:13-16
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, January 19, 2025. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
SALT
Towards the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, before Jesus addresses any practical living teachings, like anger, sexual morality, prayer, fasting, giving, anxiety, judgment or other topics, he first reminds his audience of their identity. First through the beatitudes, which Robert walked us through last week. And then Jesus reminds the people that they are a people of covenant, which is a sacred agreement between them and God himself.
He starts this reminder with
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13 CSB
How does salt relate to covenant? Tim Mackie from the Bible Project points out that, “Salt is a symbol of God’s long-enduring covenant with Israel.”
His audience would have made this connection, but let us talk about salt here today. Prior to the invention of refrigerators and freezers, salt was used to preserve food. In fact, salt contributed to keeping people alive because of how long it was able to preserve food. It removes the moisture from food so bacteria can’t grow in it and is antimicrobial itself. Because of this, salt purifies. Salt is not destroyed by decay or fire. In short, salt makes things endure because it itself is enduring.
This is why salt was to be used as a part of many offerings in the Levitical law. It was a symbol of the endurance of the covenant with the Lord. Presenting a sacrifice with salt is first introduced in Leviticus 2:13
“You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God. You are to present salt with each of your offerings.” Leviticus 2:13 CSB
When I first started to really study the Bible, I was told to pay attention to repeating words. I think it’s worth highlighting in your Bibles this verse as it emphasizes salt three times.
In Numbers 18:19, the Lord makes a covenant with the first priest Aaron
“I give to you and to your sons and daughters all the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the Lord as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the Lord for you as well as your offspring.” Numbers 18:19 CSB
And in 2 Chronicles 13:5, David’s covenant with the Lord is noted in permanence with the reference of salt
“Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?” 2 Chronicles 13:5 CSB
This endurance, this permanence of salt is largely because of its ability to purify. Purification was also very important in the Hebrew Bible. For example, before the priests could enter the temple, they must wash their hands and their feet. A woman had to go through a process of purification every month. If someone had developed a skin condition, they could not be a part of the community and they were outcast until they were cured and purified themselves. A part of that purification process included bringing a grain offering, which as we just read, always included salt. In 2 Kings 2, verses 19-22, we see the prophet Elisha use salt to purify a spring:
“The men of the city said to Elisha, “My Lord can see that even though the city’s location is good, the water is bad and the land unfruitful.” He replied, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” After they had brought him one, Elisha went out to the spring, threw salt in it, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. No longer will death or unfruitfulness result from it.’” Therefore, the water still remains healthy today according to the word that Elisha spoke.” 2 Kings 2:19-22 CSB
The salt was healing.
When something or someone was unclean or impure, it hindered their ability to be in the presence of God and of others. We see this in the presentation of sacrifices:
Ezekiel 43:23-24 “When you have finished the purification, you are to present a young, unblemished bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. You are to present them before the Lord; the priests will throw salt on them and sacrifice them as a burnt offering to the Lord.” CSB
Aside from salt being a crucial representation of endurance, preservation, and cleanliness, salt was (and is) an important part of our meals. In fact, most of us, when we think of salt, think about this. And around a table is when relationships and bonds are formed. This is the very essence of communion with each other.
If you’ve joined us for Agapē meal on Wednesday nights, you’ll know that I tend to have a light hand with salt. Before everyone walks in the door, I make sure to have the salt on the table. Salt engages all the other flavors and spices that simply make for a more enjoyable meal. Even Job in his suffering points out:
“Is bland food eaten without salt? Is there flavor in an egg white?” Job 6:6
Salt brings life.
Salt is enduring. Salt purifies. Salt is flavorful.
Jesus spent his ministry as the very embodiment of salt, showing others how to do the same. He lived out the enduring covenant between Israel and God in his life and his resurrection, proving that he is eternal.
Many of Jesus’ healings were purification, like the bleeding woman and the lepers. He also washed the feet of the disciples, purifying them to enter into their own ministry of making disciples, a commissioning they didn’t know they needed at the time.
And of course we see the many tables he gathered around with friends and foes. It didn’t matter the status: Jesus shared the table with everyone who would join him.
LIGHT
Jesus follows up this parallel of salt with a parallel to light.
“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15 CSB
As with salt, his audience would have immediately had a correlation with the scriptures that were embedded within them. Let’s walk through a few of them.
Light was the first creation of God.
Genesis 1:1-4 - 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. , Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness.' CSB
God created the light as his first creation. It was the foundation before he created land or animals or plants or us. Light must come first for there to be life.
The Psalmist points out multiple times how the effects of light.
“Light shines in the darkness for the upright. He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.” Psalm 112:4, CSB
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105, CSB
'The revelation of your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced. ' Psalms 119:130
”Light dawns for the righteous, gladness for the upright in heart.” Psalm 97:11 CSB
And the teacher in Proverbs does the same
“The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.” Proverbs 4:18 CSB
”The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life, searching the innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27, CSB
But most notably, Isaiah speaks most about the correlation between the light and the Servant to come.
'The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future he will bring honor to the way of the sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.' Isaiah 9:1-2, CSB
If this passage sounds familiar, it’s because this is quoted in Matthew 4:16, which we just read a few weeks ago in our Bible reading plan, and brings the connection from the prophets to the now Messiah.
The people of Israel have failed, both in the past and even up to this point in the scriptures, to walk in the light of Yahweh. Instead of living as the “righteous like the light of dawn”, they got wrapped up, like us, in the politics of the day, the intrigues of drama, and the cultural influences that surrounded them. Jerusalem is the city on the hill and was always intended to be the beacon of righteousness and justice out to the nations, but eventually their light dimmed because they chose to disregard this God-given identity and role on the earth.
Isaiah sees that if Israel is ever going to walk in God’s purpose and to remain in his light, the catalyst must be one Israelite, referenced as the Servant.
““This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations. He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice. He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth. The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction.” This is what God, the Lord, says — who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it — “I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.” Isaiah 42:1-7 CSB
Another passage that was quoted in our readings from this week in Matthew 12. So the Servant will bring compassion to the bruised, justice for the oppressed, open blind eyes, bring prisoners from the dungeon, and be a light to the nations.
In fact, light is a common theme throughout the ministry of Jesus. In John 1, we are introduced to Jesus as the light that was spoken of:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5 CSB
Jesus, in his conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus, who by the way met Jesus at night, says this,
“But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” John 3:21, CSB
And in one of seven I Am statements, Jesus says
“I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”” John 8:12 CSB
Jesus as the light comes to bring that light out to the nations in the form of justice. And what is that justice? Isaiah 61 says this of the Servant:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify him.” Isaiah 61:1-3 CSB
The Servant came to fulfill the covenant of salt and to be the light of all life.
CITY ON A HILL
But if you notice, Jesus didn’t say in Matthew 5, “I am the salt of the earth.” And Jesus doesn’t say here, “I am the light of the world.” He clearly says, “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.”
The role the Servant, that is Jesus the Anointed One, came to play was to be salt and light, to fulfill the covenant. Yet Jesus here, at the beginning of his ministry, is empowering the audience to step into the role they were always intended to walk in. The Covenant is at the center of what Jesus is communicating.
Jesus also likens the audience to a city on a hill, yet another illustration they would have resonated with, taken from Isaiah’s reference in chapter 2:
“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. All nations will stream to it, and many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will settle disputes among the nations and provide arbitration for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. House of Jacob, come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light.” Isaiah 2:2-5 CSB
We see this role of Jerusalem referenced again in chapter 60:
'Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. , For look, darkness will cover the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the Lord will shine over you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to your shining brightness.' Isaiah 60:1-3
Jesus’ ministry was always first the Jews because they were the people of covenant - the ones that God has made a promise with in exchange for their commitment to him. This is why it’s so crucial that before they talk about the ins and outs of life that will follow in the Sermon on the Mount, that Jesus reminds them of their identity. The salt and light, the city on the hill, that will bring peace to the nations and light into the dark world.
CONNECTING THE TWO
Now, Jesus’ words are not only a positive affirmation. They come with a warning.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.”
Jesus warns that we can become as useless as a pile of dirt and we run the risk of doing something foolish like hiding our light under a basket.
When Jesus asserts, “You are the salt of the earth,” he’s pointing out that they embody the enduring, pure, and lively covenant of God. As representatives of the covenant, we carry into the world all that God is. We are the carriers of the covenant. If we live in the ways of God, then he assures us he will guide our path, protect us, fight for us, and bring us life. And the Way of God is to live in righteousness and justice - to both live holy and do the right thing. This is walking in the light.
But again Jesus statement isn’t that we are to walk in the light. He says, “You are the light of the world.” So what’s the difference? Well, I think Jesus is passing the mantle. As we discussed earlier from Isaiah, Jesus is the Servant who was the catalyst to restore the Israelites’ covenant with God. It’s who Jesus came as the ultimate high priest:
Hebrews 4:14-16 'Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens — Jesus the Son of God — let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.', CSB
But when Jesus came as that high priest, he didn’t come to dominate his power over the weak. Rather he here is commissioning the people to be the priesthood of all believers, to be the bearers of righteousness and justice.
Earlier we read from Isaiah 61, that the Servant would come to bring good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to bring freedom to the prisoners, to comfort those who mourn, to give a crown of beauty for ashes, festive oil instead of mourning and splendid clothes instead of despair. All of this resonates deeply with the Beatitudes doesn’t it?
And what did it say those people would be called? Righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify him.
Isaiah continues in 61:4 with what those who have experienced hardship yet now have been planted as righteous trees will do:
“They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers. But you will be called the Lord’s priests; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will eat the wealth of the nations, and you will boast in their riches. In place of your shame, you will have a double portion; in place of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share. So they will possess double in their land, and eternal joy will be theirs. For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and injustice; I will faithfully reward my people and make a permanent covenant with them.” Isaiah 61:4-8, CSB
They will be called the Lord’s priests and ministers of our God. Remember that Jesus has just spelled out for the audience what it looks like to be these priests and ministers:
““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:3-12 CSB
We see this commissioning time and again throughout Jesus’ ministry. Jesus sends out the 12 to cast out demons and heal the sick. Then he sends out the 72 to do the same. When he heals the demon-possessed man, he commissions him to stay back and share his story. When Jesus rises from grave, he tells Mary to go tell the others. And before he ascended into heaven, he commissions the disciples to go and make disciples of all people groups.
And how do we go?
Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
We as the light do not shine for others to see us. The whole point of us shining is that so the world will see our “good works” - acts of service for people in need, our generosity for the poor, our fighting against the unjust discriminations, the fighting of the broken systems that keep people stuck in places of shame. This is providing justice -doing the right thing- for those whom the world sees as less than. The Servant has commissioned you and I to live in a way that brings restoration to the nations. This is what it means to be the light.
And when the light shines this might be when we see the fulfillment of Revelation 21:
Revelation 21:23 “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never close by day because it will never be night there.” Revelation 21:23-25 CSB
Jesus, the Servant and the high-priest, has commissioned each of us to go and be servants and priests. To carry out the covenant with God. To shine the light we are into the world. Not so that attention will be on us, but so that the world will see the Father.
REFLECTION
Spend some time in quiet reflection. Ask yourself:
Are you salt-a bearer of the enduring, everlasting covenant with God? Or have you become as dirt?
Are you shining the light that you are to the world around you? Or are you hiding your light under a basket?
And when others see your light, do they see you? Or do they see the Father?
