Salt & Light
The role of the church is to function as salt (flavor and preservers of
God’s creation) and as light (illuminating dark injustices)
Dr. Larry Thorson
Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16
13 "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 underfoot.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Today’s New International Version Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society
“You
are the salt of the earth”. Think about
what salt is used for. In Jesus' first
century world before refrigeration, salt was best known as a preservative.
Salt
was and is also used as a disinfectant. One
example of this I found on the website for the Midwest Native Skills Institute that provides tools necessary for
surviving in the woods, the military developed what’s called a “MIOX Water
Purifier. This thing is about the size
of a fat marking pen. It uses two three
volt lithium camera batteries and salt rocks to kill off germs and cleanse
drinking water in the wilderness. See www.survivalschool.com to find out how to order this. Another common example are newer swimming
pools which now use salt instead of clorine for disinfectant purposes.
It
may surprise you to know that during the time of Jesus' earthly ministry salt
was often scattered and worked into the soil in order to enhance the
productivity of the land. As recently as
World War II, British farmers compensated for the lack of nitrate fertilizers
by returning to the ancient tradition of adding salt to croplands for increased
fertility. For the salt of the earth to
be of value as a fertilizer of the earth, it has to be at work in the earth,
moving within and among the soil, making the land more productive and fruitful
by subtly changing its very character.
And, of course, salt is a seasoning.
But the trick about salt as a seasoning is to use just a little, just enough to
enhance, but not so much that it masks the flavor of the food you’re preparing. When I was growing up my mom was a
great cook and always used salt in her cooking.
But my dad would always have to salt whatever food he got. He would salt his watermelons, his cantaloupes,
his tomatoes, his meats and just about anything else he could put in his
mouth. We couldn’t eat unless the salt
shaker was full and on the table. That
was fairly normal in
Then one very sad day scientists discovered that too much salt
contributed to high blood pressure and directed dieticians to begin designing
low sodium meals. Yuk. My dad never adjusted to low sodium meals and
preferred risking a heart attack to eating low sodium meals that he called
“cardboard”. The high blood pressure
finally got him with strokes at age 78 but he loved his salt to the end. He wasn’t alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention Americans consume more than 3,300 milligrams of sodium a day,
compared with 3,100 milligrams in 1994.
We apparently love our salt and increasingly so.
But salt is good if, used in moderation. It brings out the flavor of the food you’re
cooking. With just the right
amount of salt in cooking, the food is delicious, and you don’t notice why …
you just enjoy it all the more. So salt then becomes an ingredient in something
else.
That’s
why Jesus called his disciples whom he was speaking to in his Sermon on the
Mount the “salt of the earth”. Just as salt
has this remarkable ability to give of itself for the improvement of something
else (without being noticed or taking over), disciples of Jesus should be able
to give of ourselves for the improvement of others, without being noticed or
taking over!
Salt
as a seasoning brings out the flavors that are there. But let's face it - lots
of Christians have just the opposite effect; they don’t enhance life. The great
Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. of the 1920’s and 30’s once
said, "I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had
not looked and acted so much like undertakers." The author Robert Louis
Stevenson once entered in his diary what he consider an extraordinary
phenomenon, "I have been to church today and am not depressed".
As
followers of Jesus we are to be a positive flavor in people’s lives. That’s what those elected to be deacons in
our church do. They are quietly behind
the scenes making our lives a little bit better. For example when we have a death in our
church the family doesn’t have to worry about a reception. The deacons have it covered. When you can’t come to church because of your
health our deacons make it possible for you to get a visit and partake of
communion. After worship they bring
flowers from the chancel and a smile to people who can’t get out. For a number of years each deacon had a
parish consisting of 12-15 families they cared for. Now they try and care for those who have
fallen away from the church with a phone call and a prayer. They provide rides for those who can’t
drive. They also help Community Pantry
feed the less fortunate of our valley.
All
of this takes place without most of you even knowing that our deacons are doing
it. Just like salt that flavors our
food. I appreciate our deacons very
much.
If
the church is following Christ and is truly salt of the earth as Jesus said it
is, then it’s important that it season the world and not damage the world. Remember a diet with too much salt can lead
to heart problems, strokes and death. In
the same way a church that doesn’t get out and flavor the community is too
salty and begins to destroy itself.
Church fights occur when we become absorbed with what goes on inside the
church instead of flavoring the world outside it.
That’s
why Jesus speaking in the context of his disciples surrounded by multitudes of
people who wanted him to touch them is teaching the disciples that they need to
get out among these people and be salt, flavoring the world and be light,
illuminating dark places in the world.
The
questions for thought today is in what way are you flavoring someone’s
life? In what way is this church
flavoring this community? We have one of
the nicest, if not the nicest church gymnasium in the city located in one of
the poorest neighborhoods in our city.
In what way are we using that facility to flavor this community? That’s the number one question that our Task
Force on the
Jesus
died on the cross for our sins. He was
resurrected and overcame death for all of us.
Now we have forgiveness of our sins if we accept him as our Savior. When we accept him as our Savior we become
salt to a dying world. When we stop
being flavor to our community another more sour flavor replaces us. Crime, graffiti, gang warfare becomes the
flavor. Let’s make Christ the flavor of
downtown
We
presently house offices for Habitat for Humanity, the Ombudsmen, and Renewal
Resources. We provide a monthly meal for
the Valley Restart homeless shelter and our deacons lead our efforts to provide
food for the needy at Community Pantry.
We provide a good, safe, inexpensive after school program for the
children of this neighborhood. None of
that drains our resources. As we pray
and think about how to better utilize what God has given to us, may being the
salt of the earth and a light on a hill be the criteria we use rather than what
we’ve done in the past and how we appear to the community. You are salt and light.