The Light of the World

Matthew 5v14-16

15^th November 2024

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by teaching His disciples about the Beatitudes. He next told them, and us:

Matthew 5v13
"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."

Immediately following that, Jesus said:

Matthew 5v14-16
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before people, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

As we saw last time, if you are the salt of the earth, and you have not lost your saltiness, that’s because the Beatitudes are increasingly a true description of your new, Christian, Spirit-filled nature. In the same way, a true Christian is "the light of the world". This is a remarkable saying, because Jesus described Himself as "the light of the world" in:

John 8v12
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

Every Christian will agree with this assertion of Jesus. We know what a difference Jesus has made in our lives, in our understanding, and in our hearts. All people are invited to follow Jesus but only those who do so will be able to live in the light that He shows. And Jesus promises that we genuine Christians, we who exhibit the Beatitudes, we who are poor in spirit, meek and pure in heart, we peacemakers, we persecuted ones, are also "the light of the world". We have the privilege and the calling to shine the light given by Jesus so that others can see.

Thus we understand that Jesus calls us to be both salt and light, and He works in us to enable us to be both these things, and to fulfil the functions of both. The function of salt is to be salty, to do what salt does, to add flavour and to preserve. The function of light is to be light, to illuminate. Light that doesn’t shine is as useless as salt that doesn’t have taste and doesn’t preserve. Jesus says, "A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.” Nobody buys or uses salt that isn’t salty. Nobody lights a lamp and then hides it so it doesn’t give light. To do so would be pointless, a complete waste of time. What’s the point of a light shining under a bowl where no-one can see it? What’s the point of a Christian who hides his faith, who pretends not to be a Christian?

If we are poor in spirit, we see no reason to protect ourselves. If we mourn for sin and its consequences, we’ll want to show the world that there is a God-given solution for sin – faith in Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. If we are meek, we will obey the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will hunger and thirst not only for ourselves but also for others, and for society as a whole. If we are merciful, we will not withhold the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. If we are pure in heart, our greatest desire will be for the extension of the God’s kingdom through the salvation of our neighbours. If we are peacemakers, we will want others to find peace in Jesus Christ. We will endure persecution for God’s sake, for the Gospel's sake and for the sake of the lost, who need to be reconciled to God, even if they don’t know it yet.

Jesus says, "Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people...". And He tells us both how to do this and why: "...that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." What we do, how we live, our ethics, our generosity, our humility, our love, will speak more loudly than our words. Sooner or later, we will have to use words; the Gospel needs to be articulated clearly. But words without deeds, words without character, words without love, are useless.

And, perhaps the most marvellous part of this passage is that, if we live the Beatitudes, then our lives as salt and light will have the result that at least some people will "see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." You and I, mostly by our lives and partly by our words, can have a role in changing this world for the better, and adding to the number of the saved, one person at a time.

Verses 1-12 taught us the great value of being poor in spirit, humble. But to be poor in spirit is not to be worthless. Every human is infinitely valuable. And those of us who are living the Beatitudes can achieve great things for God.