MATTHEW 5:13-16: SALT AND LIGHT

A Google search on the phrase “salt and light” yielded some very interesting results showing how different Christian congregations adopted this term to describe some of their specific ministries. In general, their varying understandings could be grouped into three broad categories:

food pantry and clothes closet to meet the physical needs of the poor [The Social Gospel]

provide families with help and hope

support for refugees

preach a gospel of justice and peace; alleviating poverty

sponsor underprivileged children

care for the environment

provide an emergency shelter for single women and their children

comfort and supply the needs of those who are struggling

celebrate faith in family life [Evangelism and Discipleship]

use the arts to bring faith to life

develop a strategic missionary emphasis

encourage home Bible study groups

reach youth with the gospel

provide verse-by-verse Bible studies by podcasts

see that students grow in holiness and become fully connected to their local church

educate citizens to be responsible voters [Political Activism]

increase our military strength, remove progressive education from the schools, and return our country to the values of the founding fathers

prevent legislation that is unfavorable to religious groups

inform Christians about legislation that may affect their faith and freedom

prepare Christians to effectively pray for our governmental leaders

help change world views into Christian world views through better legislation

protect children from pro-homosexual indoctrination being forced on them in the schools

A congregation I attended for years started a Salt and Light Committee. As far as I could see, its sole goal was for its members to become active in local party politics and get elected to local committee leadership so as to draft party agendas favorable to the Christian cause.

Salt

v. 13a

What property of salt is being referred to in this metaphor? One commentator I read counted eleven main uses in Biblical times. So we can't easily limit this figure of speech to just one meaning. Several possibilities from The Dictionary of New Testament Theology are given below:

preservative to keep meat and fish from putrefying. But Jesus came to save the world and give it new life, not merely to keep it from putrefying.

a flavoring agent: Those of you who may be on a salt-free diet will testify that it is not as easy to make dishes taste as good as with salt. Christians are to be stimulating and bright in their lives. Colossians 4:6: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.” Rabbinic teachings said that a person who studied the Torah and possessed wisdom was “salted.” This may be the reason behind Mark 9:50: “Have salt in yourself, and be at peace with one another.” Speak the truth, but do it in love.

Newborn babies were (and still are by Arabs) rubbed with salt to purify them, or drive away evil spirits (Ezekiel 16:4)

Salt of the covenant symbolized the everlasting covenant between God and his people. This was why sacrifices were salted (Exodus 30:35; Ezekiel 43:24) “As salt is essential to man, so sacrifice is essential to the relationship between God and man.” Mark 9:49a says “For everyone will be salted with fire.” That may mean that Christians will, through persecution, become living sacrifices to God.

There is one simple fact is overlooked in all these interpretations, and I didn't see it myself until recently. The next short parable says we are the light of the world (kosmos), but this one says that we are the salt of the earth (ge). So the true use of salt in this case probably is associated with the ground. That gives rise to two other possibilities.

Although large amounts of salt put on the ground will kill any crops, a small amount added to the soil can act as a fertilizer and actually increase the size of crops, especially if it contained potassium and other vital trace elements. This is the preferred meaning because of phrase “of the earth,” which could be translated “for the soil.” A final possibility: Modern shepherds in Israel use the idiom “salt of (or from) the earth” to refer to rock salt (pure mined salt that is more valuable than impure salt obtained from evaporation of salt water).

How can salt lose its saltiness? Look at the parallel in Luke 14:34: “Salt is good; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away.” These may just be hypothetical possibilities meaning “What if it were to lose its saltiness.” However, if the salt was obtained from salt deposits on the surface of the ground or evaporation of salt water, it will be contaminated with dirt. If stored above ground, the surface will become less pure with time due to wind-born gypsum and dust or leaching out the more soluble NaCl, leaving other bitter salts such as magnesium chloride behind. The fate of such salt was to be used on the flat roofs of houses, making it hard and to prevent leaks.

Light

John 1:4-5 talks about Jesus as the light that conquers the darkness. Truth vs. lies, holiness vs. sin. Our present Sunday school teacher used to serve on a submarine and tells the story of one time when he was serving on night watch in the middle of the ocean. He thought he saw a momentary light in the distance, which happened to come from a sailor on another ship lighting a cigarette. That small light shining in the utter darkness was enough to save the boat from being rammed and sunk by the submarine. And the morale of this story is not that cigarettes are good for your health!

The passage in John 1 continues in verse 9: “The true light which enlightens everyone.”

Paul uses “light” to refer to wisdom: knowing what God wants and living that way. Read Ephesians 5:8-14. The word used here is kosmos, different from the one translated “earth” in verse 13.

Matthew 5:15

The Gospel of Thomas couples this saying with “What you hear with your ear, proclaim in another ear from your roof top” from Matthew 10:27. Lampstand is used as an image in Revelation 1 to stand for the church; it has no light in itself, but carries the light of Jesus. It is much like the light of the moon, which is only reflected light from the sun.

Matthew 5:16

This is a balancing act (see Matthew 6:1). Note that the emphasis is on the good works of believers that will cause outsiders to glorify God, not themselves.

One can use the above as a test for the three types of Salt and Light groups mentioned at the start of the lesson.

First category: A friend of mine served as a medical missionary on a boat in Africa once. He cited the example of a suspicious Moslem woman whose attitude turned around entirely when she saw how the Christians on the boat treated her with love. This fits in quite well with an action led to the glorification of God. The key is carrying out the actions in the name of Christ.

Second category: This can certainly fit the idea of spreading the truth. The danger is that if it is too inwardly focused, it doesn't fit the idea of others (i.e., outsiders) glorifying God.

Third category: These actions zero in on the aspect of standing for the truth as we see it. It also fits well with Ephesians 5 idea of exposing the works of darkness. But a real danger that (a) it will not be done graciously (as in Colossians 4:6) and (b) too often is interpreted by those outside as acts of hatred, not those of love. It rarely causes outsiders to glorify God and often has the exactly opposite effect.