Matthew 5:3-17
These verses record the beginning of Jesus' teaching to his disciples when they were gathered round him on a mountain.
He firstly describes the happiness of those who are in - or have - 9 spiritual states or qualities, ranging from a poor spirit to being persecuted for Jesus' sake (commonly known as 'The Beatitudes').
Jesus then tells the disciples that they are 'the salt of the earth' and 'the light of the world' and exhorts them regarding these positions.
We may be very familiar with these words in verse 13, 'Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men'.
As I read this today I seemed to see its connection with the beatitudes in a way that I haven't noticed before - and it makes me think about how I live as a Christian. Perhaps it will help you too.
It is as if, having gone through the blessings and rewards of these 9 spiritual characteristics/states of a Christian believer, Jesus is pulling these together in a summary of what they amount to.
The sum total of these characteristics makes the believer what they are - they culminate in how they live in this world - how they add savour - or flavour to the lives of those around us.
This verse is often understood to mean that in the same way that salt preserves and adds flavour to food, so the life of Christians on earth preserves and enhances its existence.
But salt - as my study Bible states - is also healing and cleansing to wounds and melts coldness.
Not only does a Christian's life give reason to God to preserve this world from destruction, not only does it enhance the lives of those around them, but the effect of the love and grace of God in their hearts may soften or melt other people's hearts - hearts which are cold, hard, resentful and rebellious to God - and help heal hearts which are wounded and suffering.
What a role the Christian's life plays in this world! Does it stop us in our tracks as we think about this?
I don't mean us to get carried away and think it is our own self-importance as Christians which plays this role!
Our salt, our savour, our light is not of ourselves. Just as we have not created the natural salt which we use in our food, so we have not created our spiritual salt.
Our spiritual salt and light is Jesus living in us.
Jesus is the light of the world, and although he is bodily absent since his resurrection, his spirit continues to live and shine through the lives of his disciples.
But as salt may become contaminated by that which it comes into contact with, or lose its purity, so we may become tainted by the world around us, and our light grow dim and less evident, or our salt less savoury.
Does my salt add savour to this world?
Does yours?
Or do we contain salt which is 'good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men'?
No doubt all believers will at times become too like the world - too distant from their Lord, and their salt will need refining and purifying by the Lord. But how can we test the quality of our salt - of our religion?
Perhaps we could view these spiritual characteristics or conditions described in the beatitudes as the spiritual minerals which make up our spiritual salt.
Let us measure up and test the quality of our salt using these beatitudes and examine whether our salt is 'good' or whether it is 'good for nothing'.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
A believer who has good salt will be poor in spirit, but they are blessed and happy because they have the riches of the kingdom of heaven.
What does this mean? What does it look like in our every day life?
Is this you and me as we get up in the morning groaning at the thought of what lies in front of us - feeling our inability to manage it, to keep ourselves from sinning, but then praying to the Lord and being sustained by the promises of his word? Resting in his promises to help us, to direct our words and thoughts, to go before us, to do all that we can't do?
Is it looking to the Lord for help and safety as we set off on a journey, meet a client, talk to our children's teacher or go for a doctor's appointment? This believer has the riches of the Lord's sovereignty, love, power, forgiveness, peace and much more to sustain them.
Do we have this salt - which is humble and dependent on God?
If we are 'rich in spirit' perhaps we are very self-reliant, full of our own confidence.
Whilst it can be a blessing to have these traits, to foster a 'can do' optimistic outlook and attitude perhaps it may mean we don't bother to commit our every day life, actions and decisions to God.
Perhaps it means we try to fix our problems ourselves, have the last word, be the one that is right, try to make ourselves better, have our own way - turn to God as a last resort.
Let us ask ourselves:
Do we NEED God in our lives? Do we turn to him not only in our troubles but for our minute by minute daily events?
Is our salt/light showing those around us that we don't try to purely manage our own lives by ourselves but we have a refuge, a rock and a Sovereign God who is in control of our lives, and to whom we submit in submission and trust when things appear to be happening contrary to our desires?
Do they see us behave calmly and gently in response to adversity or do they see us angry, belligerent and proud, rich in our own spirit and confidence, looking purely to ourselves to solve situations?
When we are poor in our own spirit but trusting in the Lord for all our needs we find happiness in the heaven he provides for us - in resting in him during the troubles of this life and in the blessing of our future spiritual home as we depend on him for our salvation.
How does my salt, and your salt measure up to this?
To be continued God Willing.
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