The Salty and the Shining

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Brian and Kathy Emmet

“You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13, 14)

Jesus tells us that God’s kingdom is like no other kingdom we know.  It seems completely upside down, but in fact it is our world which is upside down.  Jesus announces the kingdom that makes things right.  As we head into the early weeks of 2020, we’re asking the Spirit to help us learn how to live right side up in our upside-down world, using Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as our guide.

Last week, we paid attention to Jesus’ blessings (the “Beatitudes”, Matthew 5:3-12).  We saw how Jesus begins this sermon by upending our understanding of who the blessed are: the poor, those who mourn, the meek, the righteousness-starved and justice-thirsty, those who work to make peace, the pure in heart, even those who are persecuted.   

Jesus now says his kingdom-people function like salt and light.  Salt was the primary seasoning and preservative in the ancient world.  Salt can only do its job through proximity, it has to be in contact with whatever is being seasoned or preserved.  And salt needs to be scattered, sprinkled.  A recipe might call for a teaspoon of salt, but a teaspoon of salt, swallowed altogether – blech!  Jesus doesn’t call us into the “saltshaker” of a “holy huddle”, he wants to scatter us all around: workplace, classroom, coffee shop, gym, and neighborhood.

More upside-down-ness: light actually functions best in the darkness!  No one needs a lamp on a bright sunny day.  And if light is needed, you don’t put a bucket over your lamp.  So Jesus places his “salt-and-light communities” in places where there is darkness.  When you think about it, pretty much every place has some darkness.

 “You are salt” – so get out there, touching a world in need of seasoning and preserving.  “You are the light” – so allow Jesus to place you in some dark places.  And when he does: shine!

Where does God ‘sprinkle’ you week by week – who are the people and the situations into which you get ‘shaken’ like salt regularly?  What needs some kingdom seasoning, or preservation from spoiling?

 Where might you bring some ‘kingdom illumination’ this week?  Light does its work simply by shining!  What could some shining from you look like?

 

 

 

 

3 Comments

Thanks, Karen and Jan. Glad these devotionals are of help. Keep letting us know how we're doing, and how we might serve you better. And God bless and strengthen you in facing these wonderful and challenging relationships!
I have an atheist brother who I love very much. It's really difficult to share my faith with him because he gets angry....especially if I share a scripture verse. He says he is not lost, and is extremely strong in his unbelief. But we continue to talk, and I have to take a break because he gets so angry. We are on a break now for a while. Salt and light are powerful.
Excellent post. I have some family members who protect their faith by avoiding worldly situations and people who aren't "Christian." Not me. I have worked as a social worker in bad areas and have close friends who are atheists and Jesus goes with me all the way. Thanks for the reminder.

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