"You
are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be
made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and
trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a
hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the
peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the
house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your
good
works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16
In the scripture above Jesus asks
us to be salt and light. The first three
days this week we are going to look at just what He meant.
A Peanuts cartoon, showed Peppermint Patty
talking to Charlie Brown. She said, "Guess
what, Chuck. The first day of school and I got sent to the principal's office.
It was your fault, Chuck." He said, "My fault? How could it be my fault? Why do you say everything is
my fault?" She said, "You're
my friend, aren't you, Chuck? You should have been a better influence on
me."
While
Peppermint Patty was seeking to pass the buck, she was in a very real sense
right. We should be a good influence on our friends. We certainly do have an
influence, for good or for bad.
People
are watching you! What they see has an influence on them. And it should. You
see, Jesus told us that we would have an influence in this world.
George Barna's research has shown
that the average Christian in the average evangelical church is almost
indistinguishable from the rest of society. He is not talking about being
different in some artificial and outward way that you might see in some
legalistic churches. Rather, he is talking about the fundamental moral and
ethical difference that Christ can make in how we live. When our teens,
supposedly saved, get pregnant and do drugs at the same rate as the general
teenage population - when our marriages end in divorce at the same rate as the
rest of society - when we cheat in business, or lie, steal, and cheat on our
spouses at the same statistical level as those who say they are not Christians
- something is wrong.
Maybe the world does not suffer so
much from the bad ways of bad people as it does from the good people who have
very bad ways of doing good.
Following the graphic picture of
the disciple as "salt of the earth," Jesus continues to share the
impact of the Kingdom Man utilizing the example of "light."
·
While many analogies could be drawn, there is
usually only one direct message in every illustration. The concept of "light" is one that
all can grasp and apply.
·
How clear this illustration is of the life and
ministry of the one who follows and displays the life of Christ who is the true
"light of the world." (John 8:12)
Salt and Light
Perhaps that is the
reason why our influence has not been felt in a way that points people to
Jesus. Think of it, over 25% of the population of America claims to be born
again. Based on the impact they are having, that cannot be true. But what if
there were over 50 million true Christians in America. In reality, you wouldn't
even need that many. Just what would happen if the ones we have would really
start living like they were saved! Does
your life make a difference? What kind of difference do you make? Jesus is
clear that we are to make a difference.
That is what He was talking about when He said salt and light. They both make a huge difference when they
are used. Be the salt and light in your
world.
Scripture to Claim:
In him was
life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but
the darkness has not understood it. John
1:4-5
