Verse 13: "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."

Verses 14-16: "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 others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

 

You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In both cases, this is not about saying or doing anything specific, but about being something. Salt affects its environment simply by being what it is, and light affects its environment by simply existing as light. To be salt and light in the world doesn't require a lot of talk or even a lot of action — it requires being entirely different from the environment, so much so that you influence it.

Luke’s Gospel tells us what Jesus meant when He said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew’s Gospel doesn’t define it — it simply states it, allowing preachers to interpret it as they like. Unfortunately, many have applied their own experience of salt to the meaning, seeing it as a flavouring or a preservative. Almost every sermon on this topic talks about how a sprinkling of Christians makes the atmosphere sweeter, or how Christians preserve society.

However, Luke’s Gospel gives a more precise definition. Jesus said, “If the salt loses its saltiness, it is no good for the field or the dunghill.” This tells us what salt was used for in the ancient world. It was scraped up from the shores of the Dead Sea, which is rich in a mixture of salts, not just pure sodium chloride (NaCl). One of the primary salts present is potassium chloride, or potash. Any gardener knows that plants need three kinds of fertilizers: phosphate for roots, nitrates for leaves, and potash for flowers and fruit. The salt from the Dead Sea was widely used as a fertilizer, primarily because of its potash content.

Magnesium bromide and sodium chloride were also present. Sodium chloride was often used in the kitchen, but Jesus was referring to its use as a fertilizer. He spoke of the soil — the word for "soil" here is the same as "earth" in Matthew, meaning “the salt of the soil.” In other words, Jesus is talking about salt as a fertilizer that helps good things grow.

Jesus also mentioned the dunghill, a reference not to animal manure but to human waste. In ancient times, people had a heap of dirt at the bottom of the yard where they would empty their bowels. Next to the dirt heap was a box of salt from the Dead Sea, and a handful would be sprinkled on the waste as a disinfectant. This was a simple way to stop the spread of things they didn’t want to grow.

Together, these uses — fertilizer and disinfectant — show salt’s positive and negative influences. It promotes the growth of good things while inhibiting the growth of bad things. Christians, therefore, are to be the salt of the soil, influencing the world by stopping the spread of bad and promoting good.

But being salt doesn’t come from saying or doing anything. It comes from being totally different from the world around us. In the kitchen, a sprinkling of salt is enough for flavouring, but as a fertilizer or disinfectant, you need handfuls for it to be effective. A little sprinkling of salt on soil won’t accomplish anything. The same is true in society — to influence society, there must be enough Christians being “salt.” The simple truth is, there aren’t enough. This is why social trends are going in the wrong direction, and they won’t reverse until there is enough salt to change the course.

So, how much do we need? Here’s the good news: when five percent of a community or society is “salt,” social trends begin to reverse for the better. And it’s not because that five percent is saying or doing something — it’s simply because they are being different.

Until we have enough salt in society, we will continue to face a situation that is deteriorating. In fact, as society worsens, it becomes increasingly difficult to be a Christian because the tide is running hard against us.

The second aspect of salt is its distribution. Salt is useless if it stays in the salt shaker. It must be in direct contact with the dirt to have any effect. Similarly, Christians must be present in the world, not isolated from it. If we’re locked up in churches or Christian schools, we aren’t functioning as salt.

The third aspect, and perhaps the most important, is quality. Salt needs to retain its saltiness. Jesus warned about salt losing its flavour, and while sodium chloride itself can’t lose its saltiness, it can become diluted. In Jesus' time, unscrupulous dealers would mix sand with the salt to make more profit, and housewives who bought this adulterated salt would throw it out. Salt loses its effectiveness when it is mixed with other substances, and in the same way, Christians lose their impact when they become too much like the world.

Christians are meant to influence the world by being different from it. If we blend in, we lose our saltiness, and society treats us with contempt. Jesus made it clear that once salt loses its flavour, it’s good for nothing and can’t be restored. Similarly, once Christians lose their distinctiveness, they can’t regain it.

So, what does it mean to be salty? To understand this, we must look at the Beatitudes, where Jesus describes qualities that are the opposite of what the world values: poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking. These traits make a person salt in the world. However, these same qualities are what lead to persecution because they are so contrary to the world’s values.

Light, like salt, has both a negative and positive aspect. It exposes darkness and shows the right way forward. Christians, as the light of the world, shine not through words but by living lives of higher moral standards. Just as Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” we are called to be light as well.

Prayer point:

1. Pray for strength to remain distinct in your faith: Ask God to help you be salt and light, influencing the world by being different and not conforming to its values, just as Jesus described.

2. Pray for boldness to live out your Christian identity: Request the courage to engage with society, being in direct contact with the world while maintaining your saltiness and not losing your distinctiveness.

3. Pray for purity of heart and a desire for righteousness: Seek to embody the qualities mentioned in the Beatitudes — meekness, mercy, and purity — which make you a powerful influence in promoting good and inhibiting evil in society.

4. Pray for wisdom in dealing with worldly challenges: Ask for guidance on how to handle the growing difficulties Christians face in a deteriorating world, knowing that being salt and light means living in opposition to societal trends.