Salt & Light

Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

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 by men. ¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither 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. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I had memorized part of this passage as a teenager and when we experienced heavy snowfall here in the last few months, I was reminded of the passage.  There was a debate going on in Seattle about whether or not to salt the roads and that aroused my interest, especially with the idea of salt and it's uses.  As most people who know me, when a word or an idea comes to my mind, I will almost always associate it with lyrics to a song.  This time was no different and what made it more interesting was I had listened to a song that addressed the idea from the passage.

Here are the lyrics to the song "Say So" written by Israel Houghton & Michael Gungor:

Verse 1:
What does it mean to be saved?
Isn't it more than just a prayer to pray?
More than just a way to heaven?
What does it mean to be His?
To be formed in his likeness?
Know that we have a purpose.

Pre-Chorus:
To be salt and light in the world,
in the world.
To be salt and light in the world.

Chorus:
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, say so, say so!

Verse 2:
Oh that the church would arise.
So that we would see with Jesus' eyes.
We could show the world heaven.
Show what it means to be His.
To be formed in his likeness.
Show them they have a purpose.

I started mulling over what salt had to do with anything.  I always understood the idea of the light and have seen it demonstrated in the literal sense; but I have never really given part about the salt too much thought.  As someone who avoids overly salty foods because of health reasons, it was even more fascinating to me the relevance of salt and why Jesus chose salt as a reference.  I did some quick "research" and this is what I found:  Salt is one of the most plentiful elements on earth.  Life itself would be impossible without it, since the human body requires salt in order to function properly. The concentration of sodium ions in the blood is directly related to the regulation of safe body fluid levels.  Salt is an important preservative.

Based on these simple descriptions, it became clear to me why Jesus used salt as a metaphor in this passage.  As Christ followers we are the salt of the earth; we have been given a mission to preserve "life" - eternal life.  We are to add "flavor" to the world we live in; a world that is hurting and in the dark.  However, we need to be careful not to lose our "flavor" by allowing additives into our lives because Jesus warns that we will be thrown out and be trampled on by men.  I hope I am "salty" enough.

Well, I am once again challenged by what Jesus said in this passage.  I am now asking the questions in the first verse of the songs and also rising to the challenge of the 2nd verse.  I want to engage people in discovering who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him - to be salt and light.