City Life Starter

I. TEXT: Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

II. Study Questions

1. Why did Jesus use salt & light to compare believers?

2. What did salt and light mean for the first-century Jews?

3. What are some ways you can be the salt and light to the world?

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is teaching about the kingdom of God and a deeper understanding of what it means to be the children of God. There are two analogies Jesus used to describe what believers are meant to be on the earth: salt and light. You might be wondering, why did Jesus use these two elements to describe something profound? For twenty-first century Christians, comparing the importance and necessity of salt and light to Christians might not be the best to example use. Why? Because you will find a variety of salt in your kitchen pantries and plenty of lights to light up your home, but in the time of Christ, salt and light were essential household elements and held in great value.

Christians, you are the salt of the earth. Jesus comparing believers to the salt as a great element to the world, but then speaks of salt that loses its flavor? What would be the use of such an element that it lost its potential? It is would be quite a useless element if salt loses its saltiness. As a matter of fact, you would be quite upset if you put salt on your food, expecting it to add flavor only to discover that it is a useless addition that has lost its potential. Jesus then tells His audience that salt that has lost its potential would be thrown out and trampled by men for its uselessness.

Believers, you are the light of the world. You are the light that God has chosen to light the darkness of this world. Years ago, I visited Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico and went to the deepest part of the cave. Once I arrived there, the guide who was leading the group asked everyone to cover their watches. There was confusion among the group as to why he would ask everyone to cover their watches. Then he explained to the group that he is going to turn off the light inside the cave and even the small light that glows on a person’s watch can light the cave. I personally didn’t believe it until the guide proceeded to turn off the light. He gave his audience 1 minute without any light, in complete darkness. It seemed like an eternity and then he asked the group to remove their hands that covered the watches, and something amazing took place. As everyone removed their hands from the watches, mind you not everyone even had the wristwatch, the cave we were in lit up. Sure, it wasn’t full lights, but we could make sense of where everybody was and even saw their faces.

We are called to be the light of the world. Whether you are a stadium light or a candlelight, we have a great responsibility to bring light to where God has called us. Whether it is our work, school, and even our own home, we are to be a light that lights the place. Your light isn’t too small or too big, for the purpose of your light is to bring glory to the One who gave you the light. Remember you are representing a Greater One, the King of kings and Lord of lords. JY