Matthew 5:13-16

¹³ “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. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Commentary

Vs. 13 “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.”

Having given the beatitudes Jesus now likens us who believe in and belong to Him as to salt, for we are the “seasoning” of God’s Person, Word and Life that Christ Himself brings (2 Cor. 2:14-17). For we are the taste of God In Christ to our broken world when we keep His Word, but we also help preserve our world from its own degenerate inclinations towards sin and death as we do. Therefore by using this analogy Jesus’ is making it very clear that we don’t stray from Him or His Word, and embrace the lawlessness and the godlessness that is in this unregenerate world, and that the god of this world promotes through it, because no one wants or respects a person whose testimony of faith In Christ is not backed up by their own actions. Therefore each and every believer must make it our aim not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we might prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom 12:2).

Vs. 14-16 ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

If salt seasons and preserves then light illuminates, and it shines brightest in the darkest places. Now Jesus says that we are the light of the world; that is as His disciples we reflect what He truly is everywhere and anywhere we are (John 8:12). Therefore Jesus makes it clear that closet disciples is not what we are, nor a possibility for us to ever be; His Person and Life within us makes it impossible for us to just be idle or hidden away somewhere. God has purposes for our persons and lives and through us He desires to fulfill them all, for the benefit of all. And so just as a city set on a hill cannot be hidden, neither can we be hidden, or when they light a lamp they don’t put it under a basket, but on a lampstand so that it gives light to all in house, so do we. A Christian’s person and life then always testifies of Christ Jesus the Lord the light of the world who takes away the darkness and brings everlasting life to everyone who repents and believes. Therefore Jesus in order to help us facilitate that says to us who believe in Him, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Therefore a Christians person and life is not only inclined towards doing good works, but is marked by them, marked with a desire to glorify God through them.

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.