“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Sermon on the mount is how we know Jesus practically. It is intimacy walked out.
This section of the sermon on the mount, Jesus’ greatest teaching on living in unity with the Holy Spirit, Jesus explains who someone is who has been born again by the Spirit. They are the salt of the earth. This is in context to the Beatitudes which were described right before. The beatitudes are characteristics that are produced when we behold Jesus and obey Him in love. The entire sermon is to be read with the beatitudes as our lens. We cannot take one injunction or verse and apply it to every situation blindly but by the whole testimony of Scripture. That would be partnering with rules not a Person. He asks us not to obey these rules or else, but care what He cares about. It is far more severe when you deal with God’s desires instead of just handling His so called “rules.” Love is far more extreme, far more long-suffering, patient, and violent for truth. (1 Cor 13) It takes the blows of Roman whips, Judaizers’ rejection, and the world’s accusation…me.
Why do I come to You mostly angry? It is because here, and only here at the cross, is where the Fountain’s sweet streams soften my hard heart unto His. Your unmoving statement and Your eternal stand. “So as the Father loved me, so I have loved You.” (Jn 15:9) Love is found in no other place. If such things lead you to any other fountain, it will not only leave you unsatisfied for what you were made for, but it will kill you and leave you raped for dead. Gospel Love is not cute and far from sentiment. It is life or death. Hell or Zion. Worthless, trampled under foot by people or lit on top of a hill.
When you let His Cross mess with you, it makes you salty. Collision with Christ on His Cross produces beatitude character; salitness. The light from us is the stand we take for the Gospel, His words, and what He cares about. If we shy away in embarrassment from that Man on those beams, so will He before the Father. (Mt. 10:32) Under that cowardice basket our light will in fact go out. We are in good hands! The most zealous kingdom man Peter hid under his “basket” the night of Jesus’ passion to be restored by the servant Shepherd. It is not our own zeal that we obey. I cannot produce love for Jesus apart from receiving love from Jesus. It is being in the river of Their love and responding to Them where love shines through (1 John 1:3.)
The consequences are serious, but so is Grace. So stay salty my friends.
So let your light shine before men.
That we may glorify our Father in heaven
-Kairos Missionary
