What’s It Mean to Be ‘Salt and Light’?

We're commanded to be the 'light of the world.'

Salt. So versatile it’s even used in idioms to describe people: “He’s the salt of the earth” – the sort of person who’s good, honest, reasonable, and not pretentious. Or, “She’s worth her salt,” indicating being of considerable value. 

We're also to be the 
'salt of the earth.'

Of course, we think of salt mostly in terms of a seasoning. Are you someone who puts salt on almost everything you eat, from eggs and French fries to steak and watermelon? For much of my life I’ve been ‘well-seasoned,’ often salting food before tasting it. For accomplished cooks and chefs, this seems like gastronomical blasphemy. Over the years I’ve tried to do better.

Salt is perhaps the most controversial of seasonings. Some medical experts claim too much salt is bad for you, while other studies indicate for most people it’s not much of a problem. Who’s right? Most of us make our own decisions about this, taking the doctor’s advice with the proverbial ‘grain of salt.’

 

During His famed “sermon on the mount,” Jesus Christ alluded to the importance of salt. He used it as a metaphor, along with another substance we know well – light – to explain how His followers should function where they live and work. He said:

“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. You are the light of the world. A city 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 you light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

 

In summary, we’re to be salt and light to the world around us, wherever we are. Why did Jesus choose these two as metaphors?

 

We know salt can add savor to food. Not enough salt and food might taste bland; too much salt and it can overwhelm the natural taste of the food we’re eating. To put that into a spiritual perspective, as ‘salt’ to the folks we encounter over the course of the day, our lives and our words should be such that the message of the Gospel is as appealing as possible – and not overwhelming.

 

The apostle Paul wrote about this to believers in ancient Colossae, admonishing, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6). To put it another way, we’re to interact with others in ‘good taste’ when talking with them about Christ.

 

But salt works in other ways besides affecting the flavor of food. In the days before refrigeration and freezers, salt was used as a preservative to keep meat from spoiling. A spiritual parallel might be to ‘preserve’ the Gospel message and remain true to our commitment to Christ in the midst of an increasingly dark world.

 

A third use of salt is to melt ice. We discover this during the winter, when snow and ice cover sidewalks, driveways and roads. Applying salt can help in making them passable again. Similarly, as we talk with others about Jesus – speaking with grace and seasoning what we say with ‘salt,’ as Paul advised – hearts once cold toward Him might ‘thaw out’ and become responsive to the truths of the Scriptures.

 

There’s one more function of salt we need to consider. Another familiar idiom talks of ‘pouring salt into wounds.’ Have you ever had a cut and got some salt into it? It irritates, right? In a similar way, while we should make every effort not to offend others as we talk with them about Jesus, we know the Gospel message itself can be offensive. The apostle Peter called it, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8). We’re to speak in love, but without compromising what God says in His Word.

 

What about light? We know the impact light can have in a dark room; even a small candle makes a big difference. Scientists call that the “luminiferous” property – producing or transmitting light. Again, as we speak about the saving, transforming powers of Christ, we hope to bring His light to people living in spiritual darkness.

 

Like salt, however, light has other properties as well. There’s its “actinic” capacity, bringing about photochemical reactions. We’ve all seen this in photography, and we observe it in photosynthesis, the process that creates green in plants during spring and summer. The light of Christ also can stimulate spiritual growth as scriptural truths sink into receptive hearts.

 

A third major property of light is what’s called ‘calorific’ – generating heat. Think about when you’re sitting outside on an overcast day, perhaps watching a child’s ballgame; suddenly the sun peeks through the clouds and the sunlight immediately starts raising the temperature.

 

This effect often happens spiritually as well. Two of Jesus’ closest followers referred to it after they had encountered Him while walking to the village of Emmaus after His resurrection: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” After He had left them, the disciples looked at each other and asked, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:27-32).

 

What I find most encouraging about Jesus’ salt and light metaphors is that the pressure’s not on us. It’s not up to us to produce the salt – or the light. That’s God’s job. Our responsibility is to use what the Lord has given us and then trust Him for the outcome.

 

Years ago, Rebecca Manley Pippert wrote a book about relational evangelism called Out of the Saltshaker and into the World. We might regard the sanctuaries where we congregate every Sunday as ‘saltshakers.’ God wants us to take the salt we receive there into our world – workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, communities, wherever we go. We commissioned to be ‘worth our salt.’

It’s Important to ‘Be Where Your Feet Are’

Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about the future – what could be, or where you’d like to be? Or yearning to be somewhere else, anywhere other than where you are in life presently?

 

We’ve probably all been there at least occasionally in our lives. This can be especially true in the workplace. The excitement of the job has worn off. Or you’ve realized it’s not at all what you had hoped it would be. You might be thinking, ‘If I were somewhere else, I could really show what I could do.’ Maybe you’ve even explored other opportunities, but no doors have opened. That can be frustrating.

 

What should we do, just muddle through each day? Sneer and bear it? Sulk because the higher-ups don’t appreciate what we have to offer? Maybe even get mad at God because He hasn’t extricated us from our dismal situation?

 

I read a quote recently that applies to those kinds of circumstances. Jim Tressel is a legendary former football coach, including 10 years with the Ohio State Buckeyes, leading them to a national championship in 2002. He also served as president of Youngstown State University for 10 years, and now serves as lieutenant governor of Ohio.

 

Speaking to a former player who had solicited his advice, Tressel recommended, “Be where your feet are.” In other words, choose to focus on the present – what’s right in front of you – rather than daydreaming or longing for what may lie ahead in the uncertain future.

 

I’ve heard of people eager to go to the foreign mission field, convinced that God could use them in wonderful ways to take the Gospel message to people groups that need to hear it. And yet, they’ve had absolutely no success in telling people about Jesus where they work and live. In some cases, they haven’t even tried. Why? Because they haven’t learned the wisdom of ‘being where your feet are.’

 

The Bible has much to say about the importance of being faithful to stand up for Christ right where we are. As 2 Corinthians 5:20 states, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

 

This verse speaks in the present tense, not referring to some future assignment. We ARE therefore Christ’s ambassadors. This is true whether we are high-ranking corporate executives, professional people, laborers, department managers, salespeople, grocery store cashiers, schoolteachers, carpenters, physicians, nurses, maintenance workers, or any other vocation we can imagine.

 

As Ecclesiastes 9:10 exhorts, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might….” Why? Another passage elaborates: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). 

 

Ultimately, we are wherever the Lord has placed us to serve Him, to use our gifts, talents, experience – and opportunities – to be, as Jesus said, “the salt of the earth…the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14).

 

However, work can be boring, aggravating, uninspiring. It may be unfulfilling, and we wonder if we’re doing any good at all. The apostle Paul apparently understood that, because he frequently wrote words of encouragement to Christ followers in other cities hoping they would ‘hang in there.’ Writing to believers in Galatia, he urged, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

 

Ancient Corinth with its rampant pagan practices certainly wasn’t a utopia for living out the Christian faith and biblical values. Men and women committed to Christ must have often wondered why they were there, whether their efforts to obey Jesus in serving as His “salt and light” were accomplishing anything. Paul admonished, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

 

That’s a key point: Wherever we are, even if we can’t imagine why God has us there, we can trust that “our labor in the Lord is not in vain.” As someone has said, “if you can’t serve the Lord where you are, you certainly can’t serve Him where you are not.”

 

We can take heart in knowing the place where God has us at the present moment doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a permanent assignment. I’ve learned that a number of times myself. Sometimes the Lord had more for me to do before moving me elsewhere; other times He was preparing me for another role, but I had more to learn first. Often, it’s like a line of dominos – the first one has to fall before the remainder start tumbling in succession.

 

What matters is what we do and how we conduct ourselves, no matter how undesirable current circumstances might be. Perhaps God has us where we are so we can learn faithfulness, perseverance and trust. As Jesus taught in His parable of the shrewd manager, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). This applies not only to wealth and material resources, but also to where the Lord has placed us.

 

The question is, are we being faithful to work hard, pursue excellence and display godly character where we are now, even if it seems to be of little value? We might discover it’s just a proving ground for demonstrating our readiness for greater things. ‘Be where your feet are,’ even if you’d prefer to be elsewhere. When God’s ready, He’ll take you to another place where you can serve Him just as faithfully.