you are the light of the world

Being Salty

Posted on by Betsy

Table Salt.

Kosher Salt.

Pink Himalayan salt.

Sea Salt.

Celtic Grey Sea Salt.

Fleur De Sel

Flake Salt

Red Hawaiian Salt

… and the list goes on.

Cooking resources identify as many as 12 different types of salt and explain that each one has a specific purpose and should be used accordingly. That puts a lot of pressure on us amateur cooks! Who has time to master 12 salts when you’re just trying to think of what to have for dinner every night? Not this girl.

Back in Jesus’ day, there was only one kind of salt: salt.

Everyone knows and loves the way that salt makes things taste. Imagine pretzels or fresh tomatoes without salt. With its ability to flavor bland foods, preserve meats and fish, and make a really good foot scrub, salt is the hero of any kitchen.

Jesus tapped into people’s love and appreciation for this wonderful commodity in the 5th chapter in Matthew when he pays us the highest compliment by calling us salt:

Matthew 5 (The Message)

Salt and Light

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

Jesus is a little salty with his opening salvo. “If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?” There is so much truth in that one little sentence. We all know people who claim to follow Christ, but you would never know it by their actions, words, deeds, and social media posts. People like that have lost their usefulness for the kingdom. Think about your own behavior. Are you bringing out the God-flavors of this earth or are you repelling people from a life of discipleship? Hate speech, anger, prejudice, name-calling, berating those who don’t think like you … none of this entices the non-believer to come to the table for a taste.

14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Once I was driving my car to church and got passed by a woman in a Lexus who “flipped me off” as she sped past me. I noticed the ichthus on the back of her trunk as she peeled into a church parking lot about three blocks before my church. I wonder how many people on the road would follow her to Jesus. Not me.

How many would follow you?

Completing God’s Law

17-18 “Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God’s Law or the Prophets. I’m not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working.

19-20 “Trivialize even the smallest item in God’s Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Jesus states his mission clearly. He came to complete the Law and the Prophecy that speaks of God’s unconditional love for all people. We are invited to honor that Law, live right, be a shining example of generosity, open ourselves to others, and invite them to sit with us at Christ’s table, where the salt is freely flowing.

What kind of invitation are you making with your life? You are the salt and the light. Go flavor your life in such a way that Jesus shines through every moment.

Salt and Light by Michelle Robertson

Be the Light

Posted on by Betsy

A dear friend is going through a pretty mean divorce, and the constant wrestling with her husband over the children’s schedules, whose turn it is to have them, and other parenting issues are really wearing her down. He is constantly pulling the rug out from under her, so that she never quite knows whether she is coming or going. His latest trick is to change arrangements by text minutes before an appointed time. She is worn out.

She has tried to be upbeat and positive through it all, and to accommodate him as much as possible. Their children love and need their dad, and she works hard to ensure that they have regular access to him. When he has asked for more time, or needed to switch to a different time, she has gladly given it. But after describing yet another very tense interaction with him, when he refused to take the kids as prearranged in order to get back at her for some imagined offense, she looked at her hands in her lap and said, “It is getting so hard to be a light in this darkness.”

We know we are called to be the light. Jesus came to be the light of the world, and we are called to reflect that light into the darkness of our surroundings:

Matthew 5 (New International Version)

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

In over 20 years of counseling, I have noticed a certain myopia that comes over people when a relationship breaks apart. The daily hurts and struggles, the shock of I do’s turning into I don’t, I can’t, and I won’t, and the sheer energy drain that it puts on people is exhausting. Folks in the midst of this often get lost in the daily battles, and can’t see the long view.

When something like this comes into your life, it is important to keep your eyes looking upward and outward. There you will find Jesus looking straight back at you. His word assures us that he will never leave us or forsake us, even to the ends of the earth. It is also important to not lose sight of who you are, which is so easy when you are being pushed and shoved at every turn. Regardless of what the other person is doing, remember WHO you are, and WHOSE you are. You are the Lord’s beloved. You will get through this, with God’s help.

My friend is a light. She is radiant, and glows with joy and the delight of the Lord. I know that she will get though this, and by remaining true to the God who created her, she will retain her sense of self even when darkness tries to invade.

Are you in the middle of a battle? Do you feel as though the darkness has taken away your shine? Are you losing yourself? Take heart. Stay focused on God’s commandments, his blessings, and his light. Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people. Grace, mercy, and justice will come.

Psalm 112 The Message (MSG)

1-10 Hallelujah!

Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,

Who cherish and relish his commandments,

Their children robust on the earth,

And the homes of the upright—how blessed!

Their houses brim with wealth

And a generosity that never runs dry.

Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—

God’s grace and mercy and justice!

Sunrise at Avalon Pier by Michelle Robertson