What Happened to the Salt and Light?
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
As Christians, I think we can all agree that living in today’s culture is not easy. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded with ideas and images that are contrary to God’s word and his holiness. It is easy to throw up our hands and moan about what we should do. At times, we might even feel like giving up. I recently came across a quote from John Stott that made me think a little differently about our world and our job in it. Stott said, “We should not ask, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ That diagnosis has already been given. We should rather ask, “What has happened to the salt and light?’”
Let that sink in a little bit. (Then you might say “ouch,” like I did.) What a great quote! The diagnosis of what is wrong with the world is simple. The world is full of fallen, sinful people. How can we expect a fallen world to act like they believe in God? We cannot; we should not. The truth is that it is impossible for a non-Christian to behave in a righteous way. But this diagnosis does not mean our world is without hope!
We have the answer for the problem of the world. We are called to be the salt and light for a lost world. The answer is simple. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Have you been brought from death to life through the grace of Jesus Christ? Then you have the answer! YOU are to shine the light of Jesus on a lost and dying world. YOU are to bring flavor and preservation to a tasteless depraved world.
I know it seems as if the depravities of the world keep changing, keep getting worse, but in reality the problem has been the same since Genesis 3. SIN. And we have the answer to that problem. Let’s stop moaning and groaning about how bad things are “out there.” Let’s not throw up our hands and give up. Instead, will you join me in going out into the world to be salt and light? Will you tell someone today about how Jesus changed your life, bringing you from dead to alive? When we shine a light on the darkness, the darkness will flee! Let’s chase that darkness away.