Picture a world shrouded in the deepest of darkness and gloom, stifling everyone and everything. But this darkness is not physical, it’s spiritual. You see this world in your mind’s eye, and it’s a hostile place full of hurt and pain. The powerful oppress the poor, prying loose the last penny from their hands. Although food is plentiful, people are dying of hunger in the streets–and those who see them just walk on by. Lying in the alleyways are souls so destitute that they are more naked than clothed.
Yet, those who see the poor and hurting, even their own family members, turn a blind eye. Everywhere you look are demoralized people who feel that God has deserted them. Some of them spend their lives pleading for God to show them some inkling of love. Others have given up all hope. And no matter how intensely the sun blazes in the sky, the pall of darkness never leaves. You’ve known no other world, and yet, somehow you know that this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be.
But then someone new walks into this world. This person looks a lot like the other people in the world. But it doesn’t take long to notice that this person is different. Instead of joining those who abuse the poor, he ignores the abusers, and sits down in the dirt next to the miserable. And when the starving and naked cluster around him, he always has something to give them, even if they are only words of hope.
To the most hopeless whom society has tossed aside, who are convinced that God only harbors anger and hatred toward them, he walks up to them and says, “Peace be with you!” Then he tells them of a God they never knew, a God who would call them His sons and daughters. Everywhere this person goes the darkness scatters, and all that’s left is the light of God. He’s like a sunrise bringing life into the gloom of night.
Now look closer at this remarkable person. Do you recognize him or her? It’s you. It’s the person God made you when you were joined to Him in the waters of holy baptism. It’s the person God made you when He planted the seed of faith within you.
The Prophet Isaiah described what happens when the faith within you shines forth in your life: “Then your light will break through like the dawn” (Isaiah 58:8). That was what Jesus had in mind when He said, “You are the light of the world.” Jesus was saying that those whom God blesses are blessings to the world.
Jesus once said that He’s the light of the world. Now, we can all understand that. After all, Jesus is holy and perfect. He’s God in human flesh. He never sinned. He always showed love. His always called a sin a sin. And most of all, His merciful love was ever ready to pour out His forgiveness on the repentant. Oh, it makes perfect sense that Jesus is the light of the world!
But now Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “You are the light of the world … you are the salt of the earth.” His point was simple: Light and salt both have a purpose. Light allows us to see. It shows the world as it is–both good and evil. If light didn’t do that, it wouldn’t be light. Salt’s purpose was to preserve; it kept food from spoiling. Although it had a sharp taste, it would stop food from decaying and preserve the good within it. If it didn’t do that, it wouldn’t be salt. Salt and light–that’s what Jesus said His disciples were for the world.
But if you’ve read the New Testament, that description sounds far-fetched. I mean, His disciples were messed up in many ways. Think of Peter. In one moment, he would boast proudly about his faith; in the next, his doubts would rule the day. James and John loved to argue about which of them would get to sit next to Jesus in heaven. One day, the disciples even tried to keep children from coming to Jesus. And they were to be the salt that preserves this world by helping people hold on to the good and reject evil? They were to be the light that would expose the darkness of sin and point others to the Savior? Didn’t Jesus know them? That seems like a stretch!
And yet, it also seems like a stretch if you know yourself. But that doesn’t deter Jesus. He still says that those who believe in Him are light and salt. And so, your words and deeds have a purpose. Like salt, they are to preserve the good and, like light, they are to show the truth.
So, how brightly does your light shine? How strong is your salt? It’s easy to gripe about the spiritual darkness in the world–even in our own country. Just look around. The poor go hungry. Every year there are more than a million abortions. Most marriages end in divorce. We see corruption in the government, inept legislation being passed, and society breaking down.
So, what’s the problem? Is the problem that darkness is taking over or that Christians are failing to be salt and light? When those you know who are baptized in the faith live in a way contrary to that faith, do you try to preserve their faith by warning them about that sin? When Christians start to change what they believe, do you bring them back to the truth of God’s Word? When someone is lost in guilt or unbelief, do you show them the light of their Savior?
Or do you live as an invisible Christian, in a way that blends in with the darkness of this world. Or do you live in a way that leads people to praise God the Father in heaven? When salt loses its tang and light its luminescence, there’s only one reason–they’re no longer salt and light. How sad when our lives look nothing like the salt and light that Jesus calls us to be. Doesn’t He know us?
But that’s the point! Listen again to Jesus’ words. “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be concealed.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Try to be the salt of the earth.” Or, “If you work hard enough, then you will be the light of the world.” He says, “You are.” He doesn’t say, “If you just live like this, then I’ll make you my people. Then, I’ll save you!” He says, “Don’t you know? I’ve saved you and made you my people. Now be who you are. Let that light shine!”
Earlier, you imagined a world in darkness and pictured someone walking through it who was bringing light to everyone he met. Did that person look more like Jesus than you? Of course! “He’s the light. He’s the One who confessed and fully lived out the truth, showing perfect love. He’s the One who made a difference in this world.” But never forget where that perfect love led Him to go. He went to the cross.
Jesus showed the world what true light was. His death showed what the price for every sin is, showing that sin destroys us and takes us away from God. His death shows that, if we’re going to live, we need His forgiveness and grace. His death shows us a God we never knew: One who loves unconditionally, forgives endlessly, and dies to give us His life.
And He’s the One who now looks at you, His forgiven people, and says: “You are … You are the light of the world; you are the salt of the earth.” And because Jesus says it, it’s true. That’s what the Apostle Paul knew when he wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). You are the light of the world because THE light of the world, Jesus, lives in you. That means your life has purpose and meaning. Just as salt and light change the world around it, you also make a difference in this world.
Maybe it feels as if that’s impossible. After all, the world is big, and the darkness is not only vast but also deep. Do you think you could make a difference? Jesus does. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be concealed. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so they can see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Maybe, your light won’t wrap around the world. And, maybe, your life will never seem like you’re a city on a hill at night that every sees for miles and miles. But you can be a lamp on a stand, giving light to everyone in “your house,” to those whom God brings into your life.
When your words and deeds both confess the truth, then when others see your love to people who could never pay you back, they’ll see Jesus. When they see your willingness to warn against sin and call people to repent, they’ll see the truth that sin destroys us. When they see the way you trust in God instead of money, they’ll start to see what it means to know a God who promises to take care of us.
And when they see you stumble and fall, when they see you act in a way that isn’t light or salt and isn’t the person Jesus calls you to be, what then do they get to see? They’ll see someone who turns from his sin back to God, trusting in God for forgiveness and mercy. And they’ll see Jesus there, too.
When you look at the world, what do you see? Do you see the darkness of sin and unbelief? Can you imagine that God loved this world that He even gave His Son for it, for you? Can you imagine that He loved the world that He even now gives it to you, so you can be its salt and light? So, let your light shine before others, so they can see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven. Amen.
