Here is a link to our Gospel reading for today from
Matthew 5:13-20
You are the salt of the earth. . .You are the light of the world.
I want you to listen to these words from Jesus very closely. They are so familiar to us that it is easy to miss the profound message in them.
You are the salt of the earth. . . You are the light of the world.
I want you to listen to these words from Jesus very closely. They are so familiar to us that it is easy to miss the profound message in them.
You are the salt of the earth. . . You are the light of the world.
Jesus doesn't say you will be the salt of the world and you will be the light of the world. He doesn’t list a bunch of things that you need to do to become the salt and the light of the world. He simply says, you are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. You can cover up your light, you can dilute your saltiness, but you are still the light and you are still the salt of the world. Nothing and no one can change this reality.
And light and salt are wonderful things. We may have lost some understanding of the wonder of light and salt in our modern world, but step back and think for a moment what your life would be like without either of these things. Or even think about whether there would be life without them. Light, sunlight, is necessary for life. It is the energy source that allows life, our life, to exist. Salt is a little bit more of a stretch for us, as we so often are told that salt is bad for us, but a life with no salt cannot be either. If your sodium levels become too low, you will not have life either.
Salt and light are necessary for life, and we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. You and me. We are necessary for life. We are necessary for the life of the world. I wonder how this makes you feel? Do you feel elated when you hear this? Does it ring true for you? Or do you think to yourself, I am not necessary for the world. I am not the light and salt of the world?
Salt and light are necessary for life, and we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. You and me. We are necessary for life. We are necessary for the life of the world. I wonder how this makes you feel? Do you feel elated when you hear this? Does it ring true for you? Or do you think to yourself, I am not necessary for the world. I am not the light and salt of the world?
Go find a mirror and look at yourself in it. Say out loud to your image in the mirror, “I am the salt of the earth. I am the light of the world.” How does that feel? Is it something that empowers you and fills you with hope and excitement or does it scare you and make you feel sad and doubtful? Or perhaps you feel a little bit of both.
I’ve said this in another message recently, but it is so important that it bears repeating. We come into this world knowing that we are the salt of the world and the light of the world. But then life intervenes and we receive messages from people and the world that make us question our essential light and saltiness. We are told somewhere along the way that we have to put our light under a bushel or dilute our saltiness. Or even worse, we are told that we don’t have any light or saltiness in us at all.
I’m here to stand beside Jesus today and to tell you: You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. Your light might be hiding under a bushel, your salt may be diluted, but neither of these things can be taken from you. You are these things no matter what others have told you.
I’ve said this in another message recently, but it is so important that it bears repeating. We come into this world knowing that we are the salt of the world and the light of the world. But then life intervenes and we receive messages from people and the world that make us question our essential light and saltiness. We are told somewhere along the way that we have to put our light under a bushel or dilute our saltiness. Or even worse, we are told that we don’t have any light or saltiness in us at all.
I’m here to stand beside Jesus today and to tell you: You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. Your light might be hiding under a bushel, your salt may be diluted, but neither of these things can be taken from you. You are these things no matter what others have told you.
If you did find it difficult to embrace your light and saltiness, I wonder what bushels are covering your light. I wonder what is diluting your saltiness. Is it messages you received when you were young? Is it a stuck place you find yourself in right now? Is it the loses you have had to endure in your life? Is it the day to day stresses of trying to make a living and find your way in the world? What is it that is covering up your light and diluting your saltiness?
A funny thing happens when you uncover your light and embrace your saltiness, you find yourself feeling more alive, more at peace. And you find yourself feeling willing maybe even compelled to share your light and saltiness with others. I think the world would be a better place if all of us were to uncover our light and embrace our saltiness.
A funny thing happens when you uncover your light and embrace your saltiness, you find yourself feeling more alive, more at peace. And you find yourself feeling willing maybe even compelled to share your light and saltiness with others. I think the world would be a better place if all of us were to uncover our light and embrace our saltiness.
You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world! Embrace your light and saltiness.
Peace,
Suzannah +
Peace,
Suzannah +