Symbolism of Salt and Light

what are their value…

S - Scripture

13 “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 they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ~matthew 5:13-16~

o - observation

real world application for their uses?

let’s first start with salt: a) a preservative, and b) flavor enhancer. as a Christian, from the old testament: 1) Lev. 2:13, 2) Num. 18:19, 3) 2 Chron. 13:5, as a long, enduring covenant with God. to learn more and get deeper in the explanation, please visit the jewish theological society’s website.

not sure how you all feel about salt, but i think it does great things when used for food - brine, pickling, preserving, and for improving the taste. who would have thought a simple by-product, naturally or commercially, of sea water and evaporation or mining can do so much to enhance whatever food item. when used for preserving food, it helps to reduce it from spoiling or going bad quickly; when as an enhancer, it makes food taste better. how does this relate to us as Christians - 1) we are supposed to live our lives as Jesus did, being the “preservatives” that help people from going bad/spoiling (dying) completely, lifting others from the trappings of the evil that is inherent in our ungodly society, filled with sin; 2) to enhance the lives of those in and around us: guided by the Holy Spirit, we can influence to get good from what is bad, to be a positive example in a world that has a lot of negativity in it - peacemakers, sharing the love of Christ.

next we have light: a) illuminating something, and b) for visibility

we definitely take this for granted when you hear that parts of the world do not have electricity, or limited in that capacity, which does not allow them to have a power source. this means that at night they only have the stars and moon as a means to see things in the dark. as someone who needs glasses, this would mean i would be struggling to make out what is in front of me, and i for sure couldn’t see more than 10 feet ahead of me with some clarity.

like a little hole that illuminates light in a dark room - even as small as it is, it still shines through; make that hole bigger, more light appears. though we are only 1 person, each of us can make an impact by allowing in a world that is dark, as followers of Christ our good works should shine; not to highlight ourselves (as to boast) but of Jesus (The Light of The World) as written in verses 14-16.

A - Application

as someone who prefers not to be trampled on because of being deemed unfit or useless, i don’t want to be in that situation where The Lord finds me of no value and throws me out. i’ve been down that road before and it sucks. just like salt and light, i want to be used for Kingdom purposes, helping others come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and also to help those build their relationship with Him. a purposefully-driven life, where it enhances those in and around my life, and also brings light to those still in darkness. want to see God glorified in what i do.

P - Prayer

dear Heavenly Father, may your light continue to shine through our life group and the lead group brothers’ lives, that you Lord Jesus will be known by those we are in contact with through our actions and speech. may each life be enhanced and preserved to you come again. in Jesus’ loving and beautiful name i pray, amen!