Flipped pt3 – Salt and light
Matthew 5:13-16
Salt brings flavour – we bring flavour
- We are to bring the flavour of Jesus where we are.
- How? By putting the beatitudes into practice, fruits of spirit, small ways: show mercy, bring about peace, demonstrate kindness, gentleness, love.
- Be encouraged, a small amount of salt can add a lot of flavour
Salt is a preservative – we fight decay
- What does it mean to fight decay? There’s sin in the world and we’re called to fight that wherever we are.
- Where do we spend our time and money? Does it build righteousness and fight injustice?
- It’s about standing up for what’s right whatever it costs us.
Salt was a precious resource – we are a precious resource
- Jesus would have been talking about a valuable commodity.
- This flips our mindset about ourselves, we often think we aren’t useful or will only be useful when we reach X place. But you are valuable where you are now.
- You may be the only Christian where you are. You are precious.
We bring light – a reflection of Christ’s light
- He chose to give us two metaphors, salt and light. Salt is quite subtle but light is visible. It lights the darkness and is a guide for others. We’re to share Jesus in subtle ways but also in bold obvious ways.
- Jesus calls us to shine before others, but the right motivation is key. Matthew 5:6 and Matthew 6:1 show us that it depends on your motivation and heart. It’s important people see what we do so that glory goes to God, but we shouldn’t do it just so that others see us.
- John 8:12, how can we be a light to the world too? The light is from Jesus, we’re reflecting it like a mirror and it’s important we acknowledge to others that the light is from Jesus.
Two challenges
- Be careful not to lose your saltiness
- Jesus gives us a warning in Matthew 5:13, if we are not bringing flavour, fighting decay or using our precious influence, how can we be called salt?
- How can we be salt but potentially loose our saltiness? James 2:14 says that if no one can tell a difference in our life because of Jesus, then how powerful was your faith to begin with.
- Be salt and light where you are
- The real test is when we live this out in our day to day life