Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus was not only concerned about helping people find abundant life, he was also concerned about the social, political, economical, and religious forces that stole abundant living away from people. He knew he had come to lay down his life to change individual lives and to change complex cultures.
In the same way we as disciples are not just about helping individuals find abundant life in Jesus Christ. We know many people will struggle to find freedom until the enslaving forces of our culture are attacked and defeated.
For example, as long as our American culture feeds people’s addiction to consumerism, some people will struggle to find freedom. By consumerism I mean the need to buy more and more and more in order to find fulfillment in my life. But like every other addiction, it requires more and more and more in order to enjoy it less and less and less. We are caught in a spiral of materialistic addiction.
And that is not the only addiction in which people become trapped. Alcohol, illicit drugs, porn, and gambling are just a few more examples. There are people so addicted or needy for public attention they will do strange and dangerous stunts to get media attention. Any recent examples come to your mind?
So Jesus uses the analogy of salt and light. In Jesus’ day salt was used for two purposes. Salt preserved and prevented decay, and salt flavored food. Today we may use refrigeration for the first, but we still use salt to flavor food.
Light was used two ways in Jesus’ time. Light provided illumination, but often the source of light also provided heat and warmth.
Then he turned to the disciples, surrounded by the crowds, and said, “You are the salt and light of the earth.”
That must have seemed pretty preposterous at first. Who were these disciples? Some fishermen, a tax collector, an underground terrorist, maybe a carpenter? Certainly not Nobel Prize candidates. They were not educated. They were not wealthy. They did not have powerful connections.
But Jesus predicted that they would change the culture of the world. They would infect – like a seasoning affects the whole dish – the whole culture of what the world is about. And you and I are the products of their saltiness.
Jesus is speaking to us, “You are the salt and light of the earth.” It is through us that God wants to infect and change the culture of the world today. How do we do this?
First, and I would hope obvious, is that we stay connected to our Source. Salt that loses is saltiness is useless. A candle that will not burn is useless. So, obviously, we need to maintain our salt and light strength by staying close to God, our Source. This calls for the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship – both individual and corporate; and works of mercy to the poor and disadvantaged.
Second, it is to get involved. This disciple thing is not about me feeling good about myself. It is about God working through us to redeem the world. Or to put it another way that I find myself repeating often:
It is not about me.
It is about us.
It is not about us.
It is all about what God wants to do in the world through us in Jesus’ name.
We cannot change culture by ourselves. Only God can do that. And we cannot spread influence very far, unless we are connected with others who have a similar mission. So we find others who are drawn to a similar call, and we get involved. This multiplies the potential of our impact.
Third, use the tools available and capable of cultural change. One of those tools that often is criticized, if not blamed, today is the institution. Institutions can create their own self-serving culture to block the movement of God’s Spirit. But rarely have I observed any movement that survived the first generation of visionary leadership without the sustenance of some kind of organization among people.
When maintenance of the institution becomes the mission primary over God changing the world, then it is a real problem. But without some kind of institutional infrastructure, the ministry will ebb and flow according to the charisma of the current leader. This only works for the short term. In some cases it accomplishes the failure people wanted to avoid.
A few weeks ago Cathy and I visited our daughter and her husband in the Washington DC area. We took a bike ride up to Harper’s Ferry. In Harper’s Ferry is an old Catholic Church named St. Peter’s. Typical of churches and other buildings built in those days, it was anchored on the side of the hill overlooking the Potomac River. On the outside, there was sign indicating the church was now a mission outpost of St. James. I’m not sure what that means, but it implied to me that the St. James congregation kept the facility open for tourists and sightseers.
On the inside there was plaque explaining that during the Civil War, the leaders of the St. Peter’s parish decided to fly the Union Jack Flag to indicate to the commanders of both armies who were skirmishing in the area – that eventually led to the Battle of Gettysburg – that St. Peter’s was neutral in the great conflict. They were hoping they would preserve their precious building from any danger or damage. And it succeeded – if preservation was all they desired. You can still see the building today. It is a nice museum and memory of the past.
But sadly, there is no church. In the midst of one of our country’s greatest struggles, the church leaders did not want to take a stand. They did not want to get involved in the issues. They did not want to navigate the changes. They only wanted to preserve their monument…and they did.
Effective leaders learn to use – and even create institutional change – in organizations in order to partner with others and enlarge the range of their influence. If you want your life to make a difference, align yourself with others with a similar calling; and watch what God will do.
You are the salt and light of the earth!
