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Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, 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 in heaven. |
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I saw a picture the other day of a container of Himalayan salt that was for sale at a grocery store. On the container it read “Forged in the primal sea more that 250 million years ago”. Although that statement is interesting in its own right, what made this picture pop out even more is what was right under that statement. It was the legally required expiration date stating that this 250-million-year-old salt was set to expire in a couple of months. What are the odds?
As we dive into this passage, the wisdom Jesus is trying to point us to is that it should be just as ridiculous for salt to lose its saltiness(expire) or to light a lamp and just as quickly hide that light as it is for us to stop revealing the Kingdom of God to the world that is around us.
This passage should encourage leaders to ask this question, How salty am I? Now I am not talking about the salt that comes from sweating after a workout or a long day working in the sun. Just as salt’s main purpose was to bring out the flavor of the food it has been added to, the work of a leader is about what we are doing with those that God has placed under our care, which accentuates the activity of God in their lives. It is a reminder that we don’t have to create any work out of thin air, but to take the time to see where God is already at work in the spaces around us and to join with Him there. As leaders, it is so easy for us to get so enthralled with the business of our work that we forget to stop and ask, Where is God in all of this, and where would He like me to follow?
I also love the community aspect of this passage when it comes to light. We see a picture of one person lighting a lamp and not hiding it, but allowing the light to reveal all that is in the room. As individuals, we have the ability to show the power of Christ to those who are around us. You get an even more powerful image when you see what the multiple lights of a city can do. The power of that light cannot be hidden. Living in rural Nebraska, nothing is more encouraging than seeing the lights of your hometown on the black night horizon after a long drive home. How great it is to know that in God’s infinite wisdom, He can bring together the family of God to work together in our own cities, region, and world to reveal to the world that there is a God who loves them and desires to bring them out of their darkness into a relationship with Him and with us as well.
Rev. Aaron Sprock
Associate Minister ABC of Nebraska
Pastor of First Baptist Church, Chadron, NE