Salty, Shining Saints

Matthew 5:13-15 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
 
TODAY is All Saints Day. This is a good scripture to define a saint. Yes, you are a saint if you are saved in faith through your confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. “Saint” means to set apart. You are set apart from the world to show Jesus to the world. A saint’s life is to impact the church as salt and light impact physical life. 
   Jesus’ salt and light illustrations were very effective for his listeners. Salt today may not seem as important as it did in Jesus’ time. We in the U.S. even seem too fearful of salt in our food. But salt has been key to life as a means to preserve food. Our English word “salary” comes from “salt” as salt was used in Rome and other cultures to pay wages. We need salt for our body’s health and life. Too little or too much salt can cause a number of problems - even death. Balanced salt intake leads to balanced body chemistry and healthy living. When Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” he spoke high, life-giving value to the Jews.
   Light, too, is a wonderous thing, isn’t it? I once saw a re-enactment of Thomas Edison’s first demonstration of electric lights. He turned on several electric lights in a dark room. As he flipped the switch, the camera panned to each light and then pulled back to capture the responses of the men and women in the room. In awe they smiled, they laughed and clapped for the technical wonder they had just witnessed. This phenomenon was completely out of the realm of their understanding; yet, they knew they had seen something wonderful. From that time, the unstoppable progression of electric lights has covered the globe.
    Light is the first element God brought into his universe: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:2-3) From that moment on, God’s light has been unstoppable to bring life into the world. With awe and wonder, we can look through time to see God at work. He has chosen people from Abel to you today to reveal life to a darkened world.
   That’s why All Saints Day is a good day to recognize and to celebrate Jesus’ commands: “Be salt. Be light.” As the Holy Spirit indwells us, he is our life source. Without him we do not live in Christ. He quickens our souls to live in the Savior’s proclamation, “I am the Light of the World.” (John 8:12).
   On the mount that day in Galilee and throughout his ministry, Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God. He urged his disciples to follow him, to live and be as he. This is salt and light living. Your purpose is to be a life-saving messenger to a lost world.
   Are you a saint? Be salt. Be light. Rejoice you savor, share and see more clearly.
 
Prayer: “Father, open my eyes that I might see you more clearly, savor you more fully and share you more freely. Amen” (from “Pray for Me – A Prayer Guide” by Tony Souder)