Matthew 5:13-20
Salt & Light

You are the salt of the earth... In the ancient world salt had three major characteristics that would be seen as applying to Jesus description of his followers as salt:

1. _____________________________________________________________________

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2. _____________________________________________________________________

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The point is that, if Jesus' disciples are to act as a preservative in the world by conforming to kingdom norms, if they are "called to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent ... they can discharge this function only if they themselves retain their virtue"

3. _____________________________________________________________________

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So many Christians are the opposite of "flavorful" – they look like following Christ has emptied their lives of joy and excitement. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers."

Robert Lewis Stevens makes the following remark in his dairy with the sense that he was stating something unusual: "I have been to church today an dam not depressed!"

Jesus said that he came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). So being a follower of Jesus Christ SHOULD be a life enhancing experience.

The Christian who is not salty has become _______________________. This invites disaster and judgement. To not be a "salty" Christian is really not to be a Christian disciple at all!

You are the light of the world.... Light is only valuable if it is seen. There is no such thing as secret devotion to Christ or secret discipleship. In this verse Jesus is revealing that disciples are to be VISIBLY committed to him. This world is a very dark place and the one who is shining for God will instantly draw attention to him or herself.

What are some ways that a Christian person you admire "shines" for Jesus Christ? How can you let your light shine?

... that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven... People are to see the good in our lives. "Good" here is from the word kalos, which means "something good that is beautiful, winsome and attractive". True goodness is something that we long for without realizing it at times. When we look at great persons or times in the past when goodness was more evident we can become nostalgic for those people and times. When we read great literature that lifts our spirits we long for the goodness described by those characters. Goodness is something that men and women long for – but they usually long for ONLY when they see it exemplified.

But the quality of goodness here is not to draw attention to the disciple but rather to God. True goodness that is engendered by God in the believers life is not self-aware.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.... There are two types of law in the Old Testament (OT): The moral law, which is unchangeable and enduring is the first type and is presented in the Ten Commandments. The second is the ceremonial law which provided ritualistic means of describing and remedying the "unclean" state of human beings before a holy God. This second law is totally dealt with by the atoning death of Jesus Christ. This is taken up in Romans 10:4 where Paul declares: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. In fact, Jesus repeatedly broke what the Jews considered to be Law when he did not observe the ceremonial hand washing, and when he healed and did other activities on the Sabbath.

Yet the moral law continues to be in force because it derives from the very character of God. Indeed, Jesus reveals in the following text that God's moral law is not satisfied by mere external observance, but rather through a heart-felt adherence to the very spirit (as well as letter) of the Law.

When Jesus says that he has come to fulfil the law he means that he has come to bring out its real meaning. All of the Law revolves around reverence and love for God, and reverence and love for other people. Jesus shows in his life, death and resurrection how one is to perfectly live in love with God and others. These principles are the essence of the moral law and will never pass away.

There had to be Law before the Gospel could be revealed. Humans had to be shown the difference between right and wrong and that they were incapable of keeping God's law in their own strength.

These words from Jesus also shows that while we are free from the ceremonial requirements of the law, Christians are not free from the moral principles that devolve from the love of God and neighbor. Christians can't live just any old way because they are under grace, not law. Rather, they are held to a higher standard because God's Spirit enables us to keep the will of God from the heart, not just externally. There is no way to ever satisfy the law of God because it is linked to love for God. Love is always a debtor, it never ceases to seek a means to please the beloved.

Finally, the Law and the Prophets (the OT) are fulfilled in Jesus. They all point to the coming Messiah who is the ultimate revelation of the God of Israel. This thought is taken up in Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

The relevance of the OT to the present age is therefore ultimately dictated by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Also these words reveal that God's Word is inalterable and remains his self-revelation to humanity. God doesn't come out with new versions of Scripture the way software manufacturers are constantly updating their software. God's Word cannot be changed or repealed.

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