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Matthew 5:14  (King James Version)
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<< Matthew 5:13   Matthew 5:15 >>


Matthew 5:13-15

Our Savior Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 5:13-14 that we are the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world"—we who are also the weak and the foolish of this world (I Corinthians 1:27). Mentally, when we hear such praises from God, some of us look both ways and behind, and say, "He must be talking about someone else." We struggle to overcome, and we feel we are always "a day late and a dollar short." Though we wish with all our heart that we were more like God, His image in us seems all the more elusive.

But Jesus did not lie in saying these things. As salt gives food a rich, pleasant taste, we are those who are to give a good flavor to the lives of those we encounter. There should be something in our conduct that shows the fruit of the life to which God has called us.

He goes on to say that, if we are not "radiating with flavor"—reflecting the teachings of God in our lives—what use are we, especially to God Himself? Salt without flavor has no use, and it can even be detrimental to the things it comes in contact with. Maybe its best use is to be put on icy roads, to be ground under the tires of vehicles and then washed away.

In Christ's other metaphor, light illuminates what was once dark; it reveals things that were hidden. Though we may be poor, considered old and over the hill, uneducated and obscure, when we live our lives as He instructs, we are a brilliant beacon to this tired and confused world. Our lives can shine a spotlight on the solutions to many common problems experienced by our friends and neighbors.

Jesus points out that we should not hide our light under a basket (verse 15), but live it in the open for all to see. We can set a proper example of the abundant way to live. We should give everyone we meet the light of our loving concern, the light of our honesty, the light of joy and peace, the light of godly family relations, the light of good work habits, and all the other rays of light contained in God's way.

In doing this, we will initially bring attention upon ourselves, and this may at times become uncomfortable. Righteousness has an uncanny tendency to bring out the worst in carnal human beings. Ultimately, however, we will glorify God the Father and His Son by it, promoting the cause of the Kingdom of God.

John O. Reid
Abstaining From Evil



Matthew 5:14-16

In the Parable of the Light recorded in Matthew 5:14-16 (found also in Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16-17; 11:33-36), Jesus Christ uses two figures of speech to express the responsibility of true Christians to influence the world: "a city . . . on a hill" and "a lamp . . . on a lampstand."

Many Judean cities were founded on the summits or sides of mountains, and travelers could see them from afar. Perhaps Jesus pointed to such a city, telling His disciples that they were like it. The city built on an important location can be seen by many eyes over a wide area, representing a disciple's far-ranging and widespread exposure to others.

Jesus' illustration of a shining lamp illuminating the home suggests a disciple's more intimate influence. By design, a Christian's actions cannot be hidden from the eyes of either our families or the world at large. This being the case, he must live a righteous, holy, humble, and pure life, letting his "light so shine before men [and thus] . . . glorify your Father in heaven."

Martin G. Collins
Parable of the Light



Matthew 5:14

American liberty seems to be synonymous with American license. The common decency of the culture has devolved to the lowest common denominator. The ideals we espouse are overshadowed by the public example of how we live. For good or ill, John Winthrop's "city on a hill" imagery has come to pass in the United States—but the light it is emitting is feeble at best. As columnist Cal Thomas once observed:

These [Muslim] fanatics believe the United States, Britain and the rest of the West are the ones in bondage. They note our promiscuity, our abortions, our obsession with homosexuality, our television, our provocative way of dressing and they wonder who is really free?

The adage, "Charity begins at home," has never been more relevant. If our own house is not in order, we can never hope to lead by example. No institution—nation, business, school, church, family—can successfully promote its ideas if its core is sick. It can influence and coerce, but it cannot inspire. Other nations envy the wealth and power of the United States, but it is not out of respect for America's righteousness that they seek to emulate her.

America has never recovered from the moral and cultural earthquakes of the 60s and 70s. As the Islamists painfully point out, we have plenty of problems at home. We have killed more of our children than any terrorist could dream of doing. We are draining our economy through deficit spending and credit card debt more effectively than any terrorist strike could. We are denigrating the family—the foundation of any society—at every turn. With such symptoms as these staring us in the face, it is only through hubris that we believe we can teach others a better way to live. Our first priority has to be putting our nation—our schools, churches, families, marriages, ourselves—back on track before we can hope to be effective in teaching the world a better way to live.

Our Savior tells us that we have to correct our own vision before we can help anybody else:

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:3-5)

Whether the institution consists of one man or hundreds of millions, the principle remains the same: There will not be true public victory until there is first private victory. The moral and spiritual sickness must be rooted out first. The foundation must be solid. The message must be correct—and it must be practiced before it can be preached. In fact, practicing it will be preaching it.

David C. Grabbe
The Gospel of Freedom and Democracy




Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Matthew 5:14:

Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 25:16-18
Mark 4:21
Luke 8:16-17
Luke 11:33-36
John 17:16
Revelation 11:4

 

<< Matthew 5:13   Matthew 5:15 >>



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