One day or another, every community experiences times of crisis when nothing seems to work anymore. Some members are irritated, others are discouraged, others who are counted upon, defect. All undertakings aimed at redressing the situation fail. Rivalries and confrontations arise. Liturgy itself reflects the turmoil; it becomes more or less formalistic. Old demons once exorcised reappear. The light emanating from the community undergoes a dramatic eclipse; the future seems to be blocked, and there seems no way of escaping the dead end. In this case today, we have here a perfectly applicable text from the Book of Isaiah. But the whole community must read and re-read it because it specifies the necessary conditions for light to shine as the dawn and, for strength to rapidly return.
To share one`s bread with the hungry, to welcome the homeless, to clothe the naked—these are the concrete demands placed upon the people of God whom the covenant has freed from all servitude (Exod 4:22) This privilege entails duties of justice that the people of God cannot overlook without falling back into slavery. It can happen that a member of the community is obliged to serve a richer member. But that person must never be treated as a slave and must be freed at the end of the prescribed term. In the community according to God’s heart, even a menacing gesture or a hurtful word is avoided, and no-one is hungry or in need. God recognises this community as his own and answers its prayer by revealing that he is close: “Here I am.”
Such a community will shine with God’s very glory. The lives of its brothers and sisters will be a testimony, in action, to God, whom it claims for its protector, whose name it bears, of he is light and justice. Despite its weakness, the community has in itself a prophetic function. It denounces the ways of the world dominated by a competitive spirit with its accompanying injustices, egotisms, subjection of the weak to the strong and rich, fears. It announces instead the ideal of a loving and just world, shown to be both possible and precious. “The just man is a light in darkness to the upright.”
Now we turn to Mathews Gospel; right after the Beatitudes, Jesus calls the disciples “salt of the earth”and “light of the world.” At first sight, this juxtaposition might be surprising. The Beatitudes insist on the inner disposition of the disciples, “Poor in spirit,” “meek,” “afflicted,” “hungry and thirsty for righteousness,” “merciful,” “clean of heart,” “peacemakers,” “persecuted for the sake of righteousness,” to whom is promised a “reward” that “will be great in heaven.” And now Jesus invites them to become aware of their dignity and of the responsibility entrusted to them before the world.
On closer inspection, we see that these two texts are far from being in opposition, still less in contradiction to one another. They have been intentionally connected in Matthew`s plan. The literary form underscores this: “Blessed are you …..You are the salt of the earth… the light of the world.” Those whom Jesus declares “blessed” already possess the kingdom, although in a hidden manner, however, they must make it shine upon the world according to what they are and what they do Therefore, with the Beatitudes, this text acts as an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, which will teach more fully what are the characteristics and the demands of conformity to the Gospel.
Both Mark and Luke report a saying of Jesus relating to the significance of salt. “Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50) “Salt is good, but if salt itself loses its taste, with what can its flavour be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out”. (Luke 14;34-35) In the first case, salt is the symbol of wisdom or of the spirit of sacrifice, indispensable to fraternal or sisterly relations among disciples. In the second case, the emphasis is on the possible loss of flavour of the salt, this alluding to what happens to those disciples who would not be courageous enough to pursue their Christian commitment to the end. Despite a certain resemblance, Jesus’, saying in Matthew is completely original. The question is no longer to have salt, nor to keep one’s flavour, but to be the salt of the earth. What is the meaning of this metaphor?
The Bible records several uses for salt. As we do to this day, it is used to flavour food (Job 6:6). It is used to purify persons, sacrifices, lands taken from enemies (Exod 30:35; Eek 16:4; Judge 3:45) When shared, it is the sign of friendship (Lev 2:13) It is also used to enhance the quality of manure spread in the fields. (Luke 14:35)
It is impossible to be sure which one of these meanings is intended here (perhaps all of them). Certainly, there is an illusion to some ability in the disciples that they must use for the service of others. One could think of the disciples having been a fertilizing influence upon humankind. But because salt can lose its natural properties—literally “become mad” in Greek—we are led to the meaning of evangelical wisdom, of the work of the disciples in the world. Having received God’s secrets revealed by Jesus, they must share with all the divine wisdom, of which they are bearers. If they fail to do this, they will surely be despised and finally “thrown out,” that is condemned on judgement day like the tree that has produced no good fruit., the worthless fish.
The loss of flavour on the part of those who, in their life in the midst of the world, should bring added flavour to humankind, is a constant danger. Where Christians adopt a worldly spirit and manner, they have no longer anything to announce. Their watered-down message has lost any ability to oppose the powers of evil at work in humankind; therefore, they are rejected by the very persons they should have converted, and by the same token, the Gospel is rejected too.
Turning now to “Light of the world’” In the biblical writings, the symbol of light is akin to a series of religious realities. The Bible often speaks of God as the source of all light, the Law, too is light. Israel must be a bearer of light to the pagans; a beacon-people, it must inspire the nations to believe in the one true God. In a way, the “Servant of The Lord” personifies that Israel is, “Light of the nations.” The Messianic dawn will rise upon the world as a light; and the mountain of Zion, with its Temple, will draw peoples to its radiance.
With Jesus, light rose on those who lay in darkness and the shadow of death. He is the light of the world in which God made himself visible to humankind. As for the disciples, bearers and witnesses of the Messianic light, they must act as children of the light. They must shine as a focus of light by proffering the word of life to the world. (Phil 2:15)
Mathew, Mark, and Luke, agree in presenting Jesus’ Messianic ministry as a time when the full brilliance of the Gospel does not yet appear. But they also announce a time when what was hidden will be revealed, what was said in darkness will be proclaimed in broad daylight. From now on, the light that the disciples bear cannot be hidden, anymore than a hilltop city, seen from afar, can be hidden.
The disciples’ function can also be compared to that of a lamp placed on a stand so that it may shine on those in the house. The more familiar image, alludes to the mission of Christians among their kin. Modest lamps, no doubt, but very necessary ones, radiate light on all those present.
Now, by saying, “You are the salt of the earth, the light of the world,” the Gospel suggests that the disciples must fulfil together, as a Church, the mission entrusted to them. Wow, I recognise here the ecclesial viewpoint proper to Matthew. No matter how influential we are, none of us alone can be the “Light of the world,” of the whole universe. On the other hand. A town built on a hill appears from afar at night only because of all the lamps burning in the houses. One isolated candle does not produce much light, but many little lamps together will show the way. Having said that, we know that the smallest light will always light up the dark to some degree. One Christian holding high his or her lamp can encourage the others, perhaps more timid, to also place their lamps on stands. Thus, preached by a handful of people wholeheartedly given to Christ, the Gospel set the world ablaze. However, entire nations and whole regions have been de-christianised because many lamps have been extinguished, one after the other. The responsibility of Christians called to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” is incumbent upon us all. By their behaviour, the disciples of the Christ-light will themselves be “the light of the world.” The introduction to the Sermon on the Mount ends with this command revealing the general orientation of the Gospel of Matthew. He insists on this point: To believe is to act in conformity to one’s faith. Words are worthless without acts. The Lord said: “Your light must shine so brightly before men that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
In today’s world, in most countries, the Christian communities are becoming minorities, The situation of the believer and of the Church demands that we as believers proclaim the Gospels from the hilltops. At the beginning of the third century it was written in Eptre a Diogrette:
“Christians are not distinguished from others by country, language, or clothes. They do not dwell in cities of their own; they do not use some extraordinary tongue, their lifestyle has nothing singular about it…..They follow local customs in matters of behaviour, while exemplifying the extraordinary and truly paradoxical laws of their spiritual republic….They discharge all their civic duties….They marry like everyone else; they have children….They are in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh…. They obey the established laws, and their manner of living is more perfect than the laws…. In brief, Christians are to the world what the soul is to the body.”
Let all Christians, ourselves included, act according to what they are, as if naturally. Then their lives will speak for them; and by acting like faithful disciples of Christ they will be “the salt of the earth,” and “light of the world.” Seeing the good they do, all will give glory to their Father who is in heaven.
“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.”
