5TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YR A
Is 58:7-10; Ps 111
1 Cor. 2:1-5; Mtt. 5:13-16
YOU ARE THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD
After teaching the beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12), Jesus points out to his disciples that they are the salt and light of world. It is as if to say that anyone who yields to these teachings is truly my disciple and my disciples are to have real influence in the world. That means they must not lose their saltiness or lose their shine.
What did Jesus mean when he described the disciples as salt?
Salt is a sign of purity. In 2 Kings 2:19-22, the people of Jericho came to the prophet Elisha to complain about their water bodies which were filled with impurities; “The Water is so bad that the land cannot grow crops” (2 King 2:19b). The prophet sprinkled a bowl of salt on the water to purify it. The Christian who is to be the salt of the Earth must be an example of purity and holiness in the world. Holiness is when we allow God’s law and grace to grow in our hearts. It is when you are gradually overcoming sin and gaining control of your life. He or she must show this in his words, deeds and thoughts.
Salt is used as a preservative. A preservative is anything in foods to prevent decay and spoilage. It helps also to maintain fresh appearance. The disciple of Jesus who is salt must strive to help society from moral decadence. He must be found to preserve virtue in his own life and fight for it in the larger society.
What does it mean for the disciple to be the light of the world?
Light is a sign of life. In Genesis 1:3 God created light first before he created anything else. The Christian who is the light of the world should be the precursor to every good thing that happens in the world. He or she must bring life to dead situations and joy to broken hearts.
For Jesus to use salt and light to describe his disciples is to point it out to them that their way of life is very important in the world. However, it must begin from amongst them (salt of the Earth) and then be seen in the world (light of the world).
To lose this influence is to lose our flavour and shine. Go on, shine for the Lord no matter where you are.
God bless you.
By Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
