In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus declares
that we, His followers, are the salt of the Earth and the light of the world. I
believe this means God simply wants us to be who we are, and what we are, no
more and no less. Jesus makes the point that salt is for being salty and if it
doesn’t do that it is worthless. He explains how light is meant to be seen in
the darkness and if you light the candle and then hide it, what good is it?
This illustrates the futility of attempting to be something other than what we
are. Sometimes we think that to be a good witness for Jesus we have to be the
most holy and perfect person in the room. We have to smile as much as possible.
We have to wear a mask of holiness and be careful not to let anyone see
weakness or doubt orfailure in our lives.
I can remember once when my Dad came
home from work and told me that, after months of trying to be a witness in his
workplace he had discovered something unexpected. When he was doing his best to
appear “Godly” in front of his co-workers, they kept him at arms length and
avoided him. That day he had been in a conversation with a co-worker who was
not a Believer and he had accidentally cursed out loud in his frustration. His
co-worker sat back and stared at my father in shock and disbelief. Then my Dad
hung his head and apologized for his coarse language, admitting that he
struggled sometimes in this area. His friend leaned forward and began to ask
him about his faith. He wanted to know where my Dad attended church. Over the
next few weeks this man would come around and ask my Dad questions about the
Bible. What had happened? My father had simply let his mask fall to the ground.
He had confessed to his friend that he was a sinner and that he needed the
Gospel himself.
Jesus called us salt and light. It
only takes a small flicker of light to push back an ocean of darkness. It only
takes a few grains of salt to season a steak. Too much light only blinds those
who are searching. Too much salt ruins the most succulent of meals. I found
myself wondering how great it would be if Christians around the nation would
begin to take down their masks and just be who they are in front of their
co-workers and neighbors. Instead of pointing our fingers and saying, “You
sinner! You need to repent and receive the Gospel!” maybe we should be saying,
“I am the wretched sinner who needs
the Gospel. Here are the ways I would be hopeless without Jesus.”
Maybe then people could see our small,
flickering light? Maybe then they might taste the small grains of salt upon
their tongues?
When we present the Gospel as
something “those sinners” need, we deny that we are also sinners and that we
also need the same Gospel. People can see that we are still struggling with
sin, and yet they don’t hear us confessing that we need the power of Christ to
overcome this daily testing of our faith. Instead, let us confess our own need
for Jesus. Let us demonstrate that we are hopeless without Him so that others
who are hopeless can identify with our weakness and recognize their own need
for Him.
