Discipleship: Witness

Witness and Influence in the World

• Matthew 5:13–16 – “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”
  • A disciple of Jesus is supposed to be a light to the world. What does this mean? As Jesus says, “they will see your good deeds and glorify God”. Our light is the good deeds we do for others which will naturally point them to God. Our good deeds will be like a light. You only need a light when it is dark. The world is metaphorically a dark place with evil things taking place all around us. Our good deeds are a beacon of hope to others to show them there is another way to live, the way of Jesus. If we are true disciples of Jesus, we will be a light. 
  • On the other side of this teaching, Jesus teaches us we are the salt of the earth. Salt was good for many things in the ancient world but Jesus points out something specific. He says “if the salt loses its flavor”. One of the many uses of salt was to make food flavorful and more enjoyable to consume. It was also used to preserve food. Based on the Greek used here, there is a root in the words for foolish or folly. Jesus does not want us to lose our strength or flavor in the world. Since this teaching comes right after the Beatitudes (a description of living in the kingdom of God) then we have to interpret these teachings in that context. We as believers are meant to be valuable and exhibit the life of a blessed citizen of heaven while on earth. If we refuse and do not live in this transformed kingdom of God way, then we are not a blessing to the world and not salty and have lost our “flavor”.