A New Devotion - Salt and Light

Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

Matthew 5:11-16

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

















Salt and Light

As Christians, I think we have a clear yet incredibly challenging job, one that’s actually very close to what Jesus did during his life. You see, we’re called to be salt and light. In others words, we’re here to be different, to offer something special to those around us. And we’re here to show that there’s something more permanent and profound than anything that the world offers. For example, we can be agents of change by putting love into action and by working to make life better for those who have very little. And we can be reminders that in spite of what we’re told, truth is more lasting than lies and humility is more powerful than arrogance and love is more permanent than hatred and greed. You see, through the actions we take and the words we use, we can be, we must be salt and light, because if we’re not, we’re about as useless as dirt on a path or a lamp under a basket.

But as we claim this job, we really need to do it with our eyes wide open, because the powers of our world won’t like it. I mean, the last thing the prophets who distract us with past greatness, the last thing they want is to have folks working to heal divisions, to address injustice and to care for the least of these who are brothers and sisters. And we can count on those who deceive and who boast and who hate and grab, they’re going to revile and they’re going to persecute and they’re going to utter all kinds of evil against those who stand for the truth. I’m telling you, that kind of treatment we can expect, because that’s exactly what we see doled out in our world right now. But if we have the courage and the strength and the faith to take a stand for what’s right, we can know that we’re standing with Jesus Christ. You see, in the face of decay and darkness, we can be salt and light.