By Chalcedony Williams
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:13-16 NLT
There is a children’s story by David McKee that has stuck with me well into my adult life. The story is about a multi-coloured patchwork elephant called Elmer. Elmer is a fun-loving, practical joker but lives among a herd of sensible and ordinary grey elephants. One day, Elmer decides he no longer wants to stand out and paints himself grey. Elmer sneaks into the assembly of the elephants and stands with them in silence. But Elmer is not like the others. Eventually, he can contain himself no longer and shouts “boo!” at the top of his voice, startling the other elephants and revealing his presence among them.
Perhaps you can identify with the feeling of wanting to fit in. Maybe this is because you wish to be among well-liked people or because you want to avoid loneliness or confrontation. Sometimes standing out from the crowd is like sticking your head up above the parapet, expecting the enemy to shoot. Yet we read Jesus’ instructions from today’s verse, and it seems like that is exactly what He expects us to do. He wants us to stand up and stand out.
But there are two things that strike me from this passage. Firstly, the call to be different is not something we respond to by doing. Jesus is not asking us to make ourselves different. Jesus is saying that, as His followers, we are different. Different is not our doing; it is in our being. Just like salt is salty, citizens of the Kingdom are... kingdom-y! They speak a different language and they have a different culture and value system. By simply being Jesus’ people on this earth, we are salt and light. But to fit in with the world is to deny who we are and who we are, like Elmer painting himself grey.
The second striking thing from this verse is that we can often see it from an individualistic perspective. In other words, I can interpret it to mean that I need to be salt and light, and I, by myself, can be a city on a hill. But Jesus is actually speaking to a group of people, the collective citizens of His Kingdom. We all are like little candle lights, but when we stand together, we become a big city on a hill, a beacon of hope in the darkness, a dwelling place where the light, grace and truth of Christ can be seen and known.
Darkness is disorienting and claustrophobic, but the sound of a match striking and the light that bursts forth can bring genuine comfort and relief. We are the source of that comfort and relief in the dark world, pointing to the King and the salvation He offers to all who step into His light.
The consequence of Elmer’s outburst is that the whole herd recognises him, and they break into laughter with him. They appreciate Elmer for his uniqueness, and they decide to celebrate him by painting themselves with patterns and colours to be like him. Imagine if the people in our world could recognise the joy of Jesus through our presence and our good deeds. Imagine if they too decide they want to be like Him and join the ever-expanding Kingdom of light.
Ask: What makes Jesus’ followers salt and light?
Seek: In what ways do you try to fit in? What motivates you to do that?
Knock: Pray for the people in your life who know Jesus. Ask God to inspire you to work together to be a light in your community.
