Salt and Light

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls Christians to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We live in dark and difficult times in this post-Christian culture. The world teaches that our sex is something that we determine for ourselves rather than being a gift from God. Our culture speaks about reproductive rights rather than the sanctity of life. Marriage is no longer taught to be the lifelong union of a man and woman who become one flesh according to God’s design. We see many ways in which what is taught in the Scriptures is incongruent with our culture today.

Dear friends, there is nothing new under the sun. The pressures of the culture were just as real in Jesus’ day as He speaks to the crowd from the mountain. The response of Christians, though, is not one of anger and frustration, but to be simply who God has called us to be: salt and light. Now is not the time for anger and judgmental attitudes from Christians, but faithfully bearing witness to our Savior in word and deed. Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs writes, “Jesus’ disciples, then, are by definition the people who salt the earth and light the world; no one else has this calling. This reality need not cause the disciples to fear, however. Their identity is not created or preserved by how well they acknowledge and live out their identity as salt and light. Their identity is created and preserved by the word of Jesus.” (Matthew 1:1-11:1, p. 259-260)

Our world needs our service and witness, words and deeds. We can provide a stark contrast to the disciples of the world who seek to serve not their neighbors but themselves. As salt and light, we are God’s means by which He serves the world around us. Through our demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit, rather than the sins of the flesh, we are salt. Through our confessing the truth of God’s Word rather than cursing, we are the light of the world, reflecting the true light that is Christ Jesus. May we as individual Christians and as congregations of believers live out the callings that God has given to us as the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan was born in Birmingham, Ala., and graduated from Concordia, Seward, Neb., in 1992. He holds both a Master of Divinity Degree (1996) and Doctorate of Ministry (2011) from Concordia Seminary. Hagan served as Senior Pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran in Concordia, Mo. (2002-2015) and was previously an Associate Pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Evansville, Ind. (1996-2002). He has been President of The Missouri District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod since June 2015. Hagan also served as Interim Director, LCMS Rural and Small Town Mission (2011-12), on numerous District Boards both in Missouri and Indiana, and during multiple Synodical Conventions as a delegate and on Floor Committees. He is married to Jill and they have two children.