Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
-Matthew 5:13-16
Do you remember that song, "This Little Light of Mine"? It's a staple in pretty much every single Sunday school class around our country, no matter what kind of church. Everybody's heard it, but have you ever stopped to think about what you're saying when you sing that song? You said, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" But what light are the songwriters talking about? The same light that Jesus talks about in today's Gospel. When we let our light shine, we are shining the light of Christ to the world. Christ bathes us in His light, and we reflect that light of joy and love to those around us.
Later in the song, it says, "Hide it under a bushel? No! I'm gonna let it shine!" Think about a time when you have not been a witness to your faith in Jesus. Maybe you weren't the nicest you could've been to someone, or you didn't stand up for your beliefs when they were being challenged. This is hiding your light under a bushel basket. Because that light is the light of Christ, when we hide it from others we are hiding Christ from everyone around us. We, as Christians, were not created to be silent about our faith. We were created to shout with joy to the Lord and to sing joyful songs to Him! (Psalm 100:1-5) When we shine our light by not being afraid to talk about our faith, we are doing just that. Don't be afraid to talk about Jesus! Even if you get made fun of or laughed at, you can always remember that so many amazing people have come before you who spread the light of Christ through their words and changed so many lives. Just as Jesus says, we must let our light shine so that others may strive to imitate our good works which glorify God. All of our lives must bring glory to Him alone!
Now, what about the salt? Salt is what brings flavor to things. Jesu wants us to be the salt of the earth so that we can bring the spice of love and joy and peace to the soup bowl of our world! So many people are so unhappy. They are lonely and sad and afraid. But when they see you and your youth group writing sidewalk chalk messages on the sidewalk in front of your church, they feel that joy radiating from you and can feel the love that you are giving through those colorful messages. And it doesn't even need to be sidewalk chalk!! You could just smile at someone in the hallway at school, wave to a neighbor while walking your dog, or offer to help someone with something. When you shine Jesus' light and spread that joy to others, you are being that salt of the earth and making everything around you just a little more perfect. People can feel the love that you are doing something with through your words, actions, and body language so always keep a disposition of love. Show others that you care. Show them that you- as well as your creator- are there for them.
So go. Be that salt. Be that light. Live for Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ.
Comments