Jesus says in Matthew 5:13-16,
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Who is the “YOU” in that passage? For those of us who apply the bible directly to our own lives its quite natural to see the “YOU” as referring to us. For instance, The Personalized Bible renders that verse for me this way
“Matthew is the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “Matthew is the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Since the “YOU” is plural, we also might apply it to a particular Christian group. “My Church is the salt of the earth” or “those who say a sinners prayer are the salt of the earth…”
But Jesus’ “YOU” is more specific than that. It has a context which we all too often ignore. Jesus has already told us to whom that “YOU” refers.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are YOU when people insult you, persecute YOU and falsely say all kinds of evil against YOU because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is YOUR reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before YOU.
YOU are the salt of the earth…
The “YOU” Jesus addresses are those who possess these qualities. While I hope those qualities are represented in you and me, I recognize that’s not necessarily the case. Do you and I match the description? The promise is for those who in weakness demonstrate humble dependency upon God. It’s not for people who simply claim the promise by inserting their name.
