YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH

V SUNDAY OF THE YEAR: Matthew 5:13-16

Called to be light and salt

In the sermon on the mountain, immediately after proclaiming the beatitudes, Jesus tells his disciples: You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world.

As light, we are called to be beacons that attract people’s attention and guide them to safety, that is to salvation. In the darkness of this world, so many people are misguided by false values that promise joy, peace and life, but bring oppression, injustice, violence and war. The Christians are guided by a different set of values, that cannot be missed by those who observe their behaviour. By our attitudes and by our way of thinking we  denounce and challenge all false values that are put forward as the standard of acceptable and dignified behaviour. Christians cannot hide themselves. In fact, if they are true Christians, living in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, their difference is conspicuous and it will appeal to many, while being rejected by many others.

The Christians are people like everybody else, mixed with all other people, living here on earth and going through the same hardships and struggles as all others do. However, in many ways, they are different; indeed, they must be deferent, if they don’t want to loose their identity as Christians.

The Christians at the beginning of the II century

In this aspect, it is good to read how the Christians saw themselves at the beginning of the II century:

“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.” (from the anonymous letter to Diognetus).

Committed to our faith

Christians are called to be light and salt of the earth. Mixed with people, participating in everything that is worthy with their fellow human beings, they bring a new dimension and instil a new hope that transforms society and leads it to become more and more the true people of God. 

Are we being faithful to the mission entrusted to us? Or may be we have lost the good taste, having become useless, only good to be thrown out and trampled upon by people!