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1. Read verse 13. What did Jesus say of his disciples? Think about saltiness of the disciples? What happens to salt without saltiness? 2. Read verse 14. What did Jesus say again of his disciples? (14a) Think about the function of the light? (14b-15) How should Jesus’ disciples live in this world? (16)

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Message

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Thank God for granting us the precious words of Beatitudes. May these words be in our hearts and bear good fruits in our lives. Through the Beatitudes Jesus taught his disciples the inner attitude of kingdom members. Afterward what did Jesus teach them? According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” Of course they were citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Now Jesus taught them who they were in this world. It was before giving detailed instructions for life in the following passages. Knowing their position or identity would be critical to their lives on the earth. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth”, and “You are the light of the world.” May God help us to know who we are in this world and live accordingly. First, You are the salt of the earth (13). Look at verse 13a. “You are the salt of the earth...” If someone says to you, “You are the salt,” it may sound like a kind of humiliation. But “You are the salt of the earth,” is different. It has a great meaning. Salt is used for two main purposes: preserving and seasoning. Salt is a preservative and a flavouring agent. It prevents corruption and provides taste. In doing so it melts away into substance. It becomes non-existent but its effect is there inside. It is essential. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Without the salt of the earth, the earth becomes soon corrupted and tasteless. People talk a lot about the corruption of the nations of the earth. Many people on the earth look dreary and lifeless. But if there is the salt of the earth, the corruption of the earth can be prevented. And the salt of the earth can make the earth merry and joyous and worth-living. So when Jesus said to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” it meant how essential they were on the earth. At that time the world was a Roman world. Roman looked glamorous and glittering outwardly, but was full of corruption inwardly. Apostle Paul described it as this, “…Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” (Ro 1:26-27). The society was sexually perverted. When the Roman aristocrats thought about their sons’ marriage partners, they were reluctant to choose among the Romans. It was because they were very doubtful that there would be virgins among them and afraid that unknown sexually transmitted diseases would be contracted through the marriage. They were certain that they could find virgins only among Christian women. At that time Christian women were the salt of the earth, the salt of Rome, through keeping their purity. Also, as we studied, at that time true Christians did not worship the Roman Emperor and remained faithful and loyal to their Lord Christ Jesus to the end. They were happy to be persecuted because of Jesus and rejoiced looking ahead to heavenly reward. They were the salt of the earth through their faithfulness and courageous faith. In history Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by burning sulfur rained down from heaven. God could not but destroy them because of their corruption and perversion. But more accurately, according to the Bible the twin cities were destroyed because they were no ten righteous people, no salt of the earth, no salt of the cities (Ge 18:32; 19:24). God said in Jeremiah 5:1, “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.” We see the importance and power of the salt of the earth. Look at verse 13b. “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 by men.” In Genesis Abraham and Lot began their life of faith at the same time. Abraham was the salt of the earth. Although he lived as an alien and strangers on earth, people around him recognized his spiritual saltiness at the time of Sarah’s burial and said, “You are a mighty prince among us” (Ge 23:6). They were willing to give Abraham the burial site for Sarah freely. Abraham made their lives worth-living. However, Lot was a salt-less believer when he loved both God and the world. His life itself was joyless and lonesome, not to mention bring joy and meaning of life to others. He was only trampled by men and was distressed by the filthy lives of people. At the time of rescue the angles warned Lot’s family members, “Don’t look back,” but his wife ignored the warning and looked back and became a pillar of salt (19:26). The salt of the earth is good but the pillar of salt is the terrible example of losing saltiness. How can we keep saltiness in us? Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” When Jesus prayed for his disciples, he said, “Holy Father,…my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you may protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (Jn 17:15-17). Christian saltiness cannot be obtained by anything in the world, human knowledge, power or wealth. We need the renewal of our mind and sanctification by the truth of God’s word. Thank God for giving us the words of Beatitudes. May these words renew and sanctify our hearts and minds so that we can keep the saltiness of his disciples. You are the salt of the earth. This is Jesus’ view and faith and hope for us. He wants us to keep this great identity. May we be rubbed and dissolved into the place so that its power be dispensed. May we be indeed the salt of Canada. Second, “You are the light of the world” (14-16). Look at verse 14. “You are the light of the world...” As we studied in Matthew 4:16, which says, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned,” Matthew described Jesus as a great light. Through the coming of Jesus a light has dawned. The world is in darkness because of the power of sin and death. No one or nothing can overcome the power of darkness, but the light. Now Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” What an amazing statement! Of course, the disciples have no light at all in themselves. But as they follow Jesus, they are the light of the world. It is through the reflection of the Great Light. This is the reason Jesus called and raised his disciples. There are 6.8 billion people in the world and 33.2 millions in Canada. It is a clear teaching of the Bible that all are in darkness without Jesus. Their only hope is to be successful in this world. While on earth they want to have the pleasures of this world as much as possible and be comforted and rewarded. But 1 Peter 1:24 says, “…All men are like grass, all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the grass withers and the flowers fall…” In autumn we see the falling of the beautiful leaves. Before their falling, the green leaves turn to yellow or red or scarlet-tinged or other beautiful colors. It seems that before their falling they want to show their beauty and glory to mankind. Certainly, tens of billions of leaves are falling. The fallen leaves are collected and will be gone without trace. This is a universal truth that the grass withers and the flowers fall. And the Bible says that all men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field, the beautiful leaves of the trees. To the truth this is the human life. This is reality. Swine flu, natural disasters, and global depression drive people into fear and despair. The power of darkness seems to be overpowering in this world. In such situations many people seek to fortune-tellers and magic-artist and even demons. They want to find something mysterious, scintillating, or exciting-- something that delivers them. But God has already given them the mystery, the mystery of Christ. Paul understood this and said in Ephesians 3:2-6, “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery…In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations…This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” It means that each citizen of the world, every single person with any exception, can be an heir of God and a member of the kingdom of heaven and a sharer of all the blessings of God in Christ Jesus. This is the mystery, the mystery of Christ. What can be more mysterious than this in the world? Absolutely, nothing. This is the reason Jesus preached from the outset of his earthly messianic ministry, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Here “repent” well means “turn your heart to God and believe the good news.” Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” We must believe that light overcomes darkness. Jesus continued to say, “A city on hill cannot be hidden.” As a city on a hill is visible, a light is to be visible and shine powerfully. Jesus said more, “Neither people do 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.” A lamp is to be on its stand and give light to everyone in the house. Jesus concluded, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We must not hide the light of Jesus in us but shine through our life of faith and the preaching of the gospel of light. It is so easy to hide the light of Jesus and bury it in us because of many reasons. But our Lord Jesus eagerly wants us to shine the light of Jesus in us before men, before all students in U of T. Those who receive the light of Jesus and his gospel will praise and glorify God our Father in heaven. Thank God for our Lord Jesus’ wonderful words: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” May we keep this amazing and thrilling identity, and live accordingly in this world.

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