The rejection of the Messiah by the Jews resulted in their being set aside and dispersed by the Lord. In the meantime the church has been brought in through the death of Christ on the cross. After His definite rejection by the nation the Lord told His disciples He was going to build His church. “Upon this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:1818And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)).
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Whatever the specific way God is dealing with the world, His own are the salt of the earth. That means they are its preservative, even though the world is ignorant of it. The gospel still going forth hinders the development of evil to a certain extent. The end of verse 13 shows that when those who proclaim the gospel mix it with the wisdom of this world, its power is lost and it is fit for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot by men. We can see this very thing taking place in certain parts of the world where there was once a power felt in the proclamation of the gospel. But when humanitarianism was first brought in, that power declined. Then later those very ones, who in an outward way benefited from the introduction of the gospel, turned on their benefactors. They have trodden them under foot and literally driven them out.
Revealing Light
“Ye are the light of the world.” Salt would speak of that inward preserving power, but light sheds its rays abroad. “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” How often has the gospel been followed with a commercial spirit, and thus the light has truly been hidden “under a bushel.” “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The light of the gospel which should have shone out has often become dim, and so there has not been the glorifying of the Father in heaven.
It is good to notice that the Lord here is revealing the name of the Father to His disciples. The name of the Father had not been known in this way to the children of Israel in Old Testament times. When the birth of the Lord Jesus was foretold by Isaiah, one of the names He was to be known by was “The everlasting Father,” besides His being called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God and The Prince of Peace. These names show that the Messiah, while coming into this world in human form, was also divine. The nation of the Jews failed to recognize this fact, though it was spoken of in many ways. They had not received the Word of God in faith but only as a historical record of their own people.
Further Meditation
1. In what way does a Christian let his light shine in this world?
2. In thinking about the different names of the Lord Jesus that are mentioned here, you might find The Names of God by P. Wilson helpful.
3. An excellent reference for considering salt, light and many other Bible topics can be found in the Concise Bible Dictionary by G. Morrish.