Mt 5:13-16
Salt and light: Salt is seasoning for food; once added, it cannot be removed. It leaves a definite taste in whatever it touches. Furthermore, it functions as a preservative; when used on meats and in canning vegetables, it keeps these fresh. Beatitude persons are the salt of the earth; they flavor whatever they contact. Such individuals know and understand the truth found in each inherent contradictory beatitude.
Salt and light: Salt is seasoning for food; once added, it cannot be removed. It leaves a definite taste in whatever it touches. Furthermore, it functions as a preservative; when used on meats and in canning vegetables, it keeps these fresh. Beatitude persons are the salt of the earth; they flavor whatever they contact. Such individuals know and understand the truth found in each inherent contradictory beatitude.
Those who are not salt are useless, no longer good for anything. They can no longer season or preserve. They are flavorless.
Human-made light eliminates darkness. A lamp, once it is lighted, is placed on a lampstand, much like ceiling lights today. In this way everyone in the house can see. When many lamps are lighted or electric bulbs turned on, a city cannot be hidden—especially if it is located on a mountain. Likewise, a beatitude person is the light of the world. The way he or she lives cannot help but be noticed. Failure to do good deeds makes this person as useless as a lamp put under a bushel basket!
Salt and light are the “good deeds” of the beatitudes. One’s good works glorify the Father. These “good deeds” demonstrate a person’s righteousness; that is, such a person does good deeds and behaves in the way that God wants. From Matthew’s perspective, a follower of Jesus is one who lights the way for others.