Blessings, Salt, and Light
Read Matthew 5:1-16
Chapters 5-7 of Matthew detail Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, which begins with the Beatitudes (statements that begin with “blessed are…”). For the next few weeks, let’s take a look at the details of this sermon.
We start with verse 1, with Jesus going up on a mountain and sitting down to teach. Why? This was a natural way to be elevated above the crowd and heard. These are the days before stages and microphones and speakers, so the best way to be heard by a crowd were to use the natural features. The other way Jesus does this is by going out in a boat a little way from shore.
In verses 3-11, Jesus makes nine statements of blessing. Here’s the important thing to remember: these are NOT rules or requirements. It’s really easy to turn the list into things we have to do: be poor in spirit, mourn, be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, be merciful, be pure in heart, make peace, be persecuted and hated. That is not the point of the list! Instead, Jesus is giving reassurance to His followers and to us. When we experience these things, blessings follow. Each of these is a difficulty or challenge, and each is accompanied by a promise. Luke 6:20-23 is a shorter version of this list.
Are there any of the items on the list that you are currently experiencing? What comfort is there in knowing that blessings come along with them?
The next section (verses 13-16) declares to Jesus’ followers that they are salt and light. The idea of salt losing its taste can be confusing to us – how is that possible? But remember that salt wasn’t nearly as pure than as what we can buy from the store today. Often it was a mix of minerals, some of which had no flavor.
Verses 14-16 are extremely well known, and are often given as instructions on how we should live as Christians. Shine your light! In fact, from childhood we are often taught the Sunday school song “This Little Light of Mine,” which is based on this verse. How do you shine your light in the world?
Dig deeper:
- Write down the nine “Blessed” statements from verses 3-11. How do these statements contrast with #blessed often seen on social media?
- Take a look at Galatians 5:22-23. This is another list of nine things, but this time it is the Fruit of the Spirit. In other words, living in God’s grace leads to these nine. Do you see any parallels to the Beatitudes?
- Take a look at some other scripture about blessings and light. What do these passages teach you about Jesus and how He works in your life?