Matthew 5:16 H

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compared His followers to "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" in order to highlight characteristics He wants us to demonstrate, (Matt 5:13-14). Salt is a preservative that delays spoiling and decomposition and it enhances the taste of food. In this verse salt is a metaphor for love, faith, kindness, generosity, integrity and morality, all of which are the natural consequence of our obedience to God. These godly virtues preserve society, delaying its inevitable corruption and disintegration. It is critical to remember though: Jesus warned that salt can lose its intrinsic value, and without saltiness, Jesus says salt is, "good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled by men." (Matt 5:13). Continuing on, Jesus speaks of light. Light obviously illuminates, and as darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, neither can secrecy, deceit, depravity and all manner of evil succeed when exposed by the light. In this same verse, Jesus use