Beginning at verse 13, Jesus changes gears. He begins to explain the need for us to be open about our faith and good works. “13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has 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.” Jesus is telling us we add flavor to the lives of the people around us. Salt is not merely a spice, it is an essential nutrient for life and a preservative to keep food from spoiling while it is stored.
The Greek word for salt, άλας, is used figuratively for prudence. There is more to be said about this play on words. The believers in Jesus are to be a voice of reason when the rest of our society becomes imprudent. We have to remind our neighbors to take thought for their futures, to treat each other with kindness, to eat their vegetables (well maybe not that much), etc. Ask yourself, am I living up to the expectations of my Lord?
The Greek word for earth, γής, is literally dirt. But by extension the word also means the solid part of the world and the people on it. As used in this context, Jesus intended the last meaning, the inhabited world. He wants us to be an influence for good all over the planet where people live and work. One can take this to include any human habitation in outer space as well, should we ever get ourselves off the pretty mud-ball we call home.
The Greek word translated “loses its savor,” μωραίνω, has three meanings in the Koine language of the New Testament, to make stupid, to make foolish, and lastly as translated here to make tasteless. The English language is unfortunate in that we lose this play on words Jesus used. If we lose our sense, become stupid or foolish, how will we be made prudent?
“14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 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. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
This is a bigger chunk than I have chewed on before, but let’s give it a shot. The key words here are light, φώς, world, κόσμος, shine, λάμπω, men, ανθρώπος, and see, οράω. Let’s take them in order that they appear. The word for light can also denote the fire that gives the light, and this I expect is what Jesus was referring in this passage. We are the light bulbs of the whole creation. The power that causes us to shine is the Holy Spirit and the grace that He brings. Just as a light bulb must be connected to the source of power in the house to shine forth its light, so too must we remain connected to the Holy Spirit in our hearts so our light can shine forth. Another denotation of the word is luminescence. This is often used to refer to wisdom. So our light which we shine on the world around us is the wisdom of God directed through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The second word is used originally for a decoration, but came to refer to the entirety of the known creation as the divine decoration. This is the word from which we get cosmos, cosmic, and cosmonaut from. It can be understood in this context to refer to everything God has made.
The third word is the one we get our English word lamp from. The lamp shines, therefore, we name it for what it does. The literal definition is to radiate brilliancy. Again there is a double connotation in Greek as well as English for the light that is shining. It is literally the energy that allows us to see, as well as the wisdom that gives us understanding.
The Greek word translated men is the generic term for humans. Greek also has a word that means males of the human species, ανδρός, that is often translated husband. But the word used here refers to both men and women. A better rendering for today’s usage would be humans. We are to expose our light so that all humans in the house may see what we know.
The last word in the list denotes a conscious attention to that which is looked upon, to stare or study. We are to be studied by the humans around us so they may understand our wisdom. Thus living as “closet Christians” is a failure to live up to the expectation of Christ. We must be visible so the people around us can see God in us. Along this vein Saint Peter wrote that we are living letters from God to the world, and we may be the only scripture that some people will ever get to read. So heed Jesus in this and let your light so shine that all may see, be the preserving wisdom for the whole world.
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