Called to be salt and light
The dual imagery of salt and light in the teachings of Jesus
By Tim Trainor
The presence of light in darkness is unmistakable, like the taste of salt. Likewise, the presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness, not only in the sense that the truth of God’s Word brings light to the darkened hearts of sinful man (see John 1:1-10), but also in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see, as Matthew 5 requests.
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Matthew 5:13-16
In Tuesday's gospel reading, we heard Jesus say two things to His disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” He also went on to say to them this second thing: “You are the light of the world.”
Jesus is saying, by implication, to every Christian that we have two primary duties in life. First, we must daily work/strive for personal holiness. And second, we must help show/light the path to help others grow in the virtue called holiness — the 'salt of the earth' and the 'light of the world.'
Consider salt. Salt serves as a preservative and also adds flavor to food. It does so by entering the food and, in a sense, becoming part of it—disappearing, if you will. So it must be with us. First, our Lord must enter our lives (through Baptism, I am going to argue) and preserve us from the corruption of sin. But as He does so, He will also bring out our resulting goodness in a way that the 'flavor' of our holiness positively impacts others. In this way, we will be used as salt for others. This is especially true when we do works of charity.
Paragraph 1243 in the Catholic Catechism on Baptism states: ... the candle, lit from the Easter candle, [and given to the newly baptized person] signifies that Christ has enlightened the neophyte [and] in him the baptized are “the light of the world” per Matthew 5.
'Becoming salt and light' in the world. What does that look like?
Like so many other phrases borrowed from the Bible—such as being “the apple of the eye,” or “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”—much of the original significance of meaning has been lost to us, simply because of the passage of time and the natural differences between cultures then and now. Plus, being separated by thousands of miles and years.
Before refrigeration, in the ancient world, salt was a highly prized commodity and a necessary ingredient in the building of empires, as it was recognized that both humans and animals required daily access to salt to survive. Armies on campaign didn’t have time to hunt and gather food. So they carried it with them. Salted meats, fish, cheese, and vegetables provided most of the food to fuel armies at that time. Additionally, salt was a crucial ingredient for the production of leather, which was used in the crafting of military items such as tents, armor, slings, footwear, shield covers, and horse gear.
Salt played such a vital role in the expansion of the Roman Empire that soldiers were sometimes paid with salt, from which we derive the saying that a hard worker is “worth his salt.” This “salt-as-money” idea is the origin of our modern word “salary.” Even the word soldier comes from a French word for salt, “sel,” which descended from the Latin root word for salt, “sal," which, in turn, was derived from the Roman goddess of health, “Salus.” We derive modern words like salve, salutary & salvation from the same origins.
The city of Rome itself was founded on the banks of the Tiber, in part, because of its proximity to salt. It was established adjacent to an ancient Bronze Age road that had been a historic “salt highway.” Wherever the Romans went, salt went with them—and everywhere they went, they also sought out new sources of salt.
By the time of Jesus, fish processed in salt from the Sea of Galilee was being shipped throughout the Roman Empire. The salted fish from this region became so famous that they were referred to by a name that meant “the place of salted fish.”
Salt was used then, as it is now, as a flavor enhancer. In the same way that salt enhances the flavor of the food it seasons, the followers of Christ should stand out as those who “enhance” the taste of life in this world. Christians, living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to Christ, will inevitably influence the world for good, just like salt has a positive influence on the flavor of the food it seasons.
In the analogy of “bring light to the world,” the good works of Christ’s followers are to shine for all to see. The verses we just read this morning from Matthew 5 highlight this truth: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
The idea here is similar to being salt, except in a different dimension. The presence of light in darkness is unmistakable, like the taste of salt. Likewise, the presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness, not only in the sense that the truth of God’s Word brings light to the darkened hearts of sinful man (see John 1:1-10), but also in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see, as Matthew 5 requests.
The concern is not that Christians should stand out for their own glory, but that those who looked upon their actions might “glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Something to keep in mind.
In biblical times, salt was also used in Scripture to symbolize covenant, purity, and wisdom. For instance, Leviticus 2:13 records that salt was used as an essential part of the sacrificial system. It reads: “You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant of your God; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.” This practice of needing a "salt of the covenant" signified to people at that time the enduring and preserving nature of God's promises.
In Genesis, we see salt representing purification and judgment, as Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt, a consequence of disobedience, symbolizing the purifying judgment of God. Similarly, in Judges, Abimelech sowed the city of Shechem with salt, rendering it barren and symbolizing destruction.
So, salt wasn’t just a condiment. People knew that salt was necessary not only for life itself, but also valuable for interacting with God.
From the opening verses of the Bible, light is a powerful biblical symbol representing truth, holiness, and the presence of God. We see this from Genesis, where God commands, “Let there be light,” to the depiction of Jesus as the “light of the world” in the New Testament; light signifies divine revelation and guidance.
Furthermore, Jesus calls each of us, His followers, to reflect His light. In the Matthew 5 reading, He instructs, “You are the light of the world. … people do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, … to glorify your Father in heaven.” Believers are instructed to live righteous lives that are visibly evident, illuminating the world with the truth and love of God.
The dual imagery of salt and light in the teachings of Jesus thus emphasizes the transformative impact His followers are to have on the world. As salt, they preserve and purify; as light, they reveal and guide. These metaphors call us Christians to live distinctively, influencing society with the values of the Kingdom of God!
Did you know that salt is also a sign of wisdom?
One of the Church’s little-known sacramentals is blessed salt. In the time of St. Augustine, under the Old Roman Rite, blessed salt (as a sign of wisdom) was placed on the tongue as a part of baptism. Augustine writes in his Confessions that during his baptism, he was marked with the Sign of Christ's Cross and anointed with Christ's salt. The priest said, “Take this salt as a sign of wisdom. May it be for you likewise a token that foreshadows everlasting life.” In the Roman Rite of 1962, blessed salt can still be requested during Baptism in the ceremony. Thus, still another and novel symbolic meaning of salt: wisdom.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux tells us in her autobiography: “I see now that true charity consists in bearing with the faults of those about us, never being surprised at their weaknesses, but edified at the least sign of their virtue.' She believed that this was especially the way we act as salt and light to others. We help to preserve others from sin by being merciful to them when they are weak. We enrich their lives by seeing their goodness and rejoicing in it. And we do so in a hidden way. By our gentleness and compassion, our kindness and mercy, she said, we preserve them and others and help all to grow in God’s abundant grace. And, she further said: 'We will most often do so, without them even realizing that God is using us. Thus giving all the glory to God!”
God's dual call to us is to take on the salt of holiness and to bring the light of the Holy Spirit into our lives. His will, I believe, is for each of us to be blessed salt and then allow that holiness from Him, given to each of us at our Baptism to flavor and shine forth upon others, and, then: we will each indeed bring glory to our heavenly Father by being 'the salt of the earth and the light of the world' — but if and only if — we do not, symbolically, put our lit, Baptismal candle under a bushel basket, but, put it on a lamp stand, like the larger Easter candle is on, from which our smaller candle was prevously lit!