Salt and Light

What do people with the beautiful attitudes described in the beatitudes do for the world?

Salt

Jesus describes them as being like salt.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

To understand this verse we must know that salt in those times was not defined in chemical terms as pure sodium chloride or calcium chloride as today, but was a rock which contained a salt, and as such the rock called “salt” could lose its saltiness. That being said, Jesus compliments His disciples by calling them salt, and by extension all those who make the world taste good because of the attitudes He spoke about.

Light

The same could be said of light. These beautiful attitudes provide light in an otherwise dark world.

Matthew 5:14-16 "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 basket, but on the 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."

Being a light is intentional. We may not hide our good deeds, but do good things with a particular attitude in mind. We do not do good to be spiritual show-offs. Jesus later spoke of praying, fasting and giving alms with the wrong self-glorifying motive to be seen by men. Here he shows that we ought to do good works in front of men, but with a different attitude, the notion of glorifying God.

If we want to be like Jesus, we will be salt and light. We will make the world taste better. We will preserve the good. We will also make the world a much brighter place.

Beautiful Attitudes

Definitely the crowning explanation of the spirit of the law is Jesus’ commentary on the law in the Sermon on the Mount. It’s the climax of our discussion. Let’s examine some key elements.

Jesus begins His commentary on the law with the beatitudes, sometimes called the beautiful attitudes, which is a good description. As an analysis of the spiritual attitudes that are missing from legalism, the beatitudes are a masterpiece. These are foundational attitudes for the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.

Translators have struggled with the Greek word for “blessed” over the centuries, because it literally means happy, but it is more than mirth, mere laughter or momentary happiness. It is what we may say colloquially as “more than happy.” It is being well-off, blessed. And “blessed” is the word that most translators have settled upon, because it is a happiness that is long-term and transcends normal human cheerfulness. The happiness that comes with these attitudes comes from heaven. The attitudes are from above. They are blessed.

Poor in Spirit

One way to look at the beatitudes is to contrast them with their opposites. What’s the opposite of being destitute or poor in spirit? What about being affluent in spirit, or self-satisfied in spirit? Thinking that we are sufficient to ourselves and not in need of God is obviously a delusion, living a lie. Poverty of the spirit is facing reality, because we certainly cannot claim to be self-sufficient like God.

Mourning

What is the opposite of mourning or lamenting guilt? What about delighting in and even praising guilt? That is a danger in any society. It too is a delusion. Mourning for our own and society’s sins opens the door to possible repentance and thereby creates a better world.

Meekness

What is the opposite of meekness, gentleness and humility? What about disobedience, cruelty and pretentious arrogance? Such an attitude is found among those who are unlikely to care about others, and therefore not advantageous to a healthy society. Selfish societies die. A lack of meekness causes destruction from within any society? An attitude of humility is more pleasant company than arrogance? A society built on the basis of mutual love and assistance is healthy and more likely to thrive.

Hunger and Thirst for What’s Right

What is the opposite attitude of hungering and thirsting for justice and doing the right thing? What about hungering and thirsting for corruption, dishonesty, dishonor and lawlessness? What kind of society can survive when these attitudes gain the upper hand? How is hunger and thirst for doing the right thing good? When a majority of people want to do the right thing, how much better is our world?

Merciful

What is the opposite of mercy, pity and compassion? Is intolerance, ill will, hatred, indifference and tyranny harmful? How many suffer under such societies today? How many even in our politically free countries suffer because of this attitude among the powerful and wealthy? Would not a merciful society be a wonderful place to live? Doesn’t it all start with our attitudes?

Pure in Heart

What’s the opposite of being clean, pure, unstained, and innocent of heart? Is being dirty-minded, impure, tarnished and immoral good? How can a world survive if everyone is only thinking of ways to take from their neighbor? The business world is better off if in every transaction we seek to make a win-win instead of a win-lose. It makes better business sense that our customers trust us and will keep returning because we have treated them from an attitude with a pure heart, rather than a corrupt and dishonest heart.

Peacemakers

What’s the opposite of being pacific, loving peace and being a peace-maker? Is being constantly agitated, loud, quarrelsome and an instigator profitable? Is not life so much better when we are not constantly quarrelling between nations, between neighbors and family members? Making peace sometimes means walking away from a fight, taking a loss in a transaction, refraining from criticism or revenge. It’s not always easy to make peace, but isn’t the world a better place when there is peace?

Persecuted for Doing What’s Right

What is the opposite of being persecuted, harassed or hunted down for righteousness? Is it being commended for doing wrong, encouraged to be corrupt, left alone to continue being dishonest? Even though persecution is not a pleasant thing, is it not better to be harrassed for standing up for what is right, than to live in a world that allows corruption to continue?

The beatitudes are not just a naïve view of the world, but a practical way to live and create a healthy society. It’s the way of the kingdom of heaven for all eternity.

The Spirit of Priesthood Laws

Some Christian churches call their pastors priests and some do not. Yet, there are principles regarding Old Testament priests which apply to all churches and their leaders regardless of their chosen vocabulary. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Old Testament priests had strict laws to follow. A priest must not marry a harlot, a woman who worships false gods, a divorced woman, or a widow (Leviticus 21:6-14). Priests must not allow their hair to grow long, wear torn clothes, or leave office (Leviticus 10:6-7). Levites have no inheritance other than Temple service (Numbers 18:20).

How do any of these apply in the New Testament? First of all, Jesus is our high priest.

Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession

Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

What about those called for the service of leadership in our churches? Are they under strict guidelines too? 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 give very strict guidelines for those aspiring to what was then the team of overseers or board of elders or pastoral leaders of the churches. The single pastor model only applied then during the founding stages of a church, not its long-term condition.

1 Timothy 3:3-7 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Some people take these more literally than others. Some quibble over a few of these details, but regardless of our generational or cultural bias, we must admit that these are high standards for church leadership.

Titus 1:5-9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

What are some Bible terms for church leaders? A bishop, meaning an overseer or superintendent, was one of several spiritual leaders of a local church (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Philippians 1:1). Another title for local leaders in a church was elder or presbyter, meaning a mature man who is seasoned or experienced (Titus 1:5-16; 1 Peter 5:1-3). A lesser used term for local church leadership was pastor or shepherd (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:2).

The word deacon (which means minister or servant) is also used in the Bible for those who serve mostly physical duties within a local church, such as taking care of the needy (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13; Philippians 1:1).

How wonderful when a church supports and encourages their leadership! How sad when there is division and the leadership is undermined!

In the same way, I urge you who are younger: accept the authority of the elders. And everyone, clothe yourselves with humility toward each other. God stands against the proud, but he gives favor to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5 CEB)

How should we conduct our church worship services?

Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV)

We can see from the great detail in God’s instructions regarding the Old Testament priesthood, that God prefers our worship services to still be done in an ordered manner, rather than higgledy-piggledy. The same is true of the offices in a local church, and there are basically two broad categories: elders and deacons or their equivalent.

The Spirit of Trial Laws

The law of the Hebrew Scriptures was divided into commandments, statutes and judgments (Deuteronomy 5:31). Many judgments were already given, but as with any law, there were cases that needed to be judged individually in a court of law. Let’s look at how some judgments were to be made in a trial and how Christians apply the spirit of these laws.

In Old Testament Israel, judgments were needed for injuries (Exodus 21:18-36), restitution or slavery were used to pay back a theft (Exodus 22:1-4), property damage was compensated (Exodus 22:5-6), sales were regulated (Leviticus 25:14-17), as were property ownership (Exodus 22:9) and inheritance (Numbers 27:8-11; Deuteronomy 21:15-17)

In the New Testament, Christians are encouraged to solve such disputes outside of the unrighteous courts of this world if possible.

1 Corinthians 6:1-2 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?

It’s not always possible, and sometimes we must be willing to take the loss. That’s life. We’re not always going to be treated fairly in this life. One common example of such unfairness is inheritance, where one may be unjustly favored over another. How did Jesus say that we should handle such matters?

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:13-15 ESV)

Sometimes when we covet, we are desiring to be treated fairly, yet even this kind of coveting is a serious waste of life’s energy. The saddest people of all are those sitting around waiting for an inheritance, instead of getting on with and enjoying life. Let’s not be among those whose life consists of things, but live to the full, like the sheep who are satisfied and do not want for anything (Psalm 23).

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. (1 Timothy 6:6 NIV)

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. (Philippians 4:11 NLT)

Let’s learn to be satisfied with that which truly enriches, the gifts from heaven (John 6:35).

A big catch cry today is non-judgmentalism and uses Jesus’ instructions for its support.

Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 NASB)

However, Jesus did not stop there, but continued His instructions.

Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces… Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:6, 15 NASB)

Putting this together then, we realize that Jesus does not refer to never making a wise judgment or being totally without discernment, but rather was discussing judgmentalism, a critical spirit. Jesus clarifies this elsewhere.

I cannot do anything on my own. The Father sent me, and he is the one who told me how to judge. I judge with fairness, because I obey him, and I don’t just try to please myself. (John 5:30 CEV)

Don’t judge according to appearances. Judge with right judgment. (John 7:24 CEB)

Christians understand that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and so we don’t judge another’s eternity. However, we do discern right from wrong so that we can judge ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:31) and watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned (Romans 16:17).

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1 KJV)

Like the Bereans, we are to be judge and jury when it comes to discerning truth from error (Acts 17:11).

The Spirit of Slave Laws

The topic of slavery is a very emotional one, because most people only know of corrupt forms of slavery and because the threat of such slavery still exists in the modern world. However, we need to learn that kidnapping and enforced slavery were also forbidden in the Bible.

The only kinds of “slavery” that were permitted in the Bible were arrangements like indentured servitude, temporary slavery for repayment of debts, as criminal punishment for theft and for war reparations. All these kinds of slavery are given different terms in modern society, like apprenticeship, financial debt, prison chain gangs, and prison for war crimes.

For some ancient people, slavery was preferred over freedom because it provided for their welfare and financial stability. Debt slavery and apprenticeships were voluntarily slavery. The laws of ancient Israel sought to bring godly justice to ancient slavery under the general heading of slavery laws. One example is buying out the debt of a Hebrew slave and the limits of his service to six years.

Exodus 21:2-6 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

Many modern people do not know that ear rings were a sign of voluntary slavery in ancient times.

In the New Testament, slavery is also a topic at times. Roman slaves were not always treated well as was required under Old Testament law, but were under unjust Roman law. Up to a third to a half of people were slaves under this terrible system, and many of them became Christians. None of the Apostles’ advice to them is an endorsement of an unjust Roman slave system, but how to best cope as Christians.

1 Corinthians 7:21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.

Yet the spirit of the law also teaches us that we have all been slaves to sin.

Romans 6:6 “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin”

Now we are freed from this slavery to the corruption of the world and become true public servants by doing what’s right.

Romans 6:18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

But to become the slave of God is the best news, because God’s slaves are elevated by adoption to being a child of God. This sometimes happened in the ancient world too, where an adopted child had the same status as a natural born child.

Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

Even the old letter of the law system was slavery and could not provide salvation because we were in bondage to sin and unable to keep such a perfect law. Yet, Jesus came to set us free.

Galatians 4:5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

This has become the best news in human history, because that freedom has given us a position of sonship, a child of the living God and an heir of eternity.

Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

In Jesus, we who were suffering as slaves to sin, are adopted as children and receive wonderful eternal inheritances as children of God.