I never gave much thought to the teachings of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The analogies and parables Jesus used often made me wonder,
- What is the significance of “salt” for us to be compared to it?
- Why does Jesus make it seem like my life is so significant that I would be considered “light of the world”?
Salt, in a tasting sense, can be quite subtle, yet so essential to making a dish taste the way it should. Much like us, our presence to others may be subtle, and our absence is significant enough to not go unnoticed. We, as the salt of the earth, are personally called by Jesus to season the earth and all its people with God’s Word and goodness.
But where do we start? We already have! We are salt for our students, children, friends and family. We may not think much of it, but here are a few examples:
- Showing up for a family gathering on a non-major holiday shows so much love and devotion to our family members than we would ever express in words
- Listening to a friend’s troubles and offering insight when no one else will
- Our mere presence in class each Saturday
All of these exemplify our commitment and love for our family, friends, children, and students. We may not explicitly tell our loved ones, “I am committed to teaching/caring for you” or “I love each and every one of you”, but our actions, hard work, and heart put into everything we do for them is more than enough to show that love and commitment better than words can describe.
We are the light of the world. Whoa. That’s huge. Little do we know, we are bright, burning lights for those around us. Why must we shelter and hide that internal light from the world as if it will be dangerous or too much to handle? Let your light shine for others, because who knows, maybe your light will make all the difference for someone who feels lost in the darkness. God created us and lit a light within each and every one of us. So why would He create such a light within us just to have it hidden all the time?
Let us be reminded of our significance as salt of the Earth and light of the world. May the Lord help us to hold onto our identity as His people, His children, that we may carry ourselves according to his Will. So let that light shine forth from your good deeds! Let us go forth to glorify our heavenly Father with all our hearts, minds, and souls.
Jessica Thúy Quỳnh Vũ, Phụ Trách Tình Thân (Bonding Activities Coordinator)