What happens after we believe? Hopefully a lot. After we come to believe Jesus is Lord and Savior is the beginning of when we start living like Christ in the world. Thankfully, Jesus tells us how we can best do this in the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon series, we zoom in to Matthew 5 and take seriously Jesus’ teachings on what it means for us to be both salt and light. Salt preserves the goodness of something. Light shines a way through the dark. Christians, after we believe, must be and do both. We must preserve the goodness of creation and love and life and hope while also shining light for people to see Christ in all things. These lessons make wise the simple teachings of Jesus, for they are pithy but also deep. 

February 2 | Matthew 5:13-16 | Being Salt and Light

Our faith doesn’t end after we’re baptized; it begins. We have so much more to do and become after we believe. Jesus addresses this very concern in the Sermon on the Mount and calls us all to be two things: Salt and Light. Thinking about how we are both of these metaphors may be some of the most powerful and helpful images in all the Bible. In short, the work is not done. We can always shine more light. 

February 9 | Matthew 5:17-20 | Salt and Light Fulfills 

One could argue the Kingdom of Heaven is the primary objective in Matthew’s Gospel. All the characters, the narrators, even Jesus’ teachings, they all deal with the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus has strong words on what it means for us to “enter” into that kingdom, and it has a lot to do with how we understand and follow the law.

February 16 | Matthew 5:21-37 | Salt and Light Reconciles

What good is our offering if it’s tainted? This is Jesus’ message for those of us who worship pretending we are reconciled with our enemies or our families. People of salt and light understand the importance of reconciliation and take seriously Jesus’ pronunciation, “Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.” 

February 23 | Matthew 5:43-48 | Salt and Light Loves Enemies

“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecutor you . . . For if you love this who love you, what rewards you have?” Christians who claim to be salt and light in the world must show the world what it means to love beyond reward. Learning this lesson is not easy.