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Salt and light are two of the commonest household necessities," writes British pastor-author John Stott. "In those days before refrigeration when salt was used mostly as a preservative, Jesus must often have watched his mother soak fish in salty water. And Mary would have lit the oil lamps when the sun went down. Jesus chose these images to indicate the influence he intended his followers to exert in the world."

Matthew 5:13-16

1. If Jesus' followers are salt, what is the world's contrasting condition? If they are light, what is the world's implied state?
   
   
2. What good (v. 15) is a lamp stored in a cupboard? Could salt preserve fish if it hadn't soaked into it (or flavor it if it stayed in the saltshaker)? What does this tell you about how Christians should relate to society?
   
   
3. What happens when salt is introduced into meat? What happens when the light is switched on? How are Christians to affect their environment?
   
   
4. What is the meaning of Jesus' questions in verse 13? How do Christians keep from losing their brightness and just blending in?
   
   
5. How would you practically apply the principles of salt and light? (See Matthew 5:1-7:29.)
   
   

Ask God to use you to penetrate and influence your culture, helping you to bring a preserving influence and dispel its darkness.

Matthew 5:13-16

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Thank you, Lord, that your power not only changes individuals but also societies. Use me as one of your agents of social improvement.

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