Tuesday of the 10th Week of Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1 Kings 17:7-16, Psalm 4:2-8, Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13-14).
Jesus is not asking us to become salt or light, rather He is revealing our true identity as Christians. When we live by the beatitudes, (when we are pure in heart, poor in spirit, peaceful, merciful, thirst for righteousness and so on), we become the only salt left to preserve and sweeten our world as well as the only light left to shine on our world.
Once upon a time, Abraham negotiated with God over the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked God: “Wilt thou indeed destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt thou then destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?” (Genesis 18:23-24). Eventually Abraham came down to just ten and God said: “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32).
Like what salt is to food, Christians are to the world. The sad reality is that not all those who say “Lord, Lord” are fit for the kingdom of God. In other words, just as the number of Christians are few, even fewer are the number of devoted Christians. Dear friend, do not allow yourself to be cajoled into sin just because of what your fellow Christians may be doing. You are salt. The world cannot survive without you.
The story is told of a preacher who came to a town and for many years, no single soul joined in his church. He kept preaching to himself day and night. One day, he gathered the whole town and announced he was leaving for good. There were loud sobs and tears, everyone knelt down to beg him not to leave because they had grown used to him as the only light they could see.
When you are good, you assume no one notices you but you will be amazed at the number of people who use you as a reference point for their lives. You think you are just doing your best, you don’t know that God is taking note every time you overcome temptation.
The widow of Zarephath thought of herself as nobody but for God, she was a VIP. Of all women that lived, God sent Elijah to her. She didn’t have much but she had great faith. She believed Elijah, she prepared the meal for him. Her jar of meal never ran out neither did her pitcher of oil. You are important. God is watching, continue being salt and light to our world.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, when I become tasteless, revive me. Help me shine, may I never become entangled with the darkness all around me. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.