SALT, LIGHT, AND THE LAW

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Matthew 5:13-20
Lesson #11

SALT, LIGHT, AND THE LAW

• Memory verse: Mat 5:16
• Read Mat 5:13-16
• Parable of the Salt and its Savor
  • The parable is primarily spoken to the disciples as part of the Sermon on the Mount.
  • What is the central truth of this parable?
    • A believer’s life fully committed to the Lord is of great worth to God and worthy of reward.
    • A believer’s life not fully committed to God is of no value and no influence and is overcome by the world system.
  • Background on salt:
    • Salt is a chemical combination of chlorine gas from the air above and sodium, a metal from the earth.
      • Combined they make a new substance now white in color.
      • The believer’s life is a combination of the Holy Spirit from above and our own humanity, dust from the earth.
      • Combined, we are a new creation in Christ made pure white with the righteousness of Christ.
    • In the ancient world, salt was very valuable. The Greeks called salt “divine”. To the Jewish mind, salt had 4 special qualities:
      • =1= Salt was connected with purity and faithfulness.
        • The Jewish sacrifices were offered to God.
        • Salt was a symbol of a covenant with God. (Lev 2:13)
      • =2= Salt was used as preservative to prevent meat from spoiling. Salt preserves by penetrating slowly and subtly.
      • =3= Salt gave flavor to food.
      • =4= Salt is used for cleansing.
    • What are the qualities of salt that make the Christian important in the world?
      • =1= The Christian’s life should be an example of purity.
      • =2= The Christian’s life should be preserving the world from greater corruption. This should be a slow and subtle penetration of the world by the gospel.
      • =3= A commitment to Christ gives life flavor and purpose to life.
      • =4= A Christian should spend his life cleansing the world of sin by witnessing to sinners.
    • The salt that has lost its savor.
    • How can salt lose its saltiness?
      • Chemically, it cannot. However, if salt is not well refined, it contains fillers and it’s saltiness is diluted.
      • A believer compromises his witness when his life is polluted and diluted by sin.
      • A carnal Christian is one who is salt without savor. (See Col 4:6)
    • Background:
      • In Israel, the oven for cooking was outside and built of stone set on tiles. In order to keep the tiles hot, a thick layer of salt was put under the tiled floor of the oven. After a certain length of time, the salt became ineffective (it had lost its power to keep the tiles hot). The oven would be taken apart to put down a new layer of salt.
      • The lesson:
        • The Christian whose witness is ineffective in the above 3 areas (purity, preservative, flavor) will be set aside.
        • What does it mean “good for nothing, cast out, trodden under foot“?

Good for nothing = does not hold back evil

Cast out = not worthy of reward

Trodden under foot of men = a life that doesn’t appear any different than any non-Christian.

Example: Lot and his wife (Gen 19:24-26)

• The Parable of Light and a City
  • Background on light:
    • The Jews were very familiar with the use of light as an example of life.
    • They were told to be a light to the Gentiles (Isa 42:6).
  • What is the central truth of this parable?
    • The believer, filled with the Spirit of Christ, is a bold penetrating witness against the darkness of evil of the world system and thus glorifies God.
    • What is meant by light?
      • Remember that in Jesus’ time, light was not electrical, but made by burning oil.
      • Oil in scripture is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
        • Remember that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to lift up and magnify Jesus in Joh 16:14.
        • Jesus said he was the light of the world in Joh 8:12
        • The word of God is the light in 2Cor 4:4,6
        • Here, we are called the light of the world

Phi 2:15 the word light is “illuminaries”

Therefore, as we live according to the word of God, the burning oil of the Holy Spirit within us reflects and therefore magnifies Jesus Christ.

Light, exposing the darkness, is not subtle but bold and immediate. (Not like salt as a preservative.)

• • • What is meant by a city on a hill?
      • A city at night is a cluster of individual Lights…in other words, the church of believers in Jesus Christ filled with the Holy Spirit.
      • IJohn combines light with love
      • Read 1Joh 1:5-7 1Joh 2:8-11
        • What is the bushel basket?
        • Background:

In the days before matches, the lamp was not easy to light. The bowl filled with oil and a floating wick was on a wood lampstand.

However, when a person left home, he took the bowl from the lampstand and put it under an earthen bushel basket so that it would continually burn safely without the danger of fire.

The primary purpose of the light was to be seen. A Christian’s witness in the world is to be seen. There is no such thing as secret discipleship.

A carnal Christian whose life appears no different than that of a non-Christian is like a light hidden under a bushel basket.

In other words, the Holy Spirit is quenched.

• • • What is the lampstand?
      • The lampstand is Jesus in Exo 25:31-40
      • The lampstand is the church in Rev 1:20
        • The oil of the lampstand is the Holy Spirit which produces the light of Christ in us.
        • What are some characteristics of light?

It penetrates darkness and cannot co-exist with darkness.

It can be either dim or bright.

Light is either natural, artificial, or reflected

Light is used as a guide.

Light is used as a warning.

• • • • As Christians we are not to let evil coexist with the internal Holy Spirit. That dims our witness.
        • Instead we are to reflect the light (love) of god that will guide and warn others of the eternity to come.
        • How are we to be a light?

Verse 16 says our good works shine for Jesus.

What are good works?

There are two words for good in Greek.

“Agathos” = good in quality

“Kalos” = it is not only good but attractive and beautiful.

It is the word “kalos” that is used here.

Therefore, the things that we do should draw attention to Jesus Christ and not to ourselves.

• Summary: Both parables speak of a vibrant witness for Christ… Salt working internally in a subtle way holding back the evil; light working externally in a bold way to point the way to God.
• Read Mat 5:17-20
  • Background on the Law: What was “the Law”?
    • The Law consisted of the civil and judicial law of the Mosaic Covenant.
    • The Law consisted of ceremonial Law governing animal sacrifice and worship.
    • The Law consisted of the moral law (The Ten Commandments).
    • If Jesus did not come to destroy the law, why did He often condemn the scribes and Pharisees who kept the letter of the Law?
      • God desires a changed heart, responsive to Him. It is possible to outwardly obey the letter of the Law and yet never let that change you inwardly.
      • This was the condition of the scribes and the Pharisees. They kept every strict observance of the law and even added to it. But it never changed them inside so that they were responsive to God.
  • What is the jot and the tittle? (17)
    • In Hebrew, the jot was like an apostrophe. The tittle was like the projecting foot of the letter, the little line at each side of the foot of the letter “I”.
    • Jesus is saying that the Law is so sacred that not even the smallest detail of it will ever pass away without being fulfilled.
    • How did Jesus fulfill the Law?
      • Jesus nailed the Law to the cross. (Rom 10:4 Col 2:14)
      • He came to call attention to the real meaning of the Law.
      • The civil and judicial Law
        • When Jesus ascended to heaven he sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of us.
        • The Holy Spirit guides us as to how we should live with other people.
      • The ceremonial Law
      • In the book of Hebrews, all the Old Testament sacrifices were fulfilled by the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. He is the final sacrifice that paid for all sin forever.
      • The moral Law
        • The moral law is based on the character of God.
        • Jesus is the only man who ever lived a sinless life.
  • What should be the believer’s relationship to the law?
    • =1= The civil and judicial Law of the Mosaic Covenant have been fulfilled and are no longer binding on the believer. (Rom 6:14 Eph 2:14)
    • =2= The ceremonial Law of the Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled and is no longer binding on the believer. (Col 2:14 Heb 9)
    • =3= The moral Law of the Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled and is no longer binding on the believer
      • The believer is no longer under its legalistic code or under its condemnation
      • No penalty of the Law or power of the Law is over the believer. (Rom 7:6)
      • However, the moral standards of God are still binding on believers.
        • Believers are still under its standards and constraints mediated by the Holy Spirit and not mediated by the Law.
        • Its standards are the Holy character of God.

God has not changed.

Therefore, moral holiness is still required by God. (ICor 9:21 Rom 8:2)

• • • The moral law of God can be condensed in the word respect or reverence.
      • Reverence for God, for His name, and for His church.
      • Respect for parents, life, property, truth, for others, and for oneself.
        • What did Jesus mean when He said our righteousness should go beyond that of the scribes and the Pharisees?
        • The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was only outward and ceremonial. God wants our righteousness to be inward and life changing.

That occurs through love and obedience to him.

Read Mat 22:36-40

• • • Jesus condensed the law into one word, love.
      • Let love be your guiding principle and you will have fulfilled the Law and exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.
      • To satisfy the demands of the Law as the scribes and Pharisees did, there is a limit.
      • To fulfill the Law as Jesus did in demonstrating love, there is no limit.

Homework

Matthew 5:21-32

• Application of Mat 5:13-20
  • Which of the Laws have you been trying to fulfill and discover that you can’t do it?
  • Love is the motivating principle of keeping any Law. How does knowing that help you to do it?
• Preparation for Mat 5:21-32
  • Read Mat 5:21-26 Anger and murder
    • How does Jesus make the Law more strict than the Law that says, “Thou shalt not kill“?
  • Read Mat 5:27-30 Lust and adultery
    • How does Jesus make the Law more strict than the Law that says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery“?
  • Read Mat 5:31-32
    • What do you think are the Biblical grounds for divorce in the following scriptures?
      • Mat 5:31-32
      • Mat 19:3-9
      • Deu 24:1-4
      • ICor 7:10-16
      • Rom 7:1-3
• Memory verse: Gal 5:14