Sermon : Salt and Light

	INTRODUCTION A pinch of salt, a glimmer of light...little things like a coin, a sheep or a handful of disciples. Jesus had a way of taking what seemed small and insignificant and calling on them to transform the world.[1] One reason we love these verses is that there is no "must," or "should," or "ought," here. Jesus does not say, "You must be the salt of the earth," or "you ought to be the light of the world," He simply pays us a great compliment by saying, "You are the salt of the earth." He speaks the hopeful, encouraging word, "You are the light of the world." Because light comes up so often as a metaphor and symbol in the Bible, and because we have so much to do in our service today, I will concentrate only on the salt image this morning. Salt, sodium chloride, NaCl, cannot lose its saltiness. As often is the case in the parables, there is a subtle, hidden meaning in what looks at first glance like an obvious truth. "If the salt hath lost its taste..." But it can't. It's a staple compound (as Clark Riley verifies) and can't lose its taste. Jesus, who surely knew far more than Clark Riley and John Roberts, knew that.  more