Make Me Salt, Make Me Light | The Gospels | Matthew 5:13–16
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Why do we often ask ‘Why should I listen to Jesus?’ – the core question behind the sermon
Welcome to 10-Minute Bible Talks,
where we connect the Bible to your life
and the time it takes to get to work. I'm
Jensen Holt McNair. The other day I was driving home from my parents' house, and my husband was waiting for us to get there to get the kids cleaned in PJs and off to bed as he does most every night. And as we pulled up to our street, I reminded the big kids: Okay, guys, when we get home, we're gonna be good listeners for dad. We're not gonna throw tantrums about bedtime or more books or more time in the tub. We're going to respect and obey. Obey dad for bedtime. Yes? Now the correct response to this kind of a command in our household is yes, mama. And that happens on its own about ten percent of the time, maybe. With a little back and forth, I'd say we usually get there. But this evening, it was not the 10%.
One of my kids' immediate responses was, why? And despite the frustration of the moment and the bold rejection of everything that I had just said, I couldn't help but see myself in his question. Why? Why should I listen? Why should I do what you're telling me to do? What's the point? I think it's a question that maybe a lot of us have for God. We hold a belief that the Bible is a big book of moral rules, telling us how to live our lives and we better obey and get enough of them right to appease God.
How does the story of the bedtime command illustrate the human need for purpose?
Don't want to make 'em upset. Don't want to miss out on heaven. Or maybe we just think the Bible's like a big book of rules telling us how to get blessing. Better follow the rules so I can have the best life possible, so things go right for me, so I don't get myself into trouble. But in Matthew chapter 5, Jesus has begun, arguably, his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. And Jesus is beginning his ministry. He's been baptized, he's gone to the wilderness to be tempted, he's gathered disciples to himself. And now we see him ascend a mountain to teach his disciples. And if you remember last week on Wednesday, we talked about the comparison between Jesus. Jesus and Moses. Here many make the connection that just like Moses went up to a mountain to get the law from God, here we see Jesus go up to a mountain to deliver a sermon, a teaching, that in many ways mirrors the law that God gave his people.
Now the laws that God gave to the Israelites were for their protection, for their good, and for their distinction. They were to be set apart, to look different than the nations, to follow Yahweh alone. These laws they told the people of God how they were to live as a part of God's holy nation, Israel. And here in this sermon, Jesus is coming in and proclaiming what it looks like to be God's holy nation. People. To be citizens of the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God. And right out of the gate, as you heard yesterday, he gives a list of characteristics that are to be true of those who are disciples, his followers, citizens of God's kingdom. And as you read them, I'm sure you noticed that maybe they felt backwards, upside down.
Blessed are the poor, the meek, those who mourn.
What does Jesus mean when He calls us ‘the salt of the earth’?
See, Jesus is displaying a core truth about being one of his followers. Your life will look different than the world. And it isn't that this is a new law, we'll get into that more with tomorrow's passage, but it's that Jesus is showing us the kind of person you become and the life you live if you live in step with God's commands. This sermon is a deeper examination of. the heart of God's law. And it's important to recognize that Jesus is specifically using language that is directed at his disciples. These commands are for people who are following Jesus, who have faith in him. This is what it looks like to live in the kingdom of God as a citizen of heaven. But that gets us back to our original question.
Why? Why live in this way? Because our good works, they don't save us. Look at Ephesians two, eight and nine. No, it's Jesus' righteousness that saves us, his gift, his sacrifice, his blood. Faith alone in the person and work of Jesus is what covers us. So why? Why give a whole sermon on what our lives should look like if I'm already good?
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why do we often ask ‘Why should I listen to Jesus?’ – the core question behind the sermon
0:05–1:36
2
How does the story of the bedtime command illustrate the human need for purpose?
1:36–3:28
3
What does Jesus mean when He calls us ‘the salt of the earth’?
3:28–4:50
4
Why is the metaphor of ‘light of the world’ essential for Christian identity?
4:50–6:36
5
How can we keep our ‘saltiness’ from being diluted by everyday culture?
6:36–8:16
6
What practical steps does the host give for letting our light shine in everyday life?
8:16–10:25
7
Why does the sermon link the salt‑and‑light imagery to the Genesis cultural mandate?
10:25–12:39
8
How can listeners apply the ‘salt and light’ calling to their own families and communities?
12:39–14:16
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study
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When Temptation Comes | The Gospels | Matthew 4:1–11
The Cure for Self-Absorption | The Gospels | Matthew 3:13–16