You are the Light of the World - Matthew 5:13-16

Say, Today's (9/2/14) Gospel Reading is from Matthew 5:13-16 13 Jesus said to his disciples: 'You are salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under people's feet. 14 'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine in people's sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven. I enjoyed Father Michael's sermon that you sent me. His discourse on the meaning of 'salt' is brilliant! <http://michaelckw.blogspot.hk/2014/02/worth-our-salt.html> I shall however comment in main on what Jesus said or why he called the disciples - "You are the light of the world." This expression is very significant as it confirms or affirms my recent discourses about 'light' and 'darkness'; where Jesus was described as the 'Light' and I described ourselves as human beings as being the 'light', and our human worldly existence as the metaphorical 'darkness'. So, instead of us referring to Jesus or Christ as the 'Light', and this is very apparent from John 1:9 'That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into this world.', here in this passage it is Jesus instead that is calling us - 'the light of the world'. Please pause for a minute and appreciate that as you render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar's and you render unto God what is God's, that just as ashes is to ashes, and thus Light is to light; that it is in the spirit ('light') that we are made in the image of God the Spirit Father ('Light'). If God is clear 'Light' as in clear 'Conscience', we too must be clear 'light' and live our lives with a clear conscience. It is living in clear conscience of good works glorifying God, of peace of mind and heart, of love and compassion to all, whatever their colour race or creed, that our light shines for all to see; that we can light up others' lives and light up their 'light' in them. We are not spreading the Good News if we are merely indulging in their darkness of worldly existence; in truth we have to light up the 'light' in them! For worldly darkness cannot turn to worldly light in a spiritual sense (nor can it in a quantum physics sense). Caesar ('darkness') can never be God (Light)! We have to awaken them to the 'light', the 'spirit', the 'sheep' that is already in them from the beginning; for that is the image of God in us, that is the creation of God in us, that is the lost Prodigal Son in us! Say, I like to 'add' three additional perspectives to Father Michael's brilliant discourse on the meaning or significance of 'salt' in today's Gospel reading. I shall refer to the Parable of the Sower and the Seed (otherwise known commonly as the Parable of You Reap What You Sow) in Matthew 13:1-23, the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 and the reference to Jacob's Dream or Jacob's Ladder in Genesis 28:12 and John 1:51. 'Salt of the earth' refers not only to our worldly 'life' or existence as sons of Adam or sons of man but also exponentially to the 'spirit' son of God context of our being 'angels of God ascending and descending' Jacob's Ladder. We as angels of God ascend or descend Jacob's Ladder and in parallel existence 'come into this world' with the 'light' (spirit son of God) hidden in the darkness that is of this world as son of Adam, son of man. Salt therefore refers to the 'blood, sweat and tears' our human existence. If you have tasted all three, you will know that they are 'salty'. Salt represents the taste of life! Note that salt itself is not the very taste of life! But whatever the sweetness, bitterness or sourness in life, it is salt that transforms the sweetness, bitterness or sourness making it profoundly alive and meaningful,

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making it more palatable, bearable, acceptable or even tastier. In other words salt represents life in this magical tapestry sense. We must bear our 'cross' and endure till the end as Jesus have instructed us. As long as the 'saltiness' is in us, i.e. life is in us, we must strive, persevere and maintain our faith in Christ. Whatever the 'cross' that Jesus tells us that we each have to individually bear in this worldly life or existence we need to have faith that once we have expiated what we have reaped from what we have sown we will get to the top and off Jacob's Ladder into heaven. This is what is meant by the vine bearing good fruit in the parable by the same name. Value-adding in this sense as the lesson to be learned from the Parable of the Talents is to understand that our mortal human life is 'short'. We do not know when we are going to die. We have to vicariously get our 'spirit' or 'angel of God' to the top and off Jacob's Ladder. Not only that. We have to help others up Jacob's Ladder as well. Our 'light' must 'shine for everyone in the house'! Our 'light' must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing our good works they may give praise to God, meaning salvation in heaven. We value-add by being good soldiers of Christ. In a world of human misery, poverty and sickness, we value-add by creating employment, producing more food and housing, ensuring universal education and healthcare. This is seeing Jesus in every poor sick and needy! We value-add by promoting generosity, peace and harmony and justice in the world. This is how we communicate the love and kindness and compassion that is Christ and thereby glorify God. Essentially and most of all, we value-add by first awakening to the 'spirit son of God', to the 'light' in us; so that we can be the 'light of the world'. It is only as 'light' that we can light up other peoples' lives, light up the 'light' that is in others, that represents God's promise of salvation. Thereby we value-add by creating life, by supporting life and by maintaining life; for the 'light' in man shines only when we have 'man' to come into this world.There is no other way for the 'angel of God' to fully ascend Jacob's Ladder to heaven other than through his alter ego as son of man. Understanding this principle you will know why you have to be a Good Samaritan and to love your enemy, why we have to love one another as fellow men, as Jesus loved us! Love and God Bless! Chuan

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