Salt can be problematic. On the one hand salt food is tasteless food, and on the other hand if it gives you a lot of salt in the plate it ruins everything. Salt can really make a big difference! Those who for one reason or another have to cook without salt, may find it a problem making food more appetitisive. Really a good cook is a chef who uses salt with size. Salt is there for the food service and not for itself – no one grabs a plate of salt and eats it, the less anyone dreams of drinking a bottle of seawater!
When Jesus is saying that we are salt of the earth, he is telling us that we are called to be there for others and not because of ourselves. Jesus called us to be His disciples, he makes us good (blesseds) and gives us many graces, not to sanctify us and so much, but he wants us to also make others holy. The Christian who is happy only because he feels that he is living well and stopping there, has not yet discovered the true mission of a disciple of the Lord. The Lord's disciple is called to taste the world, change the world around him and make him a place in which God is given glory. Yes we have to make a difference! If we seek only ourselves, we are saltier than salt of the earth, because instead of giving taste to the world and making the world more appetitive we will be grown, suppressed, and filled with ourselves, feeling special and better than the rest of the human beings who live without God in their lives. Let us remember that one of the qualities of salt is that it ignites the appetite for the most food. No wonder many people get mad at that little salty peanuts or some crispit ps! Salted products will catch you thirsty and make you drink. This is what the Lord's disciple wants to do: he must be able to quench the thirst for Christ to others. Thus others come to give glory to God. Glory should not be given to the disciple, just as the eater does not praise the salt but the chef who cooked that food.
The other likeness Jesus gives us in the Gospel is also showing us the same thing: light. The light is there to illuminate the place and what is inside it appears. Today we speak on lighting design; It is not enough to light a bulb or tube to have some light but great care is taken of what the place will look like when it is on. The lighting design does not focus on the fitting design itself but designs the fitting according to the size of the building or the object it wants to illuminate to bring out all its beauty. The lighting designer does ensure that he puts enough light on the emphyteusis but does not flush the object with too much light because otherwise it will not be appreciated as much as desired; Thus a good lighting designer uses light with size, always depending on the place they are illuminating: a conference hall and an art museum altruist.
The fitting is there for the service of something else. When Jesus is telling us that we are the light of the world, he is showing us the importance of showing and unleashing the hidden beautiful that is in the world around us. Obviously the light also shows the flaws that are there, and this too can be helpful in doing something to repair and rectify the situation, thus making it a better place. So the Christian must have the courage to also show where he needs to fix himself in the world to make the world a brighter and better world and thus people recognize God's presence and give him glory.
How will we become salt and light for the world? In today's first reading he tells us clearly that our actions make a difference. The way we behave with others gives light and enlightens others and thus they also recognize God's righteousness with them. Isaiah gives us concrete examples when he says: "you share your bread with the hungry, bring into your home the homeless, put on the naked, and the people of your house do not forget them." It's a busy and uncomfortable life programme at the same time, it's a challenged life style, as we said last week. It's a lifestyle that doesn't let you say: "everyone does it," or "be responsible for their actions," but it makes you feel responsible for the world around you. Doing your part to build a better world is part of the package of Christ's discipleship. Let us not be content with our personal holiness, but do what we can for the sanctity of others also so as to "give glory to your Father who is in heaven."