¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Christianity As Jewish

Jesus, I have friends and relatives who don’t like the Old Testament, but you memorized it.  You saw how Israel had missed the point of its own writings and then you became the fulfillment.  You satisfied the law.  You lived out the heart of the law.  So many times we just want to know what to do in any given situation, but that’s not the point.  We need to have a solid relationship.  In having a solid relationship with you, all that the law was designed to bring can be true.  I want to live an authentically righteous life.  I don’t want to be self-righteous.  I want to be righteous without thinking about it.  I want to be righteous as an afterthought.  I want your righteousness to rub off on me.

I am saddened that Christians today do not stand out from the crowd except on issues where they are seen as stuck-up or hateful.  Christians do not seem to be known for sacrificing themselves for others.  Christians do not stand out in their practices or their thinking.  I want especially to be an agent to recapture what it means to be a thinking Christian.  Help each Christian find their calling and then live it out in a way that does not resemble their peers.  Help them to be salt and light in their given profession.

Questions

1. What can not be hidden?
2. Which city was ‘on a hill’?
3. How was Jerusalem meant to be a light?
4. How is the church meant to be a light?
5. How do you stand out from your friends because of your devotion to Jesus?