2 Word Pictures - Salt & Light - The Beatitudes in Action - Matthew 5:13-16

 


Another meadow shot with the Onahu Creek cutting through it.  The ridge in the background was for us to go up and over before reaching the Big Meadow.  It is amazing upstream to see what is feeding what is raging downstream.  This second shot is a lower bridge over the same creek.


Jesus does this often.  He gives a major teaching and then gives a couple of life examples to explain it.  It was good to go back over the Beatitudes and look at the opposite as diluting or contaminating our salt and light.  The salt representing our speech of Jesus and how it slows down the decay of our world and the light representing our seen of Jesus and how it pierces the darkness of our world.  

  • When we are not poor in spirit; 
  • when we don't mourn over sin; 
  • when we not meek; 
  • when we are not hungering and thirsting after righteousness; 
  • when we are not merciful; 
  • when we are not pure in heart; 
  • when we are not peacemakers; 
  • and when we are not persecuted for righteousness' sake then our salt is not potent (contaminated with other things) and our light is put out (put under the basket instead of on the lampstand).
  • When it becomes all about me instead of Him; 
  • when I delight and conceal my sin instead of show remorse; 
  • when I take control instead of being under His divine control; 
  • when I replace time with Him with other appetites; 
  • when I am not thinking and acting on behalf of others; 
  • when I coddle my sin rather than confess it; 
  • when I don't say His name; 
  • and when I hide from persecution or step off His righteousness to escape it.  

These things show that we have yet to understand what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.  His disciples will rejoice and be glad because now they model what He has said.  

Words from Jesus that will just keep coming through the next couple chapters of Matthew.  Hold on!


Another lake in the mountains - Lake Chickaree - plenty of mosquitoes here!  Off on another hike tomorrow to Lake Irene.  Pictures to follow.

Adam



A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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