0:00

You may be living the kind of tasteless salt that Jesus warned you about

0:04

without even realizing it.

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And if you've always thought of salt as a preservative,

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then you may

0:09

never have truly understood this passage:

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"You are the salt of the world, and the light of the world."

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You've probably heard this passage a hundred times.

0:17

Salt is a preservative, and light is about setting a good example,

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right?

0:21

This understanding makes perfect sense

0:23

, but today I want to tell you three things.

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First, the true meaning of salt in the Bible

0:28

has nothing to do with preservatives.

0:30

Second,

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Jesus said two seemingly contradictory things in the same sermon;

0:35

this contradiction hides the deepest secret of faith.

0:38

Third

0:38

, you may be living a spiritual dead sea

0:41

without even realizing it.

0:43

This isn't my personal insight,

0:44

nor is it some kind of spiritual chicken soup; it's written in the Bible

0:48

, but we haven't noticed it until now.

0:49

Today,

0:50

we'll thoroughly dissect this passage. Let's look at

0:53

Matthew 5:

0:55

13-16.

0:57

I'll read the passage aloud first,

0:58

and you can listen carefully

1:00

and see if there's anything

1:01

that differs from your previous understanding: "

1:03

You are the salt of the earth.

1:05

If salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?"

1:08

You will be useless in the future, but

1:11

you will be left out and trampled on.

1:12

You are

1:14

a city of light in the world, built on a mountain, so that you cannot be hidden.

1:17

You light lamps and do not put them under a bowl

1:19

, but on a lampstand, and they give

1:23

light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others

1:26

, that they may see your good works

1:28

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

1:31

Good! This passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount.

1:34

What is the Sermon on the Mount?

1:35

This is Jesus' most important public sermon,

1:38

Matthew chapters 5-7,

1:40

one of the most valuable passages in the entire New Testament.

1:43

The "salt and light" part

1:45

is right at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.

1:48

Jesus placed it so prominently,

1:49

indicating that He considered it extremely important.

1:52

The disciples needed to understand it right away.

1:54

Today's passage is quite substantial,

1:56

containing

1:57

at least five or six points worth exploring in depth.

2:00

You could talk for half an hour just about the word "salt"

2:03

—that's not an exaggeration

2:04

. You'll understand after reading today's content.

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We're not in a rush; we'll take it one step at a time.

2:08

Today, we'll start with... If you cut into salt and then into light,

2:11

you'll discover a secret order between these two concepts that most people have never noticed.

2:16

But we'll discuss that later. Let's

2:18

talk about salt first.

2:19

Let's see how most people,

2:20

including most biblical commentaries

2:22

, understand the statement "You are the salt of the world."

2:25

If you check any biblical commentary

2:27

and turn to Matthew 5:13,

2:29

the standard answer will most likely be this: Salt is a preservative.

2:33

In ancient times, without refrigerators

2:34

, salt was the only thing that could prevent food from spoiling.

2:37

Therefore, Christians are the preservatives of the world

2:40

. The world will decay,

2:41

and your task is **to prevent it from spoiling too quickly**.

2:43

Is this understanding reasonable?

2:45

Of course.

2:46

Look at history; salt was indeed a strategic resource in many countries.

2:50

What were the consequences of privately selling salt in ancient China?

2:52

A capital offense.

2:53

How expensive was salt in medieval Europe?

2:56

Roman soldiers were sometimes paid a portion of their wages directly from salt.

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The English word "salary" comes from the Latin word for salt, which

3:03

shows how important salt is.

3:05

Around the world, there are traditional ways of preserving food with salt – cured

3:09

meat, cured

3:10

fish

3:10

, pickles, and salted vegetables all rely on salt.

3:12

Without salt, food spoils in a few days.

3:14

So, if someone asks you what the function of salt is,

3:17

and you immediately answer "preservation,"

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that's perfectly fine.

3:20

If you search online for "salt,"

3:23

nine out of ten sermons follow this line of thought.

3:25

This template is correct;

3:26

it helps many people understand the basic meaning of this passage.

3:31

But have you noticed that you hardly need to think when you listen to this passage?

3:33

Because you're so familiar with this content,

3:35

like a phone password you've entered so many times that your fingers memorize it,

3:39

you can unlock it without even thinking.

3:41

I was the same way; for a long time,

3:44

my reaction to this passage was just "Oh,

3:45

salt and light," and then I'd turn the page.

3:48

So, if you've always understood it this way—that

3:51

Christians are the world's preservatives,

3:53

and our mission is to prevent the world from getting worse—

3:55

you're not wrong;

3:56

this direction is correct.

3:57

But what we need to do today

3:59

is pause this automatic unlocking

4:02

. While the understanding that salt is equivalent to a preservative is not wrong

4:05

, it may only be the surface.

4:08

If we only stop at this layer,

4:10

we may miss

4:12

something deeper, even more crucial, hidden beneath.

4:15

And this thing is not something I invented

4:16

, nor is it some new theological innovation;

4:19

it is written in the Bible

4:21

, right there in the text, in black and white.

4:23

It's just that we are too used to the answer of preservative;

4:26

it came too

4:27

quickly and smoothly, so

4:28

smoothly that we never thought to stop and ask, "

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Wait, is that really all?"

4:34

Today, we're going to delve deeper into a question,

4:36

and I want to tell you beforehand

4:38

that the answer we get from that question isn't just a simple "oh

4:41

, I didn't know there was such a meaning"

4:43

—it will directly change the way you understand your own identity.

4:46

What does it mean to be a Christian?

4:48

What does it mean to have a role in this world?

4:51

After you see that answer,

4:53

the answers to these questions will be different.

4:55

Before we move on, I want to ask you a question:

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In your past understanding,

5:00

what does the phrase "you are the salt of the world" mainly mean?

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Is it preservation?

5:04

Seasoning?

5:05

Freshness?

5:06

Or something else?

5:07

Give yourself an answer first,

5:09

and we'll check it later.

5:10

Okay, what do we do when this feels like a puzzle piece is missing a piece?

5:14

There's a very simple method: go back to the Old Testament.

5:17

I often say: the New Testament is the doctrine, the Old Testament is the principle.

5:20

When a word in the New Testament makes you feel like something is missing,

5:23

go back to the Old Testament and find the earliest place where the same word appears.

5:26

Often, you can find that missing piece of the puzzle.

5:29

Today, let's try it with salt.

5:31

Salt not only appears in the Gospel of Matthew

5:33

, but it appears in several places in the Bible

5:35

, and each time the context is slightly different.

5:38

Today, let's look at one of the most crucial places:

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Mark 9:50.

5:42

By

5:43

the way, let's talk about the background of Mark 9.

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Do you know what happened before verse 50?

5:49

The disciples were arguing on the road about who

5:51

was the greatest, claiming to be more spiritual than the other.

5:53

Jesus, knowing this, spoke at length,

5:56

ultimately focusing on verse 50.

5:58

Remember this background;

5:59

you'll see how important this context is later.

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Mark 9:50 says: "

6:05

Salt is good

6:06

, but if it loses its saltiness, what can be used to make it salty again?

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Have salt in your midst, **and peace with one another**."

6:13

Did you notice those last four words?

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I don't know what your reaction was when you first read this verse,

6:16

but

6:20

when I first read it,

6:21

I didn't pay any attention to those four words at all.

6:23

Because the preceding "If salt loses its flavor, what can make it saltier again?" was already enough for me to digest.

6:29

The following "peace with one another" became just background noise;

6:31

I glanced over it, oh

6:33

peace with one another, okay,

6:35

and turned the page. It's like when you're checking out at a supermarket and the cashier says "Welcome back next time"

6:38

—you hear it

6:39

, but you're not really listening.

6:41

But that's the interesting part of Bible study. The

6:43

parts you glance over and don't pay attention to

6:46

are often the most important clues hidden there.

6:48

The Bible doesn't say anything superfluous.

6:50

If Mark had deliberately added the words "peace with one another" after the verse about salt...

6:55

It's definitely telling you something,

6:57

but think about it carefully now.

6:59

If salt is a preservative,

7:00

and if you are the salt of the world, meaning you're supposed to prevent the world from decaying,

7:05

then what does it mean that you should contain salt

7:07

and live in harmony with each other?

7:09

You should contain preservatives...

7:13

and live in harmony with each other? What does preservativeing meat have to do with living in harmony with each other?

7:16

When have you ever seen someone say to another person, "Let's eat more preservatives

7:19

so we can live in peace"?

7:21

This doesn't make any logical sense.

7:23

If salt is merely a concept of preservation,

7:25

then there's a huge gap between the first and second halves of the sentence in Mark's Gospel;

7:30

they don't connect.

7:31

And don't forget the background I just mentioned:

7:33

the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest.

7:36

In this context,

7:37

Jesus said, "Let there be salt in you, so that you may live in peace with one another."

7:41

He was clearly responding to the argument.

7:44

He used salt to teach peace,

7:46

which shows that in Jesus' dictionary,

7:49

there's a direct connection between salt and peace

7:52

. The meaning of preservation

7:54

simply doesn't fit into this connection.

7:57

That's where things feel off

7:59

. When you feel these two things don't make sense,

8:01

it's often just a second before you're about to see a deeper truth.

8:05

So how do you find this connection?

8:07

I've already told you the method. Go back to the Old Testament.

8:10

When you

8:11

look for the most crucial appearance of the word "salt ,"

8:14

you'll discover something.

8:15

In the Old Testament

8:17

, salt's most important role isn't in the kitchen

8:19

, nor is it used for curing meat or seasoning.

8:22

It appears in a concept you may never have heard of in church.

8:26

This concept is hidden in Numbers chapter 18.

8:29

After you see the true role of salt in the Old Testament,

8:32

Mark... The Gospel's phrase "peace among one another" immediately makes sense,

8:36

and you'll find that

8:37

Jesus' expectations of his disciples go far beyond simply preventing the world from becoming worse or

8:41

better. First, turn to

8:43

Numbers, chapter 18, verse 19 in the Old Testament

8:47

. I'll read it to you directly: "

8:48

For all the sacrifices that the Israelites offer to the Lord,

8:52

I give to you and your children

8:54

as an eternal portion,

8:55

as an eternal covenant for you and your offspring

8:57

before the Lord."

9:00

Note the last two words, "salt covenant.

9:03

" What is the salt covenant?

9:04

Simply put,

9:06

in ancient Near Eastern cultures,

9:08

the salt covenant was an extremely solemn covenant ceremony.

9:11

When two individuals, two families,

9:13

or even two tribes wanted to form an alliance,

9:15

both sides would each take out salt and put it together

9:19

. The meaning of this action was very clear: "From today onwards,

9:21

I will not be your enemy.

9:23

" Think about it, after two portions of salt are poured together,

9:26

can you still tell which grain is yours

9:27

and which is mine?

9:29

You can't tell.

9:30

This is the essence of the salt covenant. Once the covenant is made,

9:32

it is irreversible,

9:34

and their lives are intertwined from then on.

9:36

Therefore, the eternal salt covenant mentioned in Numbers

9:39

is not about preserving meat;

9:41

it is about an eternal promise of peace. It is

9:44

an unbreakable covenant between God and the Israelites.

9:49

This is not preservation; this is not seasoning; this is covenant

9:52

salt. In the Bible

9:53

, salt is first and foremost a symbol of peace.

9:56

Do you hear that?

9:57

Salt is a peace covenant.

10:00

Now look back at the Gospel of Mark: "

10:02

Let there be salt in you,

10:05

so that

10:06

there may be peace

10:08

among you." The meaning becomes clear. Peace among you isn't just a casual addition;

10:11

it's the core meaning of the word "salt."

10:13

In the Old Testament context,

10:15

salt represents the end of hostility between us.

10:18

This is the essence of the salt covenant.

10:20

So when Jesus said, "Let there be salt in you,"

10:23

He immediately followed with "peace among you." He

10:26

wasn't talking about two things; he was talking about the same thing:

10:29

salt is peace, and peace is salt.

10:32

And don't forget the preceding context:

10:33

the disciples were just arguing about who was the greatest

10:36

. In that context… When Jesus said this,

10:38

it was equivalent to saying: "Stop fighting!

10:40

There should be salt in you,

10:42

and there should be a peace treaty among you."

10:44

Returning to Matthew,

10:46

when Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth,"

10:48

He wasn't just saying you are preservatives;

10:51

He was saying

10:52

you are the ones who prevent people from becoming enemies.

10:56

Preservatives prevent things from spoiling,

10:58

and harmonizers prevent relationships from breaking down.

11:00

The former is defense, the latter is creation.

11:03

Jesus' expectations of his disciples

11:04

were never just about preventing the world from getting worse

11:07

, but about making the world different because of your presence.

11:10

Here's a particularly vivid image:

11:12

Have you ever made scrambled eggs?

11:13

Adding a small amount of salt when making steamed eggs

11:15

isn't just for flavor; it's because without salt,

11:18

the egg mixture and water simply won't solidify.

11:21

Try steaming them without salt

11:22

—you'll end up with a puddle of water with a few scattered pieces of egg

11:25

—it won't hold its shape at all.

11:28

But if you add just a tiny bit of salt— and

11:30

just a tiny bit of

11:31

egg mixture and water—it miraculously solidifies into a

11:35

smooth, tender, and silky consistency. A spoonful is perfectly cooked.

11:38

The salt's role here isn't to prevent the eggs from spoiling

11:41

, but to bind together things that wouldn't otherwise blend.

11:45

That's harmony.

11:47

That's salt in everyday life—

11:49

not as a preservative,

11:51

but as a catalyst for change. The Reunification

11:53

: At this point, you might think that

11:54

going from Matthew to Mark

11:56

to Numbers

11:58

is quite a long detour.

12:00

Yes, it is a detour,

12:02

but that's what makes Bible study interesting.

12:05

Sometimes, the moment you come back to the beginning,

12:06

all the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fit together,

12:09

and you'll find

12:10

that the answer wasn't invented by anyone;

12:12

it's always been there.

12:14

We just haven't looked at these verses together before.

12:18

Once you learn this method of cross-textual reading,

12:21

you'll find yourself unconsciously asking yourself when reading the Bible: How was this word originally used in the Old Testament?

12:27

Once you start asking this question,

12:30

the Bible becomes a completely different book.

12:32

Okay, salt is not just a preservative

12:35

, but that's not all.

12:36

Notice the tone of the original text.

12:37

Jesus didn't say, "You must strive to become salt."

12:41

He said, "You are salt."

12:43

One is a command, the other is a fact.

12:46

A command means you are not yet, you need to strive.

12:49

A fact means you already are.

12:51

These two expressions in the original text are completely different.

12:54

If He wanted to say you must become

12:56

, He would use a completely different word,

12:58

but He didn't.

12:59

He directly said you are

13:01

. This isn't a minor difference in wording;

13:03

it's a complete reversal of the understanding framework.

13:06

You can think of it as looking at the same

13:08

painting. The painting hasn't changed, but your perspective has changed

13:10

, and what you see is completely different.

13:13

If "You are salt" is a command,

13:15

then salt becomes a goal you need to strive to achieve.

13:19

Are you qualified?

13:20

Can you do it?

13:21

The pressure is all on you. Every day, the first thing you ask yourself

13:22

when you open your eyes

13:23

is, "Can I be a good salt today?"

13:27

Like an intern who's afraid of being fired every day at work,

13:30

your faith life has become a never-ending performance review.

13:34

You always feel like you're lacking something, that

13:36

you 're not good enough

13:38

, that God isn't satisfied with you.

13:40

But what if being salt is a declaration of identity?

13:43

The logic completely reverses.

13:45

You are already salt

13:47

, not some future day when you've cultivated yourself to that point.

13:49

Right now, at this moment,

13:51

your task is not to become salt

13:53

, but to not stop being what you already are.

13:57

Jesus then doesn't say how you should become good salt;

14:01

He says that if salt loses its flavor,

14:04

He's not worried that you're not good enough,

14:06

but that you've forgotten who you are.

14:08

This difference is crucial.

14:10

Think about it:

14:11

aren't most Christians living in a state of anxiety about not being good enough? Have

14:16

I prayed enough?

14:17

Have I read the Bible diligently enough?

14:18

Am I kind enough to others?

14:20

Is my faith strong enough?

14:21

Every day, they score themselves:

14:23

today I'm in a good state, 70 points, not bad;

14:26

tomorrow I had an argument, 40 points; then

14:28

the day after, I read three chapters of Bible and did an hour of meditation

14:31

, pulling it back up to 65 points

14:32

, but there's still a voice inside saying, "Look at you,

14:35

always going up and down like this,

14:36

when will you ever settle down?"

14:38

Isn't this kind of life exhausting?

14:40

It's exhausting

14:41

, and have you noticed

14:42

that the more serious a Christian is, the easier it is to fall into this trap

14:46

? Because you care, you become anxious;

14:48

because you are anxious, you work harder;

14:51

because you work harder, you become more tired;

14:53

because you are more tired, you doubt yourself more.

14:56

Then you start asking me if I'm suitable to be a Christian.

14:59

But the starting point of this whole cycle is wrong

15:02

because this way of life is not the way Jesus designed for you.

15:04

Jesus doesn't stand in the distance and shout at you to keep

15:07

trying so you can turn into salt.

15:09

He walks directly up to you,

15:11

looks into your eyes, and says:

15:13

You are already one.

15:14

You don't need to prove anything

15:16

. What you need to do is live it out.

15:18

For example,

15:19

have you ever owned a cat?

15:21

Cats don't need to learn how to be cats.

15:22

They don't need training classes on how to stretch gracefully. They

15:25

don't need certifications or annual reviews.

15:27

They're cats, so they naturally do what cats do:

15:30

they'll crawl into a cardboard box if they see one,

15:32

they'll try to push a cup off a table if they see

15:34

one, and they'll suddenly start parkour in the middle of the night.

15:36

They don't need to think about how they should behave as cats;

15:39

they're just being themselves.

15:41

Salt is the same.

15:42

Jesus isn't saying you have to work hard to learn how to be salt;

15:46

He... It's saying that you should just be salt

15:48

and do what salt is supposed to do,

15:50

not strive to become, but live out your true nature.

15:53

This shift

15:54

may sound like just a different perspective

15:56

, but it can change the underlying logic of your entire belief.

16:00

From "I want to desperately become better" to "I want to remember who I am"—these two paths lead to

16:06

completely different

16:07

faith lives . Speaking of nature and chemical reactions,

16:09

I suddenly remembered something.

16:10

Do you remember sodium chloride from chemistry class? Do you know

16:13

the chemical formula for table salt

16:15

? Do you know what sodium alone is?

16:17

It explodes when it comes into contact with water.

16:18

It's no exaggeration. If you throw a small piece of pure sodium into water

16:21

, it doesn't dissolve slowly; it

16:24

burns violently with sparks flying everywhere, or even explodes.

16:27

There are experimental videos online; you can search for them and watch them—

16:30

they're

16:31

very shocking

16:32

. And what about chlorine?

16:33

Chlorine

16:35

gas was used as a chemical weapon during World War I.

16:37

Soldiers who inhaled it suffered burns to their lungs and

16:39

died agonizingly on the battlefield.

16:41

Tens of thousands perished as a result.

16:43

One gas explodes upon contact with water, the other is fatal upon inhalation.

16:46

Both are extremely destructive elements when they exist alone,

16:49

but when they combine,

16:51

they become sodium chloride

16:53

. Salt is an essential part of life

16:54

, maintaining the body's electrolyte balance

16:55

, ensuring the normal functioning of your nervous system

16:57

, and making every dish flavorful.

17:00

The jar of salt in your kitchen

17:02

is a chemical product of these two poisons.

17:04

Christians and... The relationship with Christ is like this:

17:06

when you leave Christ,

17:07

those seemingly good qualities in you

17:10

may be the most dangerous things.

17:12

Your enthusiasm, when separated from Christ, may turn into prejudice,

17:14

wanting to bring everyone into the church

17:16

regardless of their willingness.

17:18

Your sense of justice, when separated from Christ, may turn into judgment,

17:21

finding fault with everyone,

17:22

feeling that the whole world is sinful and only you stand on the moral high ground.

17:26

Your outspokenness,

17:27

when separated from Christ, may turn into a hurtful blade,

17:29

speaking the truth like a knife,

17:31

stabbing people while thinking you are speaking the truth in love.

17:35

But what happens after you are united with Christ?

17:37

The same qualities have all changed.

17:39

Your enthusiasm has become an infectious charm that draws people in.

17:42

Your justice has become a compassionate righteousness.

17:45

Your frankness has become the kind of truth that, though unpleasant to hear, the other person knows you genuinely care for them.

17:50

This is why Jesus said you are salt.

17:53

It's not that you are good on your own.

17:55

It's not that you can handle this alone.

17:58

It's your union with Christ

18:00

that makes you the salt of this world .

18:02

And there's another layer of

18:04

salt that needs to play a role. How?

18:06

It needs to dissolve.

18:07

Have you ever seen anyone lock salt in a jar and then say to people, "Look how good my salt is?"

18:11

Salt, no matter how high its quality

18:13

or purity, is useless

18:14

when it's in a jar.

18:17

It must be sprinkled into food, dissolved, and

18:20

become part of the dish.

18:22

You can't see it when you eat it

18:25

, but you can taste it immediately.

18:27

Christians are the same.

18:28

You can't isolate yourself in the church,

18:30

opening it once a Sunday

18:31

, using it, and then sealing it back.

18:33

Separation for holiness isn't about spatial

18:36

separation, but about quality.

18:38

In the world, but unlike the world,

18:40

you have to be in that pot

18:42

to change the taste of the soup.

18:44

Those who only act like Christians in church but become like

18:46

outside the church are... The way of life that is no different from that of the people around you

18:50

is not because salt is at work;

18:52

it's because salt is locked in a jar.

18:54

The mission of salt is not to be the finest salt in the salt jar;

18:58

the mission of salt is to be scattered.

19:00

Having said that

19:00

, we've basically clarified what

19:03

salt is. Salt is not just a preservative; it's a harmonizer,

19:06

a symbol of peace,

19:07

a declaration of your identity

19:09

, a product of your union with Christ.

19:11

And it must dissolve into the world to be effective.

19:14

But before we enter into the light,

19:16

I want you to pay attention to something,

19:17

something most people have never thought about.

19:20

Why did Jesus talk about salt first, then light?

19:23

This order is not arbitrary.

19:25

Think about it: how does salt work?

19:28

It dissolves into

19:29

the food; you can't see the salt in the dish, but you can taste

19:32

it. But how does the invisible

19:34

light work?

19:36

Completely opposite,

19:38

a city built on a hill is visible

19:41

; light cannot be hidden

19:43

. One is an invisible influence,

19:44

the other a visible one.

19:46

Jesus put the invisible first

19:48

and the visible last

19:50

—salt before light. First, go into the world

19:53

and integrate into the community,

19:54

silently changing the atmosphere in unseen places.

19:57

When you live a different quality of life among people,

19:59

when those around you begin to feel a difference in being with you,

20:04

your light will naturally be seen.

20:06

It's not something you deliberately emit

20:08

; it shines on its own.

20:10

But many Christians get this order wrong.

20:13

They rush to shine and spread the gospel

20:15

before establishing real relationships in the world

20:17

, sharing scripture

20:18

and spiritual platitudes, correcting other people's lifestyles.

20:22

Before people feel comfortable being with you,

20:25

you start telling them they need to change.

20:27

And the result?

20:28

It's not about illuminating others, it's about blinding them.

20:30

People aren't attracted to your light

20:32

, they're stung by it.

20:34

Have you ever experienced the embarrassment of having your friends leave after sharing the gospel?

20:39

It's not that the gospel is wrong, it's that the order is reversed.

20:42

Be the salt first, then the light.

20:44

First make people feel comfortable around you

20:46

, then let them actively ask you why you're different from others.

20:51

Regarding the salt, there's one last thing I must tell you,

20:53

and frankly,

20:54

this might be the most uncomfortable passage in the entire program today.

20:58

Let's return to Matthew 5:13: "

21:00

If salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty again?"

21:04

It's no longer useful, but it's left out

21:06

to be trampled on.

21:07

Most sermons will pause here for three seconds,

21:10

saying something like, "So we must maintain our saltiness,"

21:12

and then jump to the next paragraph.

21:14

But I want you to look closely.

21:16

Jesus said, "How shall it be salty again?"

21:19

In

21:20

the original Greek text, these two words are a rhetorical question.

21:24

What does a rhetorical question mean?

21:26

It means asking a question that doesn't need an answer

21:28

because the answer is already in the question itself.

21:30

What is the answer?

21:31

Once salt loses its flavor, it's no longer salt. It's

21:32

not that it's hard to restore, it's not that it needs time to restore

21:35

, it's

21:38

that it can't be restored.

21:40

This isn't a gentle reminder

21:42

, this isn't Jesus patting you on the shoulder and saying, "Okay,

21:44

be more careful next time."

21:46

This is an almost cruel verdict. Once it happens,

21:49

there's no turning back.

21:51

Why do I say almost cruel?

21:53

Because Jesus didn't even leave a "but if you try, maybe..."

21:58

He directly said, "How can you?" Then he said, "It's useless now." Then he

22:01

said, "Leave it out to be trampled on."

22:04

Three blows in one go, no buffer.

22:06

I know this doesn't sound good.

22:07

Don't worry, there's a way out,

22:10

but you have to hear this warning first.

22:12

Do you know

22:14

what salt that lost its flavor meant in Jesus' time ?

22:16

There are large amounts of mineral salt near the Dead Sea.

22:18

This mineral salt is different from the refined salt we buy in supermarkets today.

22:22

It contains a lot of impurities.

22:23

Over time, the surface salt is weathered

22:26

and dissolved by rainwater.

22:27

What is left is a pile of rocks that look like salt but have no salty taste at all.

22:32

What is this salt that is not salt used for?

22:35

Paving

22:36

the ground, trampled underfoot—

22:38

in the Palestinian territories of that time,

22:40

this rotten mineral salt was ultimately

22:43

used as paving material

22:45

, left out to be trampled upon.

22:47

This wasn't a metaphor;

22:48

it was a real scene that happened every day.

22:51

When Jesus' disciples heard this,

22:53

images of white stones laid out

22:56

on the ground, trampled underfoot by countless feet flashed through their minds.

22:59

Moreover, in ancient Near Eastern cultures,

23:01

being trampled wasn't just a physical act of being thrown away.

23:04

It carries the connotation of public humiliation.

23:06

Every passerby steps on it.

23:08

What was once a treasure

23:10

has become a stepping stone under everyone's feet.

23:13

This is why many non-believers

23:17

feel much stronger aversion to fake Christians than to ordinary people.

23:19

Because you claim to be different

23:21

, but you live the same life as everyone else.

23:24

This discrepancy itself is a form of being trampled on.

23:27

Jesus said you are now salt.

23:29

This is a declaration of identity

23:31

, but what is the other side of a declaration of identity?

23:33

Yes, if you forget who you are,

23:35

you're not just doing poorly;

23:37

you've lost yourself—like

23:39

a piece of salt that's lost its saltiness.

23:40

It doesn't know it's no longer salty

23:42

; it still thinks it's salt.

23:43

But everyone who uses it knows

23:45

it's no different from a stone.

23:47

Imagine this:

23:49

a Christian goes to church every week

23:51

, reads the Bible and prays daily, shares testimonies in small groups, and speaks

23:55

fluently about scripture.

23:57

But his life has no flavor for those around him.

24:00

His way of interacting with colleagues at work is no different from any non-believer.

24:05

He fights for

24:06

what he wants, grabs what he wants, and is indifferent when indifferent.

24:09

His neighbors don't see anything different about him;

24:11

his friends don't even know he's a Christian

24:14

because you can't tell from his lifestyle.

24:17

He thinks he's salt,

24:19

but in reality…

24:20

He was no different from the white stones paving the road; he looked

24:24

like salt, but had no taste at all.

24:27

The horror of this warning wasn't that you might go to hell

24:31

, but that

24:31

you might live as a Christian with no influence on the world,

24:35

and you wouldn't even realize it.

24:37

If you feel nothing after hearing this,

24:40

then there's a real problem . If you feel

24:42

uncomfortable, it means your saltiness is still with

24:45

us. Let's continue.

24:46

Although Jesus said, "How can it be salty again?"

24:49

this isn't the conclusion of the entire Sermon on the Mount.

24:53

The core of the Sermon on the Mount is never about what you should do,

24:56

but about

24:58

how to maintain saltiness. It's not about trying harder to be saltier,

25:01

just like when your phone battery is low,

25:03

the solution isn't to use it harder,

25:05

but to plug it in.

25:07

What is a charger?

25:08

It's about a continuous, authentic,

25:11

daily connection with Christ

25:13

. Note that I'm not talking about piling up religious activities—checking off

25:16

daily spiritual plans,

25:18

never missing a Sunday,

25:19

attending two retreats a year—

25:21

these are all good, but they're not the charger itself.

25:24

The charger is the connection.

25:26

It's about saying to God while driving, "I didn't handle that thing well today," and

25:30

You know

25:31

that when you're anxious, you're not scrolling through your phone, but quietly making a decision for

25:35

two minutes. Previously, I habitually asked, "What do you think?"

25:39

These everyday, unassuming connections

25:42

are how you maintain your flavor.

25:44

When you're close to the source, you naturally have flavor.

25:47

When you leave the source, no matter how hard you try

25:50

, the flavor will gradually dissipate.

25:52

You might be the last to notice

25:54

the good

25:54

saltiness. This truly completes the discussion,

25:57

from preservatives to seasonings,

25:59

from behavioral commands to identity declarations,

26:01

from striving to become salt to remembering you are already salt,

26:04

and then... If we forget

26:06

, what will happen? The whole line is connected.

26:09

Now, we officially enter the light.

26:11

I will read the scripture again:

26:13

Matthew 5:14-16: "

26:16

You are the light of the world,

26:18

a city built on a hill, which cannot be hidden. Neither do we

26:21

light a lamp and put it under a bowl, but

26:23

on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

26:27

In the same way, let your light shine before others

26:30

, that they may see your good works

26:32

and glorify your Father, who is in heaven,

26:36

built on a hill." The saying " You can't hide on a mountain"

26:39

is easy to understand.

26:40

If a city is built on a mountaintop, there will be smoke from cooking fires during the day

26:43

and lights at night. You can't hide it even if you want to.

26:46

Similarly,

26:47

a truly living Christian life

26:50

doesn't require you to deliberately perform your faith.

26:52

Your life itself will be seen.

26:55

Just like we said in the previous paragraph: First be salt

26:57

, then be light.

26:58

When the salt is incorporated, the light will naturally shine.

27:01

You don't need to deliberately shine.

27:03

Have you ever seen a light bulb trying hard to shine?

27:04

A light bulb lights up when plugged in; that's its nature.

27:08

Similarly,

27:09

if you connect your life to Christ and

27:11

live it out, the light will naturally be there.

27:14

You don't need to go around telling others, "I'm a Christian, so I'm shining."

27:18

That's not shining;

27:19

that's advertising.

27:20

But today, I don't want to linger too long in the city, on the mountain, or here.

27:24

What I want to talk to you about is the last sentence of the scripture:

27:27

"Let them see your

27:30

good deeds.

27:31

" The "good" in the original Greek isn't the "good" you might think of.

27:34

The Greek word for "good" is "beautiful," "

27:37

attractive," and "admirable.

27:40

" It's not about being morally correct.

27:41

Morally correct has another specific word in Greek

27:44

that refers to something that is morally

27:47

acceptable. Do you know what the Pharisees found most unbearable about Jesus?

27:50

It wasn't His teachings—

27:52

the Pharisees could preach the law all day long—

27:54

that were His attraction.

27:56

If you look through the Gospels, you'll find something particularly interesting: tax collectors,

28:00

sinners

28:01

, prostitutes—the least spiritual people in society—

28:04

all wanted to be near Jesus.

28:06

They weren't afraid of Him;

28:06

they wanted to eat with Him and hear Him speak.

28:09

Wanting to stay by His side,

28:11

Luke 15 begins by saying that tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus

28:16

to hear His teachings

28:17

. These people, who actively approached Him,

28:20

were ostracized and despised in society,

28:23

yet they felt safe in His presence

28:26

. What about the Pharisees?

28:27

The Pharisees were morally impeccable;

28:29

they kept the law to the last detail,

28:31

their tithes precise down to the gram of spices,

28:33

and every rule was followed flawlessly.

28:36

Yet, no one wanted to be near them.

28:38

People feared and revered them, keeping their

28:40

distance as much as possible.

28:42

Think about it:

28:42

are there people around you who are morally perfect, but you wouldn't want to eat with them?

28:46

This is the biggest difference.

28:48

The Pharisees were morally correct

28:50

, but they were cold and

28:51

rigid, putting pressure on people.

28:53

Jesus, on the other hand, is not only right, He is beautiful.

28:56

He possesses a warmth that makes even those who are broken feel that they can truly exist in His presence.

29:03

So when Jesus said, "Let them see your good deeds

29:06

," He meant not that you should be a moral exemplar that no one can find fault with,

29:10

but that you should live a life that makes people want to ask you why you are different.

29:15

Think about the person next to you who makes you feel that this person is truly different.

29:19

They may not be a Christian

29:20

, but they are the kind of person who makes you unconsciously want to become a better person when you are with them.

29:24

And they are not doing anything special. What earth-shattering things?

29:26

He's just someone

29:27

who genuinely listens when you ask for his help;

29:30

when you're sad, he doesn't rush to give you an answer but sits with you for a while;

29:33

when you make a mistake, he doesn't judge you but asks if you're okay.

29:37

That feeling is what makes him so attractive. Good

29:40

Jesus said good behavior isn't about your moral record,

29:43

but about the quality of your life that makes people want to get close to you.

29:46

But there's another issue here

29:48

, one that many people have never noticed.

29:50

Matthew 5:16 says, "In the same way,

29:55

let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds."

29:57

Your light should be seen.

29:59

But do you know what the same Sermon on the Mount

30:02

says in chapter 6, verse 1?

30:04

"Be careful

30:05

not to do good deeds in front of others

30:08

so that they may see them.

30:09

" Wait a minute,

30:10

chapter 5 says to let others see,

30:12

chapter 6 says not to let others see it intentionally?

30:15

If the same Jesus

30:16

preaches the same sermon

30:18

for less than five minutes,

30:22

isn't that contradictory? Have you ever seen

30:23

a photo on social media of two hands clasped in prayer,

30:25

captioned "Thank the Lord for another wonderful day"

30:28

? What did you feel after seeing it?

30:30

Not exactly disgusted, but something just felt off.

30:33

Is that feeling

30:34

your intuition trying to distinguish between two

30:37

contradictory passages of scripture?

30:38

There's no contradiction.

30:39

Chapter 5, verse 16 says that the illumination is a natural result.

30:42

You are there,

30:43

you are light

30:44

, you are shining, and others will see you.

30:46

You don't need to do anything

30:48

; light will be seen.

30:49

Chapter 6, verse 1 says that deliberately letting them see you is a deliberate performance.

30:53

You are there ,

30:54

but you are not actually light

30:56

; you are pretending to be light, you are shining a spotlight on yourself.

30:59

The difference is only one word: motivation.

31:02

One is lived out,

31:03

the other is acted out.

31:05

Think about it, have you ever seen a person

31:07

who does good deeds naturally,

31:10

without even realizing it?

31:12

Helping you carry things isn't... Because Christians should be willing to help others

31:16

, it's because when someone sees you struggling to move something,

31:18

that's living out their own good deeds

31:20

. Then you've also seen another type of person

31:21

who, when doing good, you always feel like there's a camera filming

31:25

them helping you move things

31:26

, and you can sense they're waiting for you to say thank you

31:28

, even waiting for a third person to see it.

31:30

That's acting,

31:33

living out their own light.

31:34

When others see it, they give glory to God.

31:37

There's something about this person that makes me feel that the one they believe in is worthy of faith—

31:41

an acted-out light.

31:42

When others see it, they just feel uncomfortable

31:45

. Is this person showing off how spiritual they are?

31:47

What was your first thought

31:49

after doing a good deed last time ?

31:51

Was it thanking the Lord, or hoping someone would see it?

31:54

You don't need to answer me

31:55

, just answer yourself.

31:57

Okay, let's draw a line

31:59

and see what we've talked about so far.

32:00

Salt is not a preservative, but a harmonizer.

32:03

You are salt, not a command, but a declaration of identity.

32:06

Salt needs to dissolve to function;

32:08

once it loses its flavor, it's irreversible.

32:10

Light is lived out, not performed

32:12

. Good behavior is not a moral list; the difference lies in motivation.

32:16

If you've followed this far,

32:17

your understanding of Matthew 5:13-16 should be completely different from what it was thirty minutes ago.

32:24

But all of this ultimately points to the same question:

32:27

So what do you plan to do?

32:28

Knowing you are salt,

32:30

have you truly become salt?

32:32

Knowing good behavior is not a moral list,

32:34

have you truly lived it out?

32:36

Knowing you must first be salt and then light,

32:39

have you truly entered the world?

32:41

What I'm about to say

32:42

might be the most uncomfortable part of today's sharing

32:45

because I'm going to show you a picture,

32:47

a picture of the spiritual Dead Sea.

32:50

You might already be living like that

32:52

without realizing it.

32:55

You must have heard of the Dead Sea,

32:56

one of the saltiest lakes in the world.

32:59

You can float on the surface and read a newspaper;

33:01

that image is famous .

33:03

But besides this tourist attraction,

33:04

the Dead Sea has a more important characteristic:

33:07

it is dead ,

33:08

literally dead.

33:10

There are no fish, no seaweed

33:11

, no plankton; nothing can live there.

33:14

In almost all bodies of water on Earth

33:16

, as long as there is water, there is life

33:18

, but the Dead

33:20

Sea is an exception

33:21

. But have you ever thought about this question:

33:23

Where does the water in the Dead Sea come from?

33:25

The Jordan

33:26

River flows continuously into the Dead Sea.

33:29

The Jordan River itself is a very good river

33:32

, clear and vibrant,

33:33

supporting a large number of organisms and farmlands along its banks.

33:36

The Bible mentions the Jordan River countless times

33:38

; it is the symbolic water source of the Promised Land.

33:41

In other words, the water flowing into the Dead Sea is not dirty

33:43

or polluted;

33:44

it is good water, very good water.

33:47

The problem is not with the water source;

33:48

where does the problem lie?

33:50

The Dead Sea has no outlet

33:52

; water only flows in and never out.

33:53

The Jordan River continuously brings in fresh, living water,

33:56

but once it enters, it can never leave.

34:00

The sun evaporates the water,

34:01

leaving behind only salt and minerals.

34:04

Over time, the salt concentration

34:07

increases dramatically. How high?

34:08

The Dead Sea's salt content is about ten

34:13

times

34:14

that of ordinary seawater.

34:15

At this concentration , almost no life can survive.

34:18

On the surface, the Dead Sea seems to continuously receive

34:20

water from the Jordan River, never ceasing its supply.

34:22

However, because it only flows in and never out,

34:24

the Dead Sea turns all the living water into stagnant water.

34:27

Many Christians' faith lives are like this:

34:30

weekly sermons, daily spiritual practice

34:32

, attending Bible study groups, reading and interpreting scriptures, listening to podcasts,

34:36

and even watching videos like today's.

34:38

A large amount of good stuff flows in

34:40

, and it's all truly good stuff.

34:42

But the question is: after this stuff flows in

34:45

, does it flow out?

34:46

You listened to a sermon about loving your neighbor, nodded

34:50

and said Amen, took two pages of notes,

34:52

and then what?

34:53

After you got home, did you knock on your neighbor's door even once more?

34:56

Most likely,

34:57

you read a passage about mercy,

34:59

underlined it,

35:00

wrote spiritual notes, or even posted it on social media,

35:03

and then what?

35:04

At work, do you say a single word to that colleague who's always being ignored?

35:09

Most likely not.

35:10

You shared a

35:13

testimony in your group about how you thanked the Lord for your recent experience of God's great love

35:15

, and everyone was moved. But then what?

35:18

Outside of the group, did you extend that love to someone who isn't even in the group

35:21

or doesn't even believe in the Lord?

35:23

If not,

35:24

all this good water will just flow into your Dead Sea

35:28

and never flow out.

35:29

If these things never flow out,

35:31

never become genuine care for those around you,

35:34

never become actual actions in the community,

35:37

never become warm and genuine relationships with non-believers,

35:41

they will accumulate within you.

35:43

Your spiritual knowledge will increase, and

35:45

the doctrines you can preach will become more and more profound

35:47

, but your life will become less and less vibrant.

35:50

You will become a spiritually high-salt state,

35:53

with extremely high content

35:53

, but unable to live on anything.

35:55

Do you know what the most ironic thing in this world is?

35:58

Many non-believers don't criticize Christians for being bad,

36:01

but rather for being boring. They say

36:02

Christians aren't evil, just dull;

36:04

not scary, just uninteresting

36:06

. Being with them doesn't give you any sense of vitality

36:09

, only a strange sense of superiority and a bunch of religious jargon you don't understand.

36:14

A Christian who seems boring

36:16

is like a spiritual Dead Sea—

36:18

highly saline, but nothing can survive there.

36:21

This image is heartbreaking.

36:23

Because if you're honest with yourself,

36:25

do you really have non-believers around you?

36:28

Not just people you occasionally contact because you want to share the gospel,

36:31

but people you genuinely understand and

36:33

who are truly involved in each other's lives?

36:36

If you've counted and find your social circle is almost entirely made up of church people,

36:40

then you might be a Christian in the process of becoming like the Dead Sea

36:43

. Do you think you're more like the Jordan River

36:45

or the Dead Sea right now

36:47

? If you answer honestly,

36:48

the answer might not be pleasant to hear

36:50

, but that's okay. Knowing you are part of the Dead Sea

36:52

is the first step towards flowing out.

36:54

And I'd like to show you a more concrete image.

36:57

Does this resemble someone you know, or

37:00

someone like yourself?

37:01

On Monday at work, you take all the credit,

37:03

shift

37:05

the blame, and throw tantrums when you can't bear the injustices.

37:07

You wouldn't guess this person is a Christian.

37:09

On Friday night, you go home, open your group's WeChat group,

37:12

and post a long prayer

37:14

asking brothers and sisters to pray for you: "I

37:16

'm under a lot of work pressure lately, please grant me peace."

37:19

On Sunday at church, you change your demeanor.

37:21

You raise your hand while singing hymns, cry while praying,

37:24

and say "Thank you, Lord, for your guidance this week" when sharing your experiences. But once you

37:27

leave church, you act the same as always

37:30

. You call this being set apart for holiness?

37:32

This isn't called setting apart for holiness;

37:34

it's called weekend part-time work. For

37:35

weekend part-time Christians,

37:37

there's an invisible wall between their lives and faith from Monday to Saturday.

37:40

They open a window on Sunday to let in some fresh air

37:42

, but close it again on Monday.

37:44

Their faith is locked in a box

37:46

—taken out when needed ,

37:48

put away cleanly when not

37:49

, without affecting normal life.

37:52

The salt is still the same salt, but it's always locked in the jar;

37:55

it's never been spilled out

37:57

, never truly dissolved into anyone's life.

38:00

I'm not saying this to judge you;

38:02

I've experienced this stage myself

38:04

, and frankly,

38:05

it lasted much longer than you imagine.

38:07

For a time, I was like that too:

38:08

incredibly moved at church on Sundays.

38:10

I felt I had to change this week;

38:13

the moment my alarm rang on Monday morning,

38:14

I opened my phone and scrolled through the news for five minutes, and

38:16

half of that feeling of inspiration had already dissipated;

38:18

once I sat down at the office and

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faced work pressure and interpersonal relationships,

38:22

the inspiration from Sunday was completely wiped out.

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It's not that I don't want to live life to the fullest, it's just that it's really too difficult.

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The gap between the world in the church and the real world is

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much bigger than you imagine .

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But I'm not saying all this to make you feel guilty.

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If you feel a pang of pain when I say this,

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it just means you care .

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Salt that has truly lost its flavor won't feel anything when it hears these words; it

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's completely numb.

38:45

But you feel something, you feel uncomfortable

38:47

. What does that mean?

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This means your saltiness is still there;

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it hasn't disappeared.

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It's just been trapped in the jar for too long.

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What it needs is to work harder to become saltier.

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Remember the charger analogy we talked about earlier?

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It needs to get back close to the source

39:02

and be released.

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And I must honestly tell you something else:

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when you truly muster the courage to step into the world

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and start being salt and light,

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you will encounter a cruel reality.

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Not everyone will give glory to the Father just because they see your good deeds.

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Some people will think you're hypocritical—

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you just want to drag me into your church, don't you?

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Some people will take advantage of your kindness

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because you're easy to talk to, dumping all the work on you.

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Others will completely ignore you; you give your heart

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and they don't even reciprocate.

39:30

You sincerely help a colleague, and instead of being grateful, they

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gossip behind your back, saying he's just faking it.

39:36

You insist on not participating in company activities and talking badly about people behind their backs, only

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to be seen as an oddball and

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slowly marginalized.

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You show genuine concern for your neighbors, but

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people suspect you have ulterior motives.

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At times like these, a voice inside you might say: "

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Forget it

39:48

, it's pointless."

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But I want to tell you, this is what normal

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Jesus did. Some say that when you shine your light before people,

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everyone will applaud.

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He means letting them see your good deeds.

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Seeing is the first step

40:01

; how they respond after seeing

40:04

is their business

40:05

, not yours.

40:06

Your task is to illuminate

40:07

, not control what others see in the light.

40:10

The light cannot decide who enters the room

40:12

; the light is only responsible for being on.

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You are responsible for living out

40:16

your response and leaving it to God.

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I know this sounds like saying that no matter the outcome, you have to do it

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, but this is not a helpless persistence

40:24

; it is freedom.

40:25

Think about it:

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if you are making salt or light to gain the world's approval,

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then you... Your emotions will always be controlled by others.

40:32

Today you're happy when someone praises you,

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tomorrow you're devastated when someone misunderstands you

40:36

. Doing good deeds becomes a transaction;

40:38

you offer kindness in exchange for recognition.

40:41

This isn't being a beacon of light; it's business.

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But if you are a beacon of light because you are light,

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then

40:48

how others respond becomes irrelevant.

40:50

You're not doing something;

40:52

you're living your own life.

40:54

Just like the sun doesn't need the earth to thank you for its light before it rises,

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it rises

40:59

because it is the sun.

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This is your identity, not your

41:04

achievements. There are KPIs, but no identity.

41:06

You don't need to prove to anyone that you are salt;

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you just need to live it.

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Okay,

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today

41:12

we've revisited this passage of scripture

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. Forty minutes ago, you might have thought you were very familiar with it—

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salt,

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a preservative;

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light, a good example.

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But now you know that

41:23

salt isn't a preservative

41:25

; salt is a harmonizer, a symbol of peace treaties,

41:28

the being that reunites a divided world.

41:31

You are salt—this isn't a command

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, it's a declaration of identity. You already are; you

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don't need to prove it.

41:38

Salt must dissolve to work;

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you have to enter this world.

41:41

Instead of hiding in the church

41:43

, light is not a moral performance put on

41:46

, but genuine good behavior

41:49

, an attractive quality of life that people want to get close to.

41:52

The difference between something visible and something deliberately done for show

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lies in one word :

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motivation.

41:57

And all of this is based on the premise that

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you must step out of that jar.

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Salt cannot stay in the jar,

42:03

and light cannot be hidden under a bushel.

42:05

What does this mean in your life?

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It's like when you get to the office tomorrow morning,

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you choose to ask that colleague who's always been ignored, "How have you been lately?" It

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's not because you're spreading the gospel, it's because you're salty.

42:17

It's your instinct to go where harmony is needed.

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It's like the next time a friend complains about life,

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you don't rush to give answers

42:24

or lecture

42:25

, but quietly sit with them for a while.

42:28

Because you are light, the kind that makes people want to get close. It's like the person

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you are in the market, on the subway,

42:33

in your cubicle working

42:35

late into the night, and in church on Sundays—it's the same person

42:38

, not two people

42:40

, not a weekend job, but the same person.

42:42

These things are small;

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no one will give you a trophy for doing them

42:46

, but that's how salt dissolves in food—

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unseen

42:50

, but... Ultimately

42:51

,

42:52

we spent forty minutes today re-examining a passage of scripture that you thought you were very familiar with.

42:57

After breaking it down, you discovered

42:58

that it speaks far deeper

43:01

and is far more intimate than you thought—

43:02

directly related to how you

43:04

will spend tomorrow morning, how

43:06

you will face people next time,

43:08

and the decisions you make right now.

43:09

Many times when we pray earnestly, we cry out the same thing:

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"God

43:13

, stand by my side."

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We say "God, stand by my side" when we are sick, we say "God

43:18

, stand by my side" when we encounter difficulties,

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and we say "God, stand by my side" even when we can't do something.

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But the entire Bible keeps saying the same thing—

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it's not that I stand by Your side

43:29

, it's that you stand by my side.

43:31

May God bless you, see you next time.

【信仰101】你是週末兼職基督徒嗎? 鹽和光, 你從第一句就讀錯了