Gospel Reflection on Matthew 5:13-16

February 8, 2026

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

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Right colors fade when night begins to fall. We still struggle to understand how light affects our sight. In 1st century, Palestine black was understood to be a color; that made blindness a very strange illness. When asked what do you see a blind person might answer 'nothing, and nothing meant black, night darkness.' That meant their eyes emitted darkness: no wonder they were shunned.

But in truth, every person broadcasts their own unique aura. We all produce some form of light. But what kind of light are we? We radiate around us what is in the depths of our heart: is that something negative or something joyful that communicates life and grace and wisdom?

We all know people who are constantly criticizing finding fault, looking only at the mistakes of others. They broadcast darkness.

But we also can tell when someone is acting to be seen, to be noticed. We can be so tempted to play for the camera, to pay attention to things that we do well, that we're good at, and to attract the attention of those that we admire, and who we want to love us.

And that temptation is no different for Christians. Problem is when we try to construct a Christianity that's composed of our own works, we fail, because those deeds point to us, to our strengths, our willpower, our social supports.

What is really needed or works comes solely from an attitude of trust in God, so that people who observe will realize that only some higher power could sustain such work.

This is the character of one who behaves as a child of God, pointing not to their own ego, but to the Father.

At the end of John's gospel, Jesus is placed in his lampstand: He's hung upon the cross. And at that moment, there is an eclipse of the sun. The world is cast into darkness because He is the true source of light. At that moment, the centurion, who is the one officially responsible for his execution, recognizes in Jesus eternal light.

Jesus lives to his last breath as sun, pointing continually to someone else, to the one who created the world, saying, 'let there be light.'

Today the disciples are not told that they have to become salt, they already are salt. Jesus does not use the imperative, but the indicative, he doesn't say 'become light.' Jesus says, 'you are the light of the world.'

The most important and critical moments of our lives are those occasions when all we can do is abandon ourselves to God and allow God's mission in us to be accomplished.

If we are not light, then the world remains in darkness.

Our Christ is the source of light because He is the echo of the light of the Father.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaZGZ2upmYY