The Value of the Church to the Social Order

Matthew 5:13-16; Mark 12:13-17; I Peter 2:13-11

GOLDEN TEXT: “Ye are the salt of the earth. … Ye are the light of the world.”—Matthew 5:13,14

THE first section of our lesson is a portion of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. The multitudes had thronged about Him to witness His miracles and to hear His words, and He had healed their sickness and taught them many things, but this discourse was one specially designed for His disciples, the household of faith.

The declarations, “ye are the salt of the earth,” and “the light of the world,” may be very properly applied to such of the Lord’s followers as cultivate a condition of heart and mind similar to that of Jesus, studying His ways and words, and walking in His footsteps. All such, in proportion as they attain the character-likeness of their Lord, are indeed the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As salt is useful in arresting decomposition, so the influence of these, though they be few in the world, is preservative.

Looking back along the aisles of history, we can see that a good influence extended from the Law Covenant that God made with Israel. As the Jews were scattered among other nations they carried with them more or less clear conceptions of the divine standard as represented in the Law, and these, wherever they went, had a preservative and corrective influence among men. But it was Jesus and His higher law of love, exemplified in His own life and in the lives of His apostles and all His followers, who became the real salt of the earth, in a period when without it we know not what might have been the result.

As it is not only the spot upon which a candle or lamp rests that is enlightened by it, and as the rays extend out in every direction, so is the influence that extends from every true Christian. It touches not merely his own person or home, but to some extent radiates throughout his vicinity. Similarly it is not merely the spot that is touched by a lump of salt that is preserved, but the influence of that lump spreads over considerable space round about it, and always with preservative effect.

At the time of our Lord’s first advent the world was in a condition in which it probably would have hastened to degeneracy and corruption, but the introduction of the body of Christ, and the beneficial influence extending from each member of that body, were potent for the arrest of the demoralizing tendency of the time. And even today, although the truly consecrated believers in the Redeemer are doubtless very few in number, yet the general influence, the saltiness from the teachings of the Savior, still exercise considerable influence throughout Christendom. That influence is still manifest in so-called Christian principles of government and civilization, and without it doubtless corruption and a complete collapse would have come long ago. Today, however, in spite of it we see very corrupting influences at work in every direction and the wider our horizon, the more general our information, the more this fact will be appreciated.

Before very long we expect that all of the overcoming members of the body of Christ will be changed, glorified, and the body, completed on the other side of the veil, will be without members on this side. The “light” will have gone and the darkness will hold greater sway than ever for a short time; the “salt” will be gone and corruption will take hold swiftly; resulting in the climax of the great time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation, which will only be ended by the establishment of God’s righteous rule in the hands of Jesus and His church.

Meantime we are to let our light shine and thus to glorify the Father whether men heed or forbear; we are to exercise the salt or preservative influence, an influence for righteousness and truth, whether men hear or forbear, though we clearly see that it is not God’s purpose to enlighten the world through the church in its present humble condition. The matter of living and speaking the truth will test us and prove whether or not we are worthy to be members of the glorified body of Christ, which shortly will shine forth as the sun in the glory of the Father, and enlighten the whole world in a manner with which our little lamps at the present time will in no sense compare.

The second section of our lesson records the question asked Jesus by the Herodians toward the end of His ministry, whether it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. Jesus called for the tax coin and asked whose image and superscription appeared there. The reply was, Caesar’s. Our Lord then answered in those famous words, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, but unto God the things that are God’s.” Jesus did not attempt to declare that justice was connected with every feature of the tribute tax, but He did sum up the matter in those few words, that is, if Caesar has some just claims against you, render to him accordingly—this will not interfere with God’s just claims against you, which you should be equally ready to meet.

This answer was not an evasion of the question, but was an answer in the full sense, probably far beyond what they could fully comprehend. But they did comprehend that they had failed to entrap Him, that He had answered their question in a manner which would never have occurred to them, that He had, a wisdom far beyond theirs and all natural, earthly wisdom—He had the wisdom from above, first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy of retreatment, full of mercy and good fruits.—James 3:17

What we shall render to God depends upon who we are and what we see and know respecting Him and His will. Those who have seen and heard and tasted that God is gracious, that His favor has been manifested in the redemption price provided at Calvary, have greater privileges than their less enlightened neighbors and correspondingly greater responsibilities. To these it is but a reasonable service that they should present to the Lord the little all that they possess in this present life, and this becomes a more reasonable matter when they learn that God has sent forth during this Gospel age a special message of invitation to joint-heirship with His Son in the Kingdom. Those who are thus enlightened and who thus possess any measure of wisdom should, it would seem, joyfully lay aside every weight and besetting sin and earthly ambition, and strive to attain to the gracious things of the divine promise to the seed of Abraham.—Gal. 3:29

QUESTIONS:

What is implied by Jesus’ statement that His followers are the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”?

Does the influence of the comparatively few consecrated Christians today have any effect upon the course of world events?

What is the lesson for us in Jesus’ reply to His critics that they should render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s?

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