Sunday's Scraps (6/3/12)

Primary Text Matthew 5:13-16

v. 13 - "you" (Gk. humeis - 5210) - the "you" here is plural and emphatic (the word is already implied by the context and so adding the word "humeis" adds emphasis to Jesus' point).
         - "salt" (Gk. halas - 217) - salt has a plethora of uses, and in the Bible alone plays a role in sacrifices, purification rituals, and signs of covenant.
         - "loses its saltiness" (Gk. moraino - 3471) - the word hear can either be translated "to lose flavor" or "to be foolish".  It could be that both meanings are appropriate, as salt that no longer acts like salt (or a disciple who does not act as such) is truly foolish.
         - "good for anything" - the point here is that just like salt, the disciples have an expressed purpose.  If they cease to fulfill their purpose they become worthless.  While no one wants to say that they themselves or another is without value (we as people believe we have intrinsic value), Jesus is making the point loud and clear that their role (and ours as well) as disciples is necessarily about fulfilling a specific purpose and their value as disciples is also necessarily linked.
         - "trodden under food" - technically salt (sodium chloride) is a stable element and cannot cease to be what it is.  That is in it's most refined state.  Having said this, the of the salt in the ancient world would have come from a type of salt marshes and would have contained many other impurities.  It was not uncommon for the salt (sodium chloride) itself to eventually be leached out of the mixture leaving only the impurities behind.

v. 14 - "you" (Gk. humeis - 5210) - once again the plural, emphatic "you" is used to drive the point home.
         - "light" (Gk. phos - 5457) - light is another example of that which exists for a purpose, and in an of itself does not have value, but rather realizes value by fulfilling its purpose (illumine other things).  The light metaphor was one that Israel traditionally understood of itself in it's mission to be a blessing to the nations of the world.  The author is appropriating this imagery and reinterpreting it for the newly emerging Christian movement, which in many ways (necessarily) saw itself as the descendant and inheritor of Israel's mission.

* Both "salt" and "light" have characteristics that are intrinsic to each (respectively saltiness and luminescence).  These symbols fit nicely with the purpose of the author (and of course Jesus) in that the essence of each is not generated by said substance, but rather is necessarily a part of it.  The same is true for the disciples and Christians (the Church) following.  We are not the light, we do not produce the light, but rather have been given the light (gospel, holy spirit, good news, etc.) and are called to share it with the world.  This places in proper perspective the the gift and responsibility every Christian has been given and leaves no room for anything other than humility as one's response.