Overview:
- You are the salt and the light— Jesus names ordinary people as the vehicle of God's preserving and illuminating work.
- Historical context: salt was once precious and preservative, now often commodified and markete as gourmet.
- Scriptural emphasis: Matthew 5:13–16 ties identity (salt, light) to calling and action— not private status but public service.
- Pastoral application: the message is for all believers, across seasons (giving/receiving, strength/weakness), grounded in prevenient grace.
- Practical ethic: be humble, faithful, consistent— avoid showy virtue-signaling; let good deeds testify.