Revealing God

I fell in love with Eugene Peterson’s interpretation on Matthew 5: 13-16 from The Message over the summer as I taught at our Wednesday Night Worship gathering. Here it is:

Matthew 5:13-16

The Message (MSG)

Salt and Light

¹³ “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

^14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

I am in love with in imagery in this passage and how it clearly points out our job as followers of Christ. We don’t have to be God, we just have to reveal God. We don’t have to be God, we just have to enhance God’s flavor. The thought of being God in this crazy world is daunting and many times that is what we are told we are supposed to do. How in the world are we supposed to be God, there is only one God. I do not believe that to be true, God is already in the world and at work and doing a fine job. Our call is to simply point God out, and point out the work God is doing. We need to be the light that points out God’s beautiful colors, and be the salt that brings out God’s flavor.

In a world where our students are asked to be so many different things including being a follower of Jesus, they can get easily overwhelmed. They are called to be a member of the student council, part of youth group, the star on the water polo team, an all A student, be section leader in band, be a good boyfriend or girlfriend and hold a job, that is way to much to handle. What if we simplify our instructions to them each day when they walk out the door: “Go and enhance what God is doing. Bring God color to everything you do, add a little flavor to someones day”