Gospel (Mt 5:13-16)
13 You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? A good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 You are the light of the world can not remain hidden a city set on a hill, 15 No one lights a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it gives light to everyone in the house. ; 16 your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
To define the disciples and their mission in today's Gospel Jesus uses a series of images. Li first shows how the salt of the earth (v. 13).
The rabbis of Israel used to say: "The Torah - the holy law given by God to his people - it's like the salt and the world can not live without salt." By doing this your image and applying it to the disciples, Jesus knows how to use an expression that may sound provocative. Do not lie to the belief of his people that believes the Holy Scriptures "salt of the earth," but says that his disciples are, if you equate the word and let themselves be guided by the wisdom of his Beatitudes.
There are many functions of salt and probably Jesus intended to refer to them all.
The first and most immediate is to give flavor to food . Since ancient times salt has become the symbol of this "wisdom." Even today it is said that a person has "salt in my head" when he speaks wisely, or that a conversation is "without salt" when it is boring, meaningless. Paul knows this symbolism, in fact, recommended to the Colossians: "Let your conversation be always pleasant, seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6).
Understood in this way, the image indicates that the disciples have spread throughout the world, a wisdom that can give flavor and meaning to life. Without the wisdom of the gospel that would effect the lives, joys and sorrows, smiles and tears, celebrations and mourning? What dreams and hopes which could feed humans on this earth? Difficult to go beyond those suggested by Ecclesiastes: "It is better to eat, drink and enjoy the good things in the few days of life which God giveth: that is the fate of mankind" (Eccles 5:17).
Who is dampened mind of Christ instead tasted more joy, happiness into the world of new experiences and wonderful, gives men the opportunity to experience the same bliss of God
Salt is not only to give flavor to food. It is also used for store food to prevent that they become damaged.
This fact draws the moral corruption and, by association of ideas, the negative forces, evil spirits. Against them to be armed using the ancient oriental salt. It is this belief that ancestral links, even today, the ritual of spreading salt to immunize from evil and bad luck.
Christians are the salt of the earth with his presence is required to prevent corruption, not to allow the company, led by evil prince, should be decomposing and decaying. It is not difficult to see, for example, that where there is no one recalls, who makes present the Gospel values, spread more easily debauchery, hatred, violence, abuse of power. In a world where it is called into question the inviolability of human life from its beginning to its natural off, the Christian is to remember the sacred halls. Where trivializes sexuality and cohabitation and adultery are no longer called by their name, the Christian calls the sanctity of man-woman relationship and God's plan for conjugal love. Where one seeks his own advantage, the disciple is salt that keeps reminding everyone of the proposal and always, sometimes heroic, self-giving.
Salt was also used to confirm the inviolability of pacts : contractors ritualistic eating bread and salt together or salt only. This formal agreement was called the "covenant of salt". It is called by this name entered into the everlasting covenant God made with the dynasty of David (2 Chron 13.5).
Christians are the salt of the earth in this sense. Indefectibility demonstrate the love of God show that no sin will ever crack the pact of loyalty that binds him to himself and, with their lives, give proof that humans can respond to this love, just let guided by the Spirit.
The "Parable" Salt concludes with a call to his disciples not to become "Insipid." It assumed a rather surprising: the chemists ensure that salt is imperishable, but Jesus warns his disciples against the danger of losing its flavor. Although it may seem strange, Jesus considers them to be able to do something absurd, impossible, as the salt damage: the gospel can lose its flavor.
There is only one way to combine this mess: mix the salt with other material that would affect the purity and authenticity. The gospel has its taste must be left, should not be distorted, or is no longer the gospel.
The parable of the salt is told immediately after the "Beatitudes." The Christian is salt if it includes all the proposals of the Master, without additions, without change, without the "but", the "if" and "but" with which you try to soften them, make them less demanding, more viable.
For example, Jesus says we must share their property, you must turn the other cheek and forgive seventy times seven ... this is the characteristic taste of the salt of the Gospel. But the responsibility is always the temptation to add a little 'common sense "should not be exaggerated, think to yourself, if you forgive others too much if they take advantage, you should not resort to violence, unless it is necessary ... Thus the gospel is "sweetened," which becomes "viable" ... but loses its flavor. It is the failure of the mission, stated metaphorically with the image of salt thrown on the road is trampled into the dust where no one pays attention or gives any value.
The second function assigned to the disciples is to be set on a hill city (v. 14).
Even today, the look of one who walks through the streets of Upper Galilee is attracted by the many villages located on mountain tops and along the densely wooded hills. It is impossible and do not notice them, especially in spring, when the crimson anemones cover the countryside around them, seem delicious. Almost always the archaeological excavations prove that the summit, on which they arise, were inhabited since ancient times.
Jesus, grew up in one of these villages, named them to the disciples as a picture of their mission with their life based on new principles, they should draw the attention of the world.
is not an invitation to get noticed, to show off. Such an attitude would contradict the recommendation not to practice good works before men to be seen, not to blow the horn to attract attention when it gives alms (Mt 6,1-2).
The call of Jesus is a famous passage from Isaiah, where he announced that the mountain of the house of the Lord "will be erected on top of the mountains, will be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it. Many peoples will come ... For out of Jerusalem shall go forth the word of the Lord "(Isaiah 2:2-5).
now on - ensures Jesus - will not be in Jerusalem that the people will watch, but to the community of his disciples. They will attract admiring glances of men ... if you have the courage to set his life on the Beatitudes.
Connected image of the mountain is that of light (vv. 14-16).
The rabbis said: "As the oil brings light to the world, Israel is so light to the world" and again: "Jerusalem is a light to the nations of the earth." They were referring to the fact that Israel believed the depositary of the wisdom of the law that God on the lips of Moses, revealed to his people. Some
rabbi, however, had realized that not only the word of the Scriptures, but also the works of mercy were light and argued that the first order given by God at the beginning of creation: "Let there be light" referred not to a light material, but it works of the righteous.
calling the disciples "the light of the world", Jesus declares that the mission entrusted by God to Israel was to continue through them. Would have appeared in all its glory in their works of love concrete, verifiable. These are works that Jesus recommends that "show". He does not want his disciples to proclaim his word limit without engaging, without being compromising, without putting our lives on this word.
Evidence that the men were joined by this light we will have when they give glory to our Father in heaven.
Their reaction, however, could also be the opposite and unexpected. They may be annoyed by the works good Christian and react annoyed.
Do not immediately assume that this depends on a malevolent them. It is generally not disturb the good, but the perception of some shade of exhibitionism, failure of some ambition, vanity, complacency. These flaws, not even aware that often accompany even the most noble gestures, deprive the good work of his most exquisite feature, more sublime, more "divine": the sweet smell of selflessness and generosity of the total.
The disciples are called to do good without expecting any applause, no admiration, "their right not to know what that the left is doing "(Mt 6:3). It is they who should be directed to the praise, but to God
The last picture is lovely: we are introduced to the humble dwelling of a farmer of Upper Galilee where, in the evening, turn on a terracotta oil lamp , the stands on an iron support and is positioned at the top, so that it can illuminate even the most hidden corners of the house. No one crossed my mind to hide it under a bowl.
The invitation is not obscure, not to veil the most challenging part of the Gospel message. The disciples did not have to worry about to defend or justify the proposals of Jesus, they just announced, without fear, without fear of being ridiculed or persecuted. They will be for men as a lamp "shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises" (2 Peter 1:19).
Fernando Armellini (biblical scholar)
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