When Jesus taught among His people for three years, He left a lot of lessons for us. The vast majority of these lessons had to do with our character. Little had to do with laws and ordinances. Rather than give us a list of rules to follow about being good, He would simply teach us to be good, love God, and love our neighbor.
Regarding our influence, Jesus didn’t give us a list of actions that demonstrates how to be a good influence. Rather, He simply told us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 ESV).
We like lists, however. So we come along behind Him and help Him out, don’t we? We tell each other to do this or don’t do that if we are to be salt and light.
But perhaps Jesus was purposeful in the way He gave us these instructions on how to live. Could it be that He wants each of us to think through our circumstances and ask ourselves how we can best be light and salt in these situations? When we have to assess our own behavior and motives, we make decisions based on values from Jesus we internalize. Otherwise, we risk simply following rules with no consideration for our hearts. And if we have learned one thing about Jesus, we know how important our heart is to Him when we live, love, and serve.
Rather than making a list of behaviors we are often so fond of creating, sometimes it is easier to see what living as salt and light looks like by seeing someone demonstrate godly influence in their life. That’s what I want us to do. By reading how Paul lived as light and salt in Acts 28, we get a perfect illustration of how powerful our influence can be.
In the last two chapters of the book of Acts, we see Paul en route to Rome. He was to stand before Caeser to give a defense of himself as a Christian. After appealing to Caeser, as was his right as a Roman citizen (Acts 25:11), we find Paul assigned to a Centurian who was responsible for escorting Him to Rome.
“And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius.” (Acts 27:1 ESV).
So, for the rest of this trip, Paul traveled with a man named Julius. It seemed that the other soldiers with him were probably under Julius’ command. These soldiers had the specific duty to transport criminals to Rome, and Paul was just one of them. Their job was simple: get the prisoners to Rome. If they failed, or if prisoners escaped under their watch, then they could be executed for dereliction of duty. If push came to shove, these professional marshals of the ancient world would as soon slit the throat of a prisoner trying to escape rather than risk their own lives.
But early on, Paul made an impression on Julius. We aren’t told what he said or did to garner this respect, but we see evidence of this in chapter 27:
“The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.” (Acts 27:3 ESV).
This trip was going to take a lot longer than anyone anticipated, so Paul would end up spending months with Julius, assuming that this was the same Centurion throughout the whole voyage. But from the beginning, Paul’s conduct as a prisoner was different from the conduct of most prisoners. We are not told why Julius treated Paul kindly, but we can speculate that it had a lot to do with the light and salt of Jesus he demonstrated. This would soon be demonstrated in stark fashion as a matter of life and death.
As they traveled below Crete, the weather started to turn dangerous for sailing. As they came to a place called Fair Haven, the ship had to stop for a while. The captain was assessing the safety of continuing the journey, so Julius was in consultation with him. But Paul gives his assessment too:
“Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,
saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” (Acts 27:9-10 ESV).
Now, being salt and light doesn’t mean that everyone will always be quick to trust us and listen to what we have to say. Sometimes, we can give sound advice, and people will still choose to ignore us and go their own way. When given the choice of listening to a religious tentmaking criminal or an experienced sea captain, Julius chose to listen to the expert.
“But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.” (Acts 27:11 ESV).
And so they decide to brave the elements and head to Rome. This fateful decision would put Paul’s life in danger, but it would also give him an opportunity to let his light shine in an amazing way.
“But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land.
And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.
Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat.” (Acts 27:14-16 ESV).
The sailors were caught in a storm so severe that they began to lose hope. With hundreds of prisoners on board, imagine what the soldiers who were entrusted to deliver them alive to Rome must have been thinking about now. As the storm worsened, the crew threw over the tackle and cargo to lighten the ship, but nothing was working.
“When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.” (Acts 27:20 ESV).
But through all of this, Julius had been watching Paul and listening to what he had to say. From what we read about Paul, we can be confident that Julius heard the message of Jesus preached on this trip. He heard Paul pray and sing to his God. And had he listened to Paul’s warning earlier, perhaps they all would have been safe now. Instead, Julius realized that survival at sea was unlikely.
When hope seemed to be lost, Jesus sent an angel to encourage Paul, and he relates this to the people on the ship.
“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,
and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’” (Acts 27:23-24 ESV).
This was the first glimmer of hope these men had. But as we will soon see, not everyone was ready to give Paul any credence. But what about Julius, the only one on the ship whose name the Spirit ensured we knew?
Well, as the days go on, the sailors on the ship came to the conclusion that the only hope they had was to take one of the few lifeboats and try to save themselves and leave everyone else to fend for themselves. Being aware of their plans, Paul tells Julius what the sailors are about to do.
“And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow,
Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 27:30-31 ESV).
This time, Julius decides to heed Paul’s warning. With little hope, he has seen enough salt and light in Paul to realize that when faced with a desperate situation, perhaps Paul’s God offered some answers he could find nowhere else.
“Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.” (Acts 27:32 ESV).
Ignoring Paul’s original warning may have gotten them into this predicament, but the way that Paul conducted himself, these professional soldiers would now give Paul’s advice careful and equal consideration in these perilous times.
Paul encouraged them by telling them that their salvation was granted by God and encouraging them to finally eat, because they would soon need their strength. My version says that there were 276 people on the ship. After they ate to their fill, the men tossed the rest of the wheat overboard. They were now all-in with Paul and his God for their salvation.
Well, the ship broke apart, and the soldiers realized that even if they survived the wreck, they wouldn’t survive Rome if their prisoners escaped.
“The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape.
But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land,” (Acts 27:42-43 ESV).
And while being light and salt will not always guarantee people will listen to us, this example in Acts 27 and 28 shows how powerful it can be. It shows that when people lose hope, we can be the ones who show them where they can find life when all seems to be lost. Our salt and light can be a powerful thing in the midst of a lost and broken world.
Julius goes on to see Paul get bit by a poisonous snake and live, heal an official’s father and many others on the island, and just as Paul said, all souls on the doomed ship arrive safely at Rome. And in the end, because Paul was a man of God and chose to let his light shine and be the salt of the earth, Luke tells us,
“And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who guarded him.” (Acts 28:16 ESV).
Being salt and light is a powerful witness for Jesus. It illuminates Him while obscuring ourselves. And when we make decisions on how to best be the light and salt that a dark world needs, our testimony can have a powerful impact on others. We may not always sway people, but we will always be able to ensure that they see Jesus living in us.
Monday night, the storm was at full-strength where we were vacationing as a family. Ryder and I stepped out on the balcony while the lightning streaked and the thunder rumbled.
Ryder looked up at me with a touch of fear in his eyes and said he was scared. I couldn’t blame him. Standing on the outside balcony on the 16th floor in the midst of a violent storm was a little nerve-wracking.
But this moment on the balcony in the midst of the storm gave me a wonderful gift, not only to share with my son but to center my own heart upon.
I told him the story about Jesus sleeping on the boat in the middle of a storm while the disciples panicked. Perhaps for the first time ever, I had a glimpse of the fear they must have been experiencing as I felt the thunder reverberate through my body and I looked into the inky blackness of the storm.
“Imagine,” I told my son, “what it would be like now if Jesus was next to us and said to this storm, ‘Peace, be still,’ and this storm immediately stopped. The clouds would instantly vanish, and the thunder would stop as even the winds and the waves obeyed His voice.”
Instead of ten-foot-breaking waves, we would see quiet calm water as smooth as glass. I’m not sure that Ryder got the full-strength of the majesty of Jesus at that moment, but I did.
What a wonderful gift Jesus gave me on Monday night by letting me witness the raw power of a storm so immense that it shut down the beaches for days. A gift, not simply witnessing the power of His creation but remembering His power over creation and being able to share it with my son.
In my daily Bible reading, I am in 2 Peter. This is the last communication this apostle left for the disciples of our Master, King Jesus. At the beginning of this letter, Peter says that the divine power of our Lord has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness (vs. 3).
What a wonderful word of encouragement from this aged apostle. He goes on to say that Jesus granted us His great and precious promises that through them, each of us may become partakers of the divine nature.
Isn’t that wonderful! Peter encourages us to continue maturing because of these promises and tells us exactly how. It culminates with the goal of gaining godliness, brotherly affection for each other, and love. But how do we do that?
We build a foundation.
It starts with faith. Nothing that follows without grounding it in faith will do a bit of good. Without faith, it becomes a heartless pursuit of religion.
When our faith is where it needs to be, we build on that foundation until we get to the godliness, brotherly affection, and love we all aspire to have in Jesus.
Once we have established our faith, we add virtue, that moral excellence. It springs from faith to seek out how we quit living to ourselves and start living a life where we make choices that cause us to stand out from unbelievers.
As we seek to live a life of virtue, we continue to read God’s word to learn more about Him, His character, and the principles He wants us all to live by. This knowledge will help strengthen our faith, teach us how to live a more virtuous life and prepare us for the next pillar of our foundation, self-control.
Having discovered the virtuous life we want, we next focus on developing the self-control to say “yes” to virtuous living and “no” to self-indulgent living. This does not happen overnight and takes consistent attention to get better at doing.
Peter tells us that focusing on self-control as we live a virtuous life will develop a steadfastness in us. Steadfastness is how we bear up under difficult circumstances.
These foundations will help us build godliness, brotherly affection (philadelphia), and love (agape). If we try to obtain these three marks of discipleship without creating the foundation Peter encourages us to build, we will have a mountain to climb in our walk with Jesus.
Having built this foundation, the groundwork is laid for godliness. When we live a consistent life that embodies the principles our Lord teaches, it leads to what godliness is all about.
A life defined by godliness will help us have the affection toward each other that Jesus said is a mark of discipleship. It is the way we prefer one another and choose each other above all others. It is that kinship that knits us close together.
And finally, having that kinship, that phileo love, we develop the ultimate love for each other that Jesus exemplified- agape. But agape love happens when we pay attention to all the traits Peter innumerates in his parting letter.
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7 ESV).
He goes on to say this,
“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” (2 Peter 1:8-9 ESV).
How important are these things? Peter ends his exhortation by reminding us,
“Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.” (2 Peter 1:10-12 ESV).
Life is not a series of laws and ordinances to get right. It is a transformative journey that constantly makes us more like Jesus. Peter gives us a living, ongoing way of life to focus on. Each of these qualities grows over time.
That’s why we all can be at different places in our Christian walk and at different maturity levels. This is why we need patience with each other and offer an abundance of grace to each other as we all walk this journey together.
Brotherly affection gives grace, and love lays down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Jesus.
I just read about a man who died from very aggressive pancreatic cancer at age 60. He let people know a few months before his death about his illness and that he had exhausted all medical pathways for treatment. He was going home to live out the rest of his life with his family.
When he announced that doctors told him he would pass away in days, or months at best, he told everyone that he would die happy.
He explained that he had served Jesus the best way he knew how and he was leaving a legacy in print, audio, and video that would teach others about Jesus long after his death.
He said that his faith was such that he knew he was about to see Jesus and move to the next phase of his existence.
This is how I hope to be when I’m about to leave this life. I hope to be happy that I’m about to be with Jesus, having done my best to leave a legacy that will glorify Him long after I’m gone.
I am reading the book of Hebrews. Of course, we understand it as a book that demonstrates the supremacy of Jesus. As I did some prep study for this book, I read that Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians just a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem.
Up until now, the old system and the new system coexisted. Many Jews followed the civil and religious ordinances of the Law of Moses, even as Christians.
This led to many problems of Judaizing teachers trying to force Gentiles to become Jews in practice to obtain salvation through Jesus. The first book of the New Testament that was written (Galatians) was written to fight against this danger.
Could it be that the writer of Hebrews was inspired to prepare Jewish Christians for the end that God was about to bring to the Old Law once and for all with the destruction of the Temple and the Aaronic priesthood?
Even Jewish Christians would be devastated when they witnessed the end of the Temple and this priesthood. But the writer of Hebrews gives the most detailed understanding of the high priesthood of Jesus and how far superior it is to the Aaronic priesthood.
It would be only a few years before the readers of Hebrews would be shaken to the core when Rome would destroy the temple of God and effectively destroy the ability of Jews to live by the Law of Moses fully.
But they had nothing to worry about as disciples of Jesus. For God has given a new law which fulfilled the old, making way for a better High Priest—a High Priest who would never die but serve perpetually.
Jesus, the Lion of Judah, would be the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. Thus the New Law would replace the generational inheritance of the priesthood and give it to One who would serve in that role forever.
The Aaronic priesthood was about to be ended by God in a few years, once and for all, but Jewish Christians didn’t need to despair. A better priesthood and a better High Priest was here and would never end.
I am in the Gospel of John in my daily Bible reading. At the end of chapter 2, John tells us something about Jesus that highlights His divinity:
“But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people
and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25 ESV).
Jesus was no mere rabbi. He was no mere prophet. He was no mere leader.
Jesus knew all people and didn’t need to rely on His followers to brief Him on who people were. This differs from earth leaders, who often set up groups of people to conduct reconnaissance or opposition research.
Neither does He need His followers to vouch for people. Why is this true? Because, as John said in Chapter 1, Jesus is God, the Creator. He knows everything in man.
This should be comforting to us. When we stand before Him on judgment, our eternal fate will not rest on us finding people to vouch for us. Neither will we be at the mercy of oppo research.
Jesus knows all people. He Himself needs no one to bear witness about us. He intimately knows everything about us, for good or bad.
And because of His grace, we can have assurance that He will be faithful to be the One who vouches for us to His Father.
“So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,” (Matthew 10:32 ESV).
In the spirit of claiming our own pronouns, I proudly identify as “His.”
“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are 𝐡𝐢𝐬; we are 𝐡𝐢𝐬 people, and the sheep of 𝐡𝐢𝐬 pasture.” (Psalm 100:3 ESV).