Discipleship as Responsibility!

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

1 Kgs 17:7-16; Mt 5: 13-16

Today’s Gospel highlights discipleship as responsibility.

How does Jesus enlighten his audience on discipleship as responsibility through metaphors of ‘salt’ and ‘light’?

From ancient times, salt was used for flavor and preservation. Salt was considered so valuable that, in Jesus’ time, the Roman soldiers were sometimes paid with salt rations. Linguistic scholars explain that the word ‘salary’ originates from ‘salt,’ which meant the amount of money allotted to a Roman soldier to buy salt. This is also the reason why when someone fails to do their job, we say, ‘They are not worth their salt.’ 

Now Jesus extends the metaphor to explain discipleship. Just as salt adds flavor to food and acts as a preservative, Jesus’ disciples flavor the society with their distinctive and unique character. Hence, it is unbecoming of a Christian disciple to compromise with Christian ideals or to get dissolved into society, forgetting their noble vocation. Why should we do this? Just as salt does not exist for itself, Christians become examples through selfless love.

Secondly, Jesus employs the metaphor of light to define Christian identity. One of the common sayings in Jesus’ time was ‘There is nothing more useful than sun and salt.’ How much would people have valued light in the premodern times before electricity? More importantly, if darkness is privation or absence of light according to physics, if we are not light or if light leaves us, Christians will be reeling under the cover of darkness. In order not to allow darkness to engulf our lives, Jesus invites us to be the light. 

Again, Jesus makes use of the metaphor of light to underline that Christian life is not meant to be hidden or excel individually. Rather, just as ‘A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden,’ we give direction to others by enlightening their paths. A Christian is a light that others look up to in times of darkness and confusion. Hence, Christian discipleship is neither mere social status nor honorary membership but a huge responsibility to reflect the light of Jesus. 

Jesus showed what it means to lead a life worth its salt and how to become a light unto others. 

Let us pray that, by being the salt and light of the earth, our lives may give glory to God!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar