Gospel Passages That Touch on Political Issues I

Over the next eight posts I'll examine selections from the four gospels that I believe address politics. The first of these is Matthew 5:13-20, taken from the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus tells his hearers they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. He observes that some things are not meant to be hidden--indeed, they cannot be. He uses his famous "city on a hill" metaphor. He then states the permanence of the law and emphasizes the importance of personal righteousness.

What are the purposes of salt and light? Salt preserves and adds flavor; light illuminates, exposes, and chases away darkness. How do these things apply to disciples of Jesus? They are meant to enjoin combatting the cultural effects of sin and disobedience to God. A sin-soaked world is a rotten world; salt can help prevent or forestall rot. A sin-soaked world is a dark world, and light cleanses.

The "city on a hill" metaphor has a long use in American political rhetoric, going all the way back to Puritan days. President Reagan famously used it to describe America, adding the word "shining" as an adjective for "city," implying that the nation was a beacon to the rest of the world. I have a mental image of Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz. While rhetorically effective, the application of this phrase can be problematic for Christians. Is it really legitimate to apply an analogy meant for Christ's disciples to a nation-state that does not have a revealed covenant with God?

That the law of God is a permanent standard--or stands until all has been fulfilled--and a reflection of God's holy character underscores the main thrust of the Sermon, that the righteousness God requires is impossible for man to achieve under his own power. The law cannot save; rather, it points toward the Savior by convincing men of their urgent need. Similarly, the laws of human government have no power to save or even to transform, and the law that neglects or ignores the Lawgiver is doomed to failure.