St Stephen & St Thomas - Theology

The Beatitudes are in the third person, generic and impersonal like proverbs, until verse 11, at which point Jesus says, "Blessed are you."

Two contexts, both of which are essential arenas in which they are to live out their faithfulness:

the (persecuting) world in general:
“You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world." Notice "You are" not "You ought to be or should try to be."
"Salty Christians" almost sounds like a serving of "fish and chips." Salty Christians - live our lives with the "tang" of our faith intact

Building a city on a hill is sound strategy for self-defense, but the increased visibility attracts even more hostility. Or again, putting a lamp under a bushel certainly reduces the chance of having it blown out, but the price for such protection is darkness.

Salty(1) Christians are to preserve the moral, the spiritual and the political health of a nation.
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Colossians 4:6)
Salt also bites…rub the salt into the wounds of their sins…a lot of pastors are ruled by friendship. They want every body to like them….unwilling to be honest . Jesus did not say, “You are to be the light for the church

Homes were commonly lit by small clay lamps which could be held in the palm of the hand. The most primitive consisted of a saucer to hold the olive oil, in which was immersed one end of a wick that lay in an indentation or spout in the rim. Later clay lamps were sometimes covered, with a hole in the top in which to pour the oil, and a hole at one side for the wick

"A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (5:14b). Cities were usually situated on hilltops for protection against attack. It is much more difficult to storm a walled city running uphill, and defenders have always known that victory must be claimed by capturing and holding the high ground.

the community of God’s people (the tradition of the suffering prophets): Jesus calls for continuity and fulfillment. His mission, he said, was not one of abolition but of completion
He magnified the law and made it honourable ( Isaiah 42:21.)

Mt 23:23, Jesus attacks a preoccupation with tithing, stating what ought to be central (justice and mercy and faith) and then nevertheless noting that the detailed tithing is not to be abandoned.

The law (Torah) and the prophets - Old Testament about God's character and purposes. He is not onto a brand new plan that replaces the old one.

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(1) In Biblical times, salt was very important. People back then did not have refrigerators or ice cube makers and so salt was very important to preserve food. They would preserve fish for the winter time by salting it and drying it out. [A soldier] rub that salt into the wound and it was very sharp and it hurt very much.

A proper amount of salt (sodium chloride) is essential to sustain life, so ancient peoples traded whatever was required to obtain it. In Palestine, most salt came from salt caves in the area around the Dead Sea. Both ancient and modern peoples have used salt both as (1) a food preservative (so Plutarch and Baruch 6:28), and (2) to bring out the flavor of foods (Job 6:6; Colossians 4:6). It was also used to make covenants and mixed with sacrifices.