📖 Passage

Matthew 5:13–20
Read Matthew 5:13–20 (NKJV)

🧠 Context & Background

Immediately following the Beatitudes, Jesus turns to the identity and mission of His disciples, using the metaphors of salt and light. These images stress the influence believers are to have in a decaying and dark world. Jesus then affirms His relationship to the Law and the Prophets, clarifying that He came not to abolish them but to fulfill them. In the first-century Jewish context, some might have misunderstood His authority as setting aside the Scriptures. Instead, He asserts the continuing authority of God's Word while calling for a deeper, heart-level righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees. This passage bridges the character traits of kingdom citizens with the ethical demands of God's law.

🌿 Key Themes

• Influence of disciples – Believers are called to be a preserving and illuminating presence in the world.

• Fulfillment of the Law – Jesus completes and embodies the Law's intent, not negates it.

• Enduring authority of Scripture – God's Word remains binding until all is accomplished.

• Surpassing righteousness – True obedience flows from transformed hearts, not mere external conformity.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

Matthew 5:13 – Salt of the Earth

"You are the salt of the earth…"

Salt preserves from decay and adds flavor, symbolizing moral influence in a corrupt world.

Losing "saltiness" warns against compromised witness and ineffective discipleship.

Matthew 5:14–16 – Light of the World

"You are the light of the world…"

Light exposes truth and guides others to safety, pointing to gospel witness.

A city on a hill is visible by design; believers should live openly for God's glory.

Good works should lead others to glorify the Father, not the individual.

Matthew 5:17–18 – Fulfillment, Not Abolition

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets…"

Jesus affirms the continuity of the Old Testament Scriptures.

"Fulfill" means to bring to completion — embodying and interpreting the Law perfectly.

Every "jot" and "tittle" shows the enduring detail of God's Word until His purposes are complete.

Matthew 5:19–20 – Surpassing the Pharisees

"…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees…"

External religiosity is insufficient; God requires heart righteousness.

This anticipates Jesus' later teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about inner motives.

Entry into the kingdom is inseparable from the transformation that produces true obedience.

🧩 Review Questions

1. What do the metaphors of salt and light teach about the believer's role in society?
2. How does Jesus' claim to fulfill the Law and the Prophets shape our understanding of the Old Testament?
3. Why is surpassing the righteousness of the Pharisees essential for entering the kingdom?
4. How does this passage connect to the Beatitudes that precede it?

🔍 Trusted Insight

"Jesus' fulfillment of the Law means He brings it to its intended goal — showing that its moral demands are met fully in Him and in those transformed by His grace." — Paraphrase of D.A. Carson

This underscores that the Law points to Christ, who enables His people to live in the obedience it requires.

Summary: Disciples are called to influence the world and live in a righteousness grounded in the fulfillment of God's Law through Christ.

🔍 Definitions

• Salt of the earth – A metaphor for the preserving and flavor-enhancing influence of believers.

• Light of the world – A metaphor for illuminating truth and revealing God's glory through witness.

• Fulfill – To bring something to its intended purpose or completion.

• Righteousness – Living in accordance with God's will, both inwardly and outwardly.

🙋 Application Questions

1. Where might your "saltiness" be in danger of losing its effect, and how can it be restored?

2. What opportunities has God given you to be a visible light for the Gospel?

3. How can you cultivate a righteousness that flows from the heart rather than external performance?

🔤 Greek Keywords

• ἅλας (halas) – “Salt”; symbolizes preservation, purity, and the believer’s influence in the world.
• φῶς (phōs) – “Light”; represents truth, guidance, and the visible witness of a transformed life.
• νόμος (nomos) – “Law”; refers to the Mosaic Law, the commands given through Moses in the Old Testament.
• πληρόω (plēroō) – “Fulfill”; Jesus didn’t abolish the Law but completed and brought it to full meaning in Himself.
• παραλύσῃ (paralysē) – “To loosen” or “abolish”; Jesus emphasizes not relaxing even the smallest command.
• δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) – “Righteousness”; refers to right standing with God — more than outward obedience, it's inward alignment with God’s will.
• γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι (grammateis kai Pharisaiōi) – “Scribes and Pharisees”; religious leaders known for strict legalism, yet often lacking true righteousness.

✍️ These Greek words emphasize Jesus’ role in fulfilling the Law and calling His followers to a righteousness that goes beyond mere rule-keeping.

📚 Cross References

• Leviticus 2:13 – Salt included in offerings as a sign of covenant faithfulness.

• Isaiah 42:6 – Israel called to be a light to the nations.

• Psalm 119:89 – God's Word is firmly fixed forever.

• Romans 8:3–4 – The Law's righteous requirement fulfilled in believers through the Spirit.

• Philippians 2:15 – Believers shine as lights in the world.

📦 Next Study

Next Study → Matthew 5:21–32