To understand what Jesus means by calling his disciples “the salt of the earth,” St. Augustine said that we should keep in mind the two immediately preceding verses, the ones about being reviled and persecuted and about being slandered for the sake of Jesus.
“Rejoice and be glad,” Jesus said, “for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt 5:11-12). That’s what we should recall while reading these words about salt and light, St. Augustine wrote. We should remember Jesus’ strange words about joy and persecution.
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