Je-sus told them that when men said hard things of them for his sake, and called them vile, and were harsh with them and full of spite, they were not to grieve but to be glad. For so did bad men treat the seers of old who told them of their faults and their sins and tried to lead them to Christ.
Salt is good, and gives a taste to our food.
Je-sus told them they were to salt the earth. This meant that they were to tell the good news in such a way that men should want it and need it just as they did salt.
He told them, too, that they must let their light shine; he meant that they should let it be seen and known that they loved God, and tried to do his will. They were not to hide it from men, but to do such good works, in Christ's name, that those who did not love or care for him might be drawn to Je-sus—the light of the world.
Je-sus said that if we do as we ought to do our-selves, and teach men to keep all God's laws, we shall be called great in the place where God dwells. But if, like the Scribes and Phar-i-sees, we teach what is right and do what is wrong, we shall not see God's face, or live with him on high.
He said, you have been taught not to kill; and that he who puts one to death will be brought to the judge, and made to suf-fer for the crime. But I say to you that it is a sin to hate those who have done you no harm, and God will pun-ish you for it.
Then he said that when they went to church to wor-ship God they must try and think if they had done wrong, had been harsh, or had said what was not true. And they were to go at once and do right to those whom they hurt in this way, for God did not care to have them bow down to him if their hearts were full of sins they were not sor-ry for.
We must be good and pure, Je-sus says, in all that we say and do: we must do no harm to those who harm us, but must be kind and good to them, and pray for them, and love them.
Bless those that curse you, and do good to those that hate you. This is a hard task, and none but those who have the love of Christ in their hearts can do it. But if we pray for strength, the strength is sure to come, and love takes the place of hate.
Some folks when they do good deeds like to make a great show and noise, that they may be seen of men, and have much praise from them.