10 February 2026

There is a playfulness in the parables featuring salt and light. Does it surprise you that there is no agreement amongst Biblical scholars about the meaning of these two very simple parables, featuring these two very ordinary images – salt and light.

One of the problems is that they are recorded differently in different Gospels. In Matthew, the Church is the lamp which will shine in the world. In Mark and Luke, it is the parables themselves that shed light in dark corners for they appear in the context of unravelling their meaning.

In this way, the teaching of Jesus is not contradictory as much as playful. He uses the image of the lamp in different ways in different contexts. But it all adds up to an even richer mosaic of understanding. It requires humility before the text and the discernment which  comes from the Spirit of God.

‘No one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.’ says St. Paul. And so we must wrestle with the Holy Spirit in our determination to understand what the Word of God is saying to us today. This activity encourages us to be open and honest, humble and playful.

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