I am a Jesus pusher!!! After giving the last beatitude, Jesus explains the element of persecution. This is not casually mentioned but forcibly spoken. It is in the emphatic “you,” beginning the passage (Matthew 5:13-14). The pronoun is stated in the Greek verb “eimi,” and as the opening word and subject of the statement, “humeis.” Thus, it is stated twice making the emphasis of “you yourselves.” The contrasting conjunction “but” (de) verifies this (Matthew 5:13). If you do not influence your world as salt, you are not a Kingdom person. This is an imperative for all Kingdom people. You cannot live for yourself and be a Kingdom person! Jesus presents this without justification, answering “why?” No explanation is offered; no verification is presented! This is stated without interpretation, explaining “how.” No instruction is forthcoming; no rules or steps to take are listed.
This “you” is also plural; this suggests it is a corporate action of a united Kingdom. No doubt in our passage, Jesus addressed His disciples from this point forward in the Sermon on the Mount. We are to come together as the body of Christ to influence our world. We do not hide in the upper room of our sanctuary; we march in bold ways into our world. It is a contrast. Here is how the world treats us, persecution; here is how we treat our world, salt and light. This is achieved through our merger with His presence and the sourcing of His Person. I am a Jesus pusher!!!