1. Jesus was teaching His disciples on a hillside.
2. Jesus called them the salt of the earth. He told them that when salt has lost its saltiness, it is not good for anything.
3. Jesus called them the light of the world. He gave some examples of how men use light and told them to shine their light before men so that God can be glorified.

Jesus used down-to-earth examples to explain spiritual truths. This lesson can be easily taught with simple demonstrations. After describing the scene to the children, tell them that Jesus compared His disciples (and all believers) to two things. 

Pour some salt into a shallow dish and have each child wet their finger and take a taste. Explain to them how salt flavors and preserves food. It makes bland food tasty. When used in preservation, salt slows the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage. 

Next show the children a lamp or bright flashlight covered with a dark cloth. Can the light fulfill its purpose like this? No! Take the cloth off, darken the room and explain to them that the light was meant to shine! We are to shine for Jesus. 

These are precious truths. Use the objects fully to make the lesson memorable for the children. Conclude the lesson by reading Matthew 5:13-16 aloud. Remind the children that these words were spoken for all believers.

Answer:

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see you good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Salt of the Earth
This game will remind the children that Jesus said we are the salt of the earth. Divide the children into teams for relay. Each team will need a box of salt, a teaspoon, and a box of dirt placed at the turn around line. The first team member runs to the turn around line, measures out a teaspoon of salt, dumps it into the dirt, and races back to tag the next player. The first team to have all of its players complete the action wins. 

Hide It Under a Bushel – No!
This game will remind the children that Jesus said people do not hide a light under a bowl. Have the children form a circle. Choose one child to be It. It will need a small paper cup. The children should stand with their right elbow bent and their index finger pointing upward at shoulder height. It trots around the outside of the circle and places the cup on one of the players' fingers. The player shouts, “No!” removes the cup, and chases It around the circle. If It gets to the empty space without being tagged, the other player becomes It. If It gets tagged, he remains It, and play starts over.

Supplies  

• black construction paper  
• glue sticks *
• salt
• newspaper

Salt and Light Pictures - Give each child a newspaper, a piece of black construction paper, and a glue stick. The children draw an earth or a candle or some kind of light with the glue stick (Figure 1). Then they sprinkle salt over the areas with glue and shake the excess salt onto the newspaper.

* Regular school glue can be used but instruct the children to keep the lines of glue thin so that the glue and salt won’t clump.

This is not what Jesus meant when He said to let your light shine. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Jesus wants others to know that we are Christians by our good works. When you help someone or encourage another, you are letting your light shine. Have the children give other examples of how we let our light shine. When others see your light, they see that this light comes from God – and God is glorified!

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