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Epiphany Season · Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany · Year A

Matthew 5:13-20

Salt and Light

February 8, 2026

The Sermon on the Mount, Jan Brueghel the Elder
The Sermon on the Mount, Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1598J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Bruegel's son paints a vast Flemish landscape and puts the sermon in it as one small knot of people, with the rest of the panel given to the countryside and the crowd walking out to hear.The beatitudes are addressed to a crowd, and Brueghel painted the crowd and the walk out to it rather than the speaker.Jan Brueghel the ElderSon of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, called 'Velvet' Brueghel (1568-1625) for his handling of surfaces. He specialised in flowers, animals and paradise landscapes, often painting them into pictures by friends.J. Paul Getty Museum, Los AngelesFounded on an oil fortune and endowed well enough to buy against anyone, with European painting at the Getty Center above Los Angeles.J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelMatt. 5:13-20Mt 5:13-20
Epistle1 Cor. 2:1-12 (13-16)1 Cor 2:1-12 (13-16)
Old TestamentIsa. 58:1-9a (9b-12)Is 58:1-9a (9b-12)
PsalterPs. 112:1-9 (10)Ps 112:1-9 (10)

Overview & Insights

"You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world." (Matthew 5:13-14)

Jesus tells his disciples that their presence in the world is meant to preserve and illuminate it, the way salt preserves and light exposes. He then insists he has come not to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them, and calls his followers to a righteousness that exceeds the scribes and Pharisees.

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Take it further: Matthew 5:13-20

Commentary

Matthew 5:13-20 CommentariesMt 5:13-20 Commentaries BibleHub

Gathers a large set of classic verse-by-verse commentaries on the salt and light sayings in one place.

Matthew 5 CommentaryMt 5 Commentary Enduring Word

Gives a plain-spoken, pastoral read of the whole Sermon on the Mount chapter including this passage.

Commentary on Matthew 5:13-20Commentary on Mt 5:13-20 Working Preacher

The RCL's own preaching commentary, written specifically for this Year A Sunday.

Matthew 5:13-20 CommentaryMt 5:13-20 Commentary CEP

A Reformed preaching-focused reading of how salt and light function as images of visible discipleship.

Matthew 5:13 CommentaryMt 5:13 Commentary Precept Austin

An evangelical verse-by-verse study of the salt and light metaphors with cross-references.

Matthew 5 - Gill's ExpositionMt 5 - Gill's Exposition StudyLight

John Gill's older exposition, useful for historic Reformed detail on the passage.

Matthew 5 - Barnes' NotesMt 5 - Barnes' Notes StudyLight

Albert Barnes' concise 19th-century notes, a standard aggregator reference.

Be Salt. Be Light. Journey with Jesus

A contemporary essay that applies the salt and light image to present-day public life.

Background & Word Study

Matthew 5:13-20 InterlinearMt 5:13-20 Interlinear BibleHub

Shows the Greek text word by word for salt, light, and fulfill.

Book of Matthew Overview (Part 1)Book of Mt Overview (Part 1) BibleProject

An animated overview of Matthew 1-13 that frames the Sermon on the Mount's place in the book.

Fathers

Matthew 5 CatenaMt 5 Catena Catena

Patristic comments on the chapter gathered verse by verse from the early church.

For the Whole Sunday

Matthew 5:13-20 Study HubMt 5:13-20 Study Hub Textweek

A broad hub of links and resources on this passage for further digging.

Sermon Brainwave: Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Working Preacher

The lectionary podcast talking through all four of this Sunday's readings together.

Podcast

#1067: Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - February 8, 2026 Working Preacher (Sermon Brainwave)

Luther Seminary’s homiletics roundtable on this Sunday’s appointed texts, including Matthew 5:13-20.

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