Understanding the text

This passage is part of a longer section of teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is giving instruction about Christian living, responsibilities and relationships with others. In this passage on salt and light, Jesus uses two familiar images to help his listeners understand about the nature of discipleship.

• Salt is an important ingredient in many foods to improve flavour. In Bible times, it was also used as a preservative (to stop fresh food from going bad). Salt that cannot perform these functions is useless. Jesus wants his followers to be like salt in their local community, through being a force for good and bringing improvements to people’s lives.

• Light is important to guide the way, especially in darkness. Jesus wants his followers to show their faith in the societies where they live, like a light shining visibly. Jesus points out that there is no use lighting a lamp and then hiding it. Jesus concludes by saying that Christians should be visible and effective in society so others will be led to God.

Jesus’ teaching on prayer (Matthew 6:5-8)

Summary

Jesus taught, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.”

Understanding the text

Jesus began his teaching on prayer here by saying how not to pray:

1. Don’t show off. Synagogues were places of worship where many people gathered to pray. Jesus spoke against those who prayed loudly just so they could be seen and praised by others. He called such people hypocrites and he probably had in mind the Pharisees. They would even pray loudly in public places too.

2. Don’t use a lot of meaningless words. The Gentiles' prayers were long because they thought this would impress their many gods. Often, they repeated a phrase or a god’s name many times, hoping to attract attention.

Jesus said that prayer should be a private time between God and the worshipper. Jesus does not mean that it is wrong to pray with others, but the prayers should be sincere and for the right motives.

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The Book of Jasher (also spelled Jashar; Hebrew: סֵפֶר הַיׇּשׇׁר sēfer hayyāšār), which means the Book of the Upright or the Book of the Just Man, is a book mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, often interpreted as a lost non-canonical book. Numerous forgeries purporting to be rediscovered copies of this lost book have been written. A different interpretation identifies it as a reference to the Pentateuch, an interpretation which is notably favoured by the Jewish scholar Rashi in his commentary on the Hebrew Bible (see here-below his commentary on Joshua).
The translation "Book of the Just Man" is the traditional Greek and Latin translation, while the transliterated form "Jasher" is found in the King James Bible, 1611.

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Romans 1:28
NIV 

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.