Light and Salt Are Declarative, Not Imperative
Matthew 5:13–14 does not say 'be salt' and 'be light' — it says 'you are salt' and 'you are light.'
Matthew 5:13: 'Ye are the salt of the earth.' Matthew 5:14: 'Ye are the light of the world.' Both are indicative statements — declarations of condition — not imperatives. The imperative comes only in verse 16: 'Let your light so shine before men...' The Sermon on the Mount is frequently read as a set of ethical commands, but the salt and light statements are ontological — they describe what the hearers are, not what they should become. The only command in the sequence is the negative one (do not hide it) and the positive one (let it shine). The being precedes the doing in the grammatical structure.
Red Letter Sources
Matthew 5:13Matthew 5:14Matthew 5:16
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Evidence Notes
Greek grammatical mood verifiable: estin hymas (you are) in vv13-14 is indicative, not imperative. The imperative does not appear until v16.
