Mathaxie: Distinctively Different Disciples

Intro

Last week, we looked at the Beatitudes. We saw God’s grace in our lives. Jesus’s new way of kingdom living is not meant to be a legalistic code, or simply social progress. It is not a damning rule book meant to show you how unworthy you are.

It is meant to be a guide to show Jesus’s disciples how they are to live. Jesus knows that his disciples will live in this way, not because of who they are and their character, but because of who he is and his character. We live out this lifestyle because of God’s grace and the change in our lives. Not because of us, but because of Jesus and the work of his Spirit in our lives.

Again, these are not simply ethical demands, they are God’s grace for how we live out our lives. They are declarative sentences of promise, not imperative harsh commands. They are invitations into kingdom living.

There has been a subtle theme in each one for how Jesus’s disciples will live counter cultural from the world.

I’ve titled this sermon “Mathaxie” which is a combination of Moxie and Mathatai. Mathatai is the greek in the original text of Matthe for the word “disciple.” Moxie’s is known with the description “Distinctively Different.” Our first sunday here, someone gave us a 12 pack of this strange liquid that we had yet to try. And I ended up loving it! What baffles me is the Mainers who claim in in pride, even if they don’t like it. I learned that the Moxie Day parade during the July Moxiefest is the largest parade in all of Maine, or so they claim on their website. The New England Soda that has an almost Medical taste.

They built their entire brand on being unlike anything else. Something that would be polorizing. People either love it or hate it. The initial reaction to peoples first taste of it continues to be the thing that keeps them going.

In the 1920s, this original soda was marketed as distinctively different, leaning into the fact that no other soda was like it, even among all the other sodas that existed. It turned what some might say is a marketing liability, into a badge of Honor.

So it is for the disciples of Jesus. We are called, and given in grace a new way of living, that is distinctively different than the world around us. It is polarizing. Some people love it, some people hate it. But living for the kingdom of Heaven is not something to hide or apologize for. We lean into the fact that God has called us to be different, distinctively different as his disciples. This is the illustrations of salt and light that Jesus gives us in our text today.

I. Hostile Response of the World (v11-12)

First today, we see the hostile response of the World. We see this is verse 11 through 12.

This is what we might see at the 9th beatitude, but it is really Jesus explaining the last beatitude in verse 10, and talking about the results of his disciples living in this way.

The language changes from the 3rd person verse 10 and second person verse 11. We see it move from Jesus’s general statements about the kingdom life, to statements directed at this disciples.

In verses 11 and 12, Jesus is explaining the blessings for the ones persecuted.

To be clear, Jesus is not saying that all people in all time who are criticized are blessed and rewarded. He is saying that the ones who are following him faithfully and are persecuted because of it are rewarded.

Notice the end of verse 11. It is the ones persecuted on account of Jesus. Because of Jesus. Not simply persecution because of righteous living, but righteous living for Jesus.

This is not asking you to living morally, Jesus is saying that his disciples live under his authority.

Jesus is also not saying we are to live as victims and claiming religious persecution for ourselves.

Rather, this is an opposition to God and his kingdom. Living according to Jesus’s system implies that there is a better way of living. This is the truth that others around us will be confronted with.

People don’t want to be confronted with the truth that they should be seeking God’s kingdom, they are happy to live with seeking their own kingdom. They live for the kingdom of self rather than Christ.

Notice the perspective of Kingdom life. It is not a “hunker down till the rapture” type of mindset. It is not a “hide up in a cabin in the hills” mindset. It isn’t a prepper mindset either. For the world to persecute Kingdom disciples, they must know you and your kingdom living.

Kingdom living is not done in a closet. Kingdom living doesn’t look like me saying a prayer over my food at home and then no body around me knows I am a Christian.

Kingdom Children live in society, influence the people God puts in their lives. They engage with the world and do not hide from the world. But engagement comes at a cost.

The cost is all kinds of evil things. This is not just physical martyrdum which the early church went through, or martyrdum around the world happening today, but all kinds of evil, including slander, falsely accusing, speaking evil against.

Notice that Jesus says “Falsely.” There accusations falsely. Implying that they are unjust. Treating the followers of Jesus unjustly.

There is a reminder in this word falsely that should make us self reflect. Jesus is saying that believers live and conduct themselves in a way that people cannot accuse us of real evil. They falsely accuse us but have no basis because disciples of Jesus are living according to Jesus’s ways.

Jesus elevating himself with God.

In verse 12, we are introduced to reward. This is not a command from Jesus to be happy through suffering, the word “Because” is important in verse 12. And what is the reason to rejoice? We see two reasons.

First, Jesus is reminding us that we can find joy in the coming reward. The eternal rewards far outweigh the present sufferings, no matter how awful we think they are in this moment. Our future with God far outweighs the evils we go through here on earth.

Reward is a bit of a tricky word. We can sometimes get the idea that this is wages or payment. But there is irony in this word. This reward, is not earned. We could never do enough good to earn any reward from an infinitely holy God. Our good works are as filthy rags to him the prophet Isaiah say.

But this reward has already been secured for us in heaven by Christ and his work. Not by what we have done. But by his Mercy and Grace he saved us and gave us what we could never earn. We may think that some early reward is good, but not earthly reward compares to the reward “In HEAVEN” that Jesus has secured for us.

The second reason Jesus tells us to rejoice is because we are in good company. We are treated as the prophets in this way. The disciples of Jesus look to the prophets of God and expect a similar treatment. Jesus has used the word “persecution” three times in three verses. The prophets that Jesus is referring to, Elijah, Isiah, Jeremiah, others, were also rejected in their day for living God’s way and calling others to live God’s way. Because of their living, they were persecuted by the ungodly and do not want to accept truth. But now, in Jesus’s day, these same prophets are revered for their message and their lifestyle.

Similarly, us, the distinctively different disciples, though rejected and slandered now by the world around us, will someday be seen as the servants of God. We join with the people who have gone before us as a badge of honor. You are now the prophetic voice of truth, just as they were.

Consider John Huss. He opposed the catholic church in the 15th century because of corruption, paying for sins, and the idea that a pope instead of Christ was the head of the church. Along with many other issues. His followers were called “hussites” after his last name. He was stripped of his clothing, mocked as a heretic, and chained to a steak. At his death, he said “Lord Jesus Christ, it is for the sake of the gospel and the preaching of the Word that I undergo, with patience and humility, this terrifying, ignominious, and cruel death.” About a hundred years later, Martin Luther wrestled with the Word of God and came to many of the same conclusions, salvation by grace through faith not works, the fallacy of the pope and indulgences, and a call for reform. He would also be hunted by the false church, falsely accused, and had to live in hiding for his life. Martin Luther discovered the writings of John Huss, and realized that they both came to the same conclusions through studying the Word of God. He said “We have all been Hussites without knowing it.” He would take this as a badge of honor and continue to associate as a hussite in his faith and proclaimation of the Gospel.

In a similar way, we do not suffer on an island, completely seperate from Everything. We suffer because and for Jesus, as well as the prophets before him. And we look forward to the same reward as the prophets, to be part of God’s eternal kingdom.

Though you might be unappreciated and opposed, your influence on the world will have impact and eternal reward as Jesus promises. Your work is not in vain.

II. Salty Salt of the Disciples (13)

Next, we see Salty Salt of the disciples in verse 13. This idea of salt and light are not disconnected from living poor in spirit, mourning, meek, longing for righteousness, merciful, peacemaking, and being persecuted. This salt is the living out of Jesus’s kingdom living. The salt is what makes us distinctively different.

The idea for us is that the lowly ones, the little people, the ones that the world does not want to accept, those are the ones making changes for the kingdom of God.

Salt had a wide variety of uses in the ancient world, so determining exactly what Jesus meant is a bit tricky. Pliny, a ancient writing close to the time of Jesus said “There is nothing more useful than salt and sunshine” showing how necessary it was for the world. Rather than Jesus intending just one aspect of Salt, Jesus is likely pointing to the various aspects of Salt. I am going to mention four. All of them have something in common. They are different and changing what is around them.

As Seasoning

Think about salt as a way of seasoning food. Taking what could be ordinary and mundane, and making it delicious. Every have a chunk of meat without salt? Take a bite of Mash Potato with no salt? I think to myself “why is this in my mouth?” Salt enhances the flavor of food.

In the same way, we ought to be showing people the better way of living. If we really believe in God’s Word, the Gospel, and the Kingdom living, people ought to know that it is the better way of living. Life without it is dull, bland, meaningless.

As Fertilizer

Think about salt being used as fertilizer. In the ancient world, salt was used this way. It would be used in soil so that soil could be more fertile for things to grow. Think about the way we live our lives, being a way that we fertilize the earth around us before we present the gospel to people. Not simply lifestyle evangelism, but lifestyle and kingdom living that leads to us presenting the gospel to people.

As Preservative

Think of Salt as preserving food. In a world without ways to preserve food, salt was really the only thing that could keep meat from decaying rapidly. We show gospel living as a way to preserve the image of God in us. To show true humity. Just as salt is the enemy of decay, we oppose what is evil and currupt.

As a Healer

Thinking about the healing nature of salt also. Kenny was telling me of a someone who cut themselves with a chain saw, something i know nothing about, and soaked in the ocean everyday, and healed without ever going to the doctor. Salt cleanses wounds. And this is the task Jesus has called us to. To bring the gospel of Jesus to people as their only hope for being cleansed.

We see Jesus mention that salt can lose its flavor. And if it does, it can’t be salty again, and must be thrown out. In Jesus’s day, there was chemically impure salt. And it would be known to lose it’s saltiness, or the parts that made it salty, and would just be other elements. These non salty elements were useless and thrown to be walked on.

The way that we stay salty, to season, to fertilize, to preserve to heal is by being connected to Jesus.

What does it mean that salt cannot loose it’s saltiness?

Think about how salt is meant to influence the thing it is salting, not be influenced by the thing it is salting.

Some people might teach an idea that you can lose your Christianity or be weakened by being in the world. There is an idea that we have to separate ourselves from over culture. That doesn’t seem to be Jesus’s message, and certainly not here.

If you remember, Jesus did not separate himself off from culture, rather he lived differently from Culture. Jesus was accused of associating himself with drinking and feasting, tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus would show us what it looked like to live in wickedness, but be the salt and light.

And you may be asking yourself, how can we live in the culture that is wicked, and be salt to them, and not lose the saltiness? How can we live and bring the gospel to the world and not become like the world?

The answer is to be connected to Christ. We don’t live righteously on our own, we only do it in connection to Jesus. The one who lived in the world as we do, yet without sin.

Jesus is not implying that you can lose your salvation by loosing your saltiness, but rather the ones who do not continue being salt were never connected to Jesus, never his true disciples. Never part of the Jesus’s kingdom.

Imposter disciples will be known for what they are. True disciples cannot loose their saltiness.

Jesus doesn’t want you to be a hermit. Hunker down till the rapture. He doesn’t want disciples that say “it’s just me and Jesus.” He is calling us to a life cut off from society. Rather, he wants you to be salt in society. Not separated from it, but having an affect on it.

One of the ways we stay best connected through Christ is by staying connected through his people. Hebrews 10:24–25 “24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.”

The way we continue in love and good works is by prioritizing the gatherings of God’s people. We do this on Sunday, we do this on Wednesday. Prioritize these times in your week as a way to ensure you stay connected to Christ.

III. Realized Light of the Gospel(14)

Next, in verse 14, we see the Realized Light of the Gospel. Matthew 5:14 “14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden.”

In John 8:12, Jesus proclaims that he is the light of the world, but now, we get to share it. Like those little glow in the dark stars that continue to shine even when the main light is gone. We get to share in this light of the world task that Jesus came to do.

Abraham?

Salt and light are the opposite idea of a Christian way of thinking that is “it’s just me and God.” People that think Christianity and one’s relationship with God is just about them. American individualism influences this type of Christianity as well.

But with these examples of Salt and light, we are seeing that Jesus does not just save us for us for a purpose. Ephesians says that we are saved not just FROM sin, but TO being his workmanship to glorify the father, and here, through being salt and light in the world.

Jesus is teaching us that discipleship is not a private matter between me and God, your relationship to Jesus is meant to be shown to the world. True discipleship, will light the world, like true salt will season the world. This is what it means to follow Jesus, people will notice. It isn’t meant to be a subtle thing.

There is a collective aspect here. Notice that it is a city on a hill, not simply an individual light on a hill. Christianity and gospel light has a collective experience. It is us collectively shining as a subset of our community in the larger community.

Gospel witness in the community is not meant to simply be the work of your pastor or your elders. It is meant to be the work of all of us together, the church making a difference and sharing the light of Christ with those around us.

When we think about staying salty, there is a similar aspect to the light on the hill that cannot be hid. We as christians are not meant to blend into the world and look like everything around us, we are meant to look different. Living like Jesus in the characteristic beatitudes at the beginning of this chapter, and the rest of the sermon on the mount will cause you to stand out to the rest of the world.

Driving in the Rocky Mountains is a beautiful experience. And one of the best times to drive, is night. You should be keeping your eyes on the road through the windy mountain passes doing 65 mph on I70, but a beautiful experience is seeing these mountain towns pop up out of now where, being fully lit. You might see an occasional light pop up as street lights or a single house. But sometimes, you pass a city. This city lit up is beautiful and attractional. It stands out in contrast to the rest of the dark landscape. While there might be a lot of good places to stop on i70 through the Rocky’s, it is not the individual lights that will make you want to stop, it is the city one a hill that makes you want to stop.

This is what the collective disciples of the church are meant to be. Attractional to people around them.

He is calling us to live out and proclaim the gospel to the ones God gives us. To be a light to them. In kindness and warmness as we lovingly welcome people.

IV. Useful Lamp of the Disciples (15)

Then, we see the useful lamp of the disciples in verses 15-16. Matthew 5:15–16 “15 People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”

The idea here is that no one lights a light for it to be hid, light is lit so that it can bring light to the places around it. And we don’t cover it, because by it’s nature, it is meant to light. We want it to light so much that a candle should be set on a candle stick so that it can light the entire house better.

If you have truly experienced Christ, you want to shine it to others. The gospel is good news because it tell us there is a solution to our problem of sin. All of us realize that we have a sin problem. This sin problem separates us from life with God and eternal life. Our sin problem gets worse when we consider the judgement that must be paid by us for our sin. Just like you get payment for working, there is a judgement for sinning. Death. Death in hell.

But the gospel comes to be good news. News that Jesus came to take your punishment, your sin, to the cross. Died a horrible death, separated from God on your behalf. But rose from the dead to bring you new life. Life with God for all of eternity.

If this is the truth that saved you, will you also not want to give it to the people around you? Jesus is saying you of course would not hide the light right?

Personal private holiness of living out the beatitudes and the Christian life is not what Jesus calls us to. Just like a candle is put on a stick so that it brings more light to the darkness, so the light of the gospel is mean to shine to the dark corners of peoples lives. He wants you to expose the gospel through your life and words. He calls us to shine our light to those around us.

Bonhoeffer says that a community of Jesus which seeks to hide itself has ceased to follow him.

V. Glorifying Response of the World (v16)

Last today, we see the glorifying response of the World. Verse 16 shows us the purpose of the salt and light. Matthew 5:16 “16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.”

Notice the ending “to give honor to your father in heaven.” While we often pray “heavenly father” and don’t consider the impact of Jesus’ words here, Jesus calling him Father would have been a new concept. In the Old Testament, God is not presented to us as a Father, but more as a transcendent Holy God. Jews did not really refer to God as father. But this would become a regular way for Jesus to refer to God. And here, he doesn’t just say “my father” but says “your father.”

There is a wonderful truth that we can quickly skip over. God is high, lofty, inhabiting all of eternity. But now, to Jesus and his followers, he is our Father. Jesus comes to bring us access to the God, now making him “our father who is in heaven.”

This is the beauty of the gospel.

Let’s talk about what your light shining before men is not. It is not a personal quest for self improvement, self bettering, life coaching, self help, self forgiveness. The disciples quest is for good works that are shown to others for glorifying God.

The gospel is not about you, it is about God being glorified!

Your distinctively different lifestyle is not simply a bettering of your life, but implying that God reigns here right now in the lives of his people.

You doing good works like the beatitudes and sharing the gospel is not about you. It is so that people around you might see God glorified and want to as well.

While some might persecute, the ultimate goal is that people will join the light and glorify God.

Peter also says something similar in 1 Peter 2:11-12

1 Peter 2:11–12 NET 2nd ed.

11 Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, 12 and maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.

You may think to your self “didn’t Jesus say not to display your righteous living?” And he does a few verses down in chapter 6. But the difference between that verse and verse 16 here is the purpose. Is the purpose so that you are noticed? Or is the purpose to glorify God?

The outcome here in this verse is that in your good works, they are not recognizing you and your achievements and your piety, rather, they are recognizing the source of who you are. The source being Christ. It is because of Christ that you now live the way you do, you had nothing to do with your salvation except for the sin that made it necessary. Christ has done everything. He is the only reason.

We are being called to assess our motives. Are we following Jesus and living godly for us, or for the gospel and the Glory of God?

The purpose of you being a disciple of Jesus is to give light, not to take the light yourself. Giving light is not an option for you to choose or not to choose. Your light is borrowed from Christ, and meant to be shown to reflect him.

Beyond the Walls (Grace and Growth)

If you are here, and have not experienced the light of the gospel in God’s saving grace through Jesus in your life, please come and talk to us after the service. We would love to tell you about how you can have a relationship with our Father.

To those of us that have already been changed by the light of Christ. Are we salting the earth? Are the people around us better and more challenged because of the distinctive discipleship we live out through the Gospel?

Consider the beatitudes of poor in spirit, meek, mourning, longing for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers. Do these describe us?

People realize that there is a problem in society. A problem with character as rudeness and unkindness rule the world. I was reading a report that almost 90% of people answered and said that they regularly or often encounter rudeness and disrespect. But when asked, most of those people didn’t have a solution to the problem. What an opportunity for us to live in contrast, and then present the solution!

In our context, Jesus is talking about Gospel living. Do people see our transformed lives in our everyday activities? Everyday people who are affected by sin, so much affected by sin that they are not as God created them to be. Lying when they don’t want to, but it has become so natural. Cheating and talking ill of people to get ahead. Hurting people they love. This is sometimes the only way people know how to live. But we can introduce them to a better life. A life in the Kingdom of heaven. Life that is radically transformed by the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit as we live out the full image of God.

Do the people around us know that we are disciples of Jesus or have we hid it? Do we out of our way to tell people in our lives of who we are?

I’ve talked to a few people that have said relationship building is important in New England before presenting the gospel.

Maybe, there are people that have been in our lives we have already built a relationship with. Maybe we’ve known them for years, family members, friends, co workers, classmates, that don’t know you are a Christian. They might never know the light of Christ if you don’t tell them. One simple way for you to bring it up in conversation is talking about your weekend. Ask someone what they spent their weekend doing. When they ask you, amongst the other ways that you spend your weekend, mention you went to church. Ask them if they ever go to church. And that just might lead into an opportunity to share your faith with them!

To be placing the light on a candlestand does not mean sit back and wait for the darkness to come to us, but that we take opportunities and look for ways to shine in the darkness with the Gospel.

The way that people are going to be won to the gospel is not through programs and attractional stuff to get people in the doors, The way people will be won for the gospel is by all of us hand in hand bringing people into the Kingdom to be part of God’s people.

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes as we respond corporately to the text together today.

Thank God for the promised blessing of reward secured in heaven.

Thank Jesus for being the light and sharing the light with us.

Ask the Spirit to help you live as a light this week, and share the light with others God places in your life.