Be What You Are

CONTEXT

Theme: Drawn to Jesus.

Last week the Preamble of the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes.

Jesus assured us that we are favored in God’s sight as we seek to live faithfully in his kingdom, even though that that blessedness will be revealed only in the future.

This was a great encouragement to us.

Today we continue to listen to the first part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus speaks of the high calling of being his disciple.

Text

Matthew 5:13–20 ““You (all) are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Introduction

Ancient Problem - hiding the goods

Salt was a staple commodity in the ancient world.

Taste. Bland food transformed into something tasty.

french fries. Grilled cheese. Soup. Caramel.

Preservative. Salted meat, jerky. Preserved fish in the area of Galilee.

Cleanser. For wounds. New born babies. (Ezekiel 16:4)

Ritual purification. Temple use. In the temple, all meal offerings and sacrifices were accompanied with salt, and a pile of salt was kept near the altar for those purposes.

In homes, dining ritual, salt used to purify the table.

Even used as currency.

Earning a “salary” - money given to Roman soldiers to purchase salt, for preservative and cleaning wounds.

Even today: Not worth his salt.

Salt was a desirable, useful and important commodity.

Jesus says to his disciples: YOU ALL are the salt of the earth.

You have a desirable, useful, and important function in the world.

God is sprinkling you over all the earth.

As salt brings out the best character of food, you are to bring out the best character of the world.

You are bring out the wisdom, courage, justice, temperance, faith, hope and love.

The world is perishable, you are salt to preserve it.

With your prayers. Lord spare and help.

The world need purification . You sanctify it.

Offering up the sacrifice of praise.

You make the whole earth valuable to God. Worth its salt.

For the sake of the elect, says the Lord, I will delay judgment.

In a similar vein, Jesus says to his disciples: You are the light of the world.

First image: a dark countryside. But a city on a hill plainly visible. Like a beacon. Windows twinkling.

Second image: candle lamp in an ancient home that does not have electricity.

The lamp is placed prominently, to fill the whole room with light.

You all are the light of the world in a spiritual sense.

The world is a dark with doubt and despair. You shine a beacon of hope. You all illuminate the darkness with love and truth.

You are salt of the earth and light of the world. Critical, valuable, necessary to the world.

But there can be a problem.

The salt loses its saltiness. The light gets hidden.

What is the value of salt with no taste? No value at all. Useless.

If you put salt on your food and it doesn’t salt the food. You throw it out. Useless.

What is the value of a light that is hidden away. No value at all. Useless.

If you walk into a dark room. Click. No light. Throw out the useless bulb.

What makes salt and light valuable is the way they stand out and make everything better and clearer.

If they lose that standout feature, they lose what make them them.

Spiritual Thrust: is that YOU disciples are the useful, critical thing in this world…but you must guard against the temptation to not be what you are.

To be bland: to mute your discipleship. To be dark: to blend in.

Current Problem

Is this a threat for us today? I think it can be.

It begins, I think, with taking our faith and relationship with God through Christ for granted.

I had an insight earlier this week.

The Scouts invited me to come to their weekly meeting to share with them about my spiritual journey and work as a pastor. I was mildly worried that it would be boring for them.

I took about 15 minutes to tell them about my early years of spiritual awakening, my schooling, my work as a Chaplain and pastor, preaching, teaching, caring for people.

The Scouts were wonderful hosts. Paid attention. Asking questions. The more they engaged with me, the more it reminded me that having a relationship with Christ, really is a valuable thing.

lt is a source of truth — light.

a source of purpose in life, zest — salt.

The Scouts engaged with me for over half and hour. Reverence for the spiritual.

Reminder to me: Christians — all of us — have been entrusted with a relationship with the one true God in Christ. People in the world around us, who don’t have that, desire and need us: What do you know? What do you believe? How do you experience God?

People today do not know the things we may take for granted.

Lord’s prayer. How to worship. Bible Study. How to pray.

We are salt and light in the world.

Danger Christ warns us against: losing that stand out quality.

Possible, to be salt with no saltiness, hide away our light?

At a recent social event I was talking with someone I had just met. They knew I was a pastor. I did not know their religious back ground but I suspected they were not Christian. They started telling me about something painful and confusing in their life. Then there was this pause. They had stated their need. Need for God’s grace.

What was I to do at that moment?____It was a moment for a blessing, encouragement, prayer. Instead I said thanks for sharing that with me. And I let the moment pass. Missed opportunity.

Jesus says to all of us. Don’t miss those moments, you have an important impact to make.

Hinge

An impact we can humbly and yet genuinely offer because it is not really about us in the end.

It is about Jesus and his readiness, his presence to impact the world and the people around us.

And that can be trusted.

Ancient Solution - use the goods

Jesus says to the crowds that they can trust their role in the world as light and salt, not so much because of who they are themselves, but because of who they follow.

They follow Jesus.

Just as salt is not consumed for its own sake, but brings out the flavor of something else…so also as salt Jesus’ disciples make Christ more present to the world.

Just as light itself cannot be seen, but illuminates that upon which it shines, so the disciples direct people’s gaze to Jesus.

Jesus assures his that through their discipleship, he will be made manifest to the world.

Matthew 5:17 ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”

Jesus anticipates that his future detractors will charge him with breaking the law and the prophets.

But he proclaims that really what he is doing is taking the law and the prophets to their goal: that his lives should clearly point to the Kingdom of God

In the rest of his sermon, Jesus will go on to teach:

You have heard it said, do not murder; I say do not even nurse your anger or curse.

You have heard it said, do not commit adultery, I say do not even lust.

You have heard it said, love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say love even your enemies.

Pray earnestly and not for show.

Give to the poor

Fast for the sorrows of others.

Do not be overcome with worry, do not judge, treat others as you would like to be treated…

Jesus teaches his disciples a higher way.

If they follow in his way, they will have a true righteousness.

Not just religiously, ceremonially or ethically acceptable. Truly good and pleasing to God.

They will be salt and light that point people to the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus says, Let this way of life shine in you, because it will cause those who see it to rejoice and give glory to God in heaven.

By living into Christ’s teachings his followers can confidently let their discipleship show to the world...because what is really showing is the power of Christ to transform lives.

Current Solution - use the goods

For us today, we may worry about “imposing our faith” on others.

But Jesus is not calling us to impose our faith.

He calling us to live out our faith, so that others can find something they are looking for.

To be salt and light is not to impose ourselves on the world…

no one wants just salt. Salt’s value is in its ability to enhance what it is added to.

no one wants light shined into their eyes. Light’s value is that it can illuminate what we want to see.

As salt and light we make Christ more present and visible by letting his teachings work on us and through us.

Following Christ’s teaching: we refuse to become enraged, and instead bless others…people notice something different. Better.

Following Christ’s teaching: we refrain from using people, and instead value them….people notice.

Following Christ: we pray for others, we are generous, we sorrow with them, we trust that God will provide…people notice.

They ask, what is different. What is different is Christ. Light and salt pointing toward him.

Arts fair yesterday

Acquaintance: God bless you today.

Strangers: I’ll pray for you.

Salt and light everywhere

Discipleship = Jesus has fulfilled it all. I am following him.

The more senior in Christ you are the more you may have to teach the up and comers.

Officer: live out my spiritual life in front of others. In the church and beyond the church. A gift to the church.

All of us: living out faith in front of others.

Conclusion

God has placed us as salt and light: what points to Christ.

We don’t impose, we live it.

Christ will work through us.