Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/05/17 Sermon - “We are called to be salt and light"

Sunday 02/05/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “We are called to be salt and light”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 112:1-10

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:13-20

          My friends, my brothers and sisters, welcome again on this the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. We are once again, in this period of common or ordinary time, until the last Sunday of this month, February, 26th. On February 26^th we will celebrate Transfiguration Sunday, and then the season of Holy Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, which is Wednesday March 1^st.

          Last week, if you remember, I preached on the “Sermon on the Mount,” or the “Beatitudes,” from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12. In this sermon, Jesus gave us nine “Beatitudes,” or nine statements of blessing.

Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mt. 5:1-12, NRSV).

In this “Sermon on the Mount,” or the “Beatitudes,” Jesus is challenging us all to live into these nines “Beatitudes” or blessings. I will talk more about this in just a minute though.

Before diving into this, last week I also mentioned, as we all know from watching the news, or from our own lives, that we are presently living in an extremely divided country right now. Some people love and support the changes that have been taking place in our country, and some have been taking to the streets and or the airports in protest.

In watching everything that has been going on, I said last week that I wished that Jesus was here in the flesh, and that I could talk to him, sit at his feet, and get his council on what is going on in our world, and in our country. It is certainly true that the level of worry and anxiety that many people have in this country is very high right now.

With this said, in getting back to talking about the “Sermon on the Mount” or the “Beatitudes” from last Sunday, Jesus is telling us that “blessed are the poor in spirit,” or people with little power, prestige, or wealth. Jesus then tells us blessed are those who mourn, and blessed are the meek or the weak. Jesus then tell us blessed are those who hunger for righteousness, and blessed are the merciful. Jesus lastly says blessed are the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted (Mt. 5:1-12, NRSV).

This Sunday in the gospel of Matthew reading, Jesus then calls us to be “salt and light” (Mt. 5:13-20, NRSV). Jesus is challenging us to live our lives as disciples, and disciples live out the “Sermon on the Mount,” or the “Beatitudes”. In being called to be “salt and light,” disciples of Jesus Christ are not people that seek wealth, fame, or prominence, as we should seek to be poor in spirit. Disciples of Jesus Christ sometimes mourn due to the pain in the world. I know that I have been mourning over the divisions in this country, and the suffering in this world.

Disciples of Christ further, are meek, and willing to be weak and vulnerable. Disciples of Christ thirst and hunger for righteousness, and desire to be pure and holy like Jesus Christ. Disciples of Christ are merciful, are pure in heart, and are peacemakers. Disciples of Christ will also periodically or constantly face persecution for all or for some of these things.

With all of this said, as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ we should seek to live out our callings in life from God, from the Holy Spirit. We are called to be “salt and light” by Jesus Christ.

So just what did Jesus mean when he told us to be “the salt of the earth,” and the “light of the world?” (Mt. 5:13-14, NRSV). Well, we are called to be like salt, as salt is a substance that “purifies, preserves, and enhances” (Africa Bible Commentary). So if we are called to be like salt, we are called to be pure in heart and to love, to preserve life and to care for others. We are also called to enhance people lives and the world around us. How should we do this?

As far as us being called light, Jesus says to us this morning, “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 other, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:14-16, NRSV). How do best shine God’s love and mercy?

We are called to be “salt and light,” to be pure, to enhance, to preserve, and to shine the light of Christ everywhere.

Tim, being a recently retired Chemistry teacher told me that instead of having my sermon title for morning of “we are called to be salt and light,” that I should consider his suggested sermon title of, "Metallic halides and photons-used as exemplars by the Christ".

          I told Tim that I would “look into this” idea. What I didn’t tell Tim however, was that I first had to get a dictionary to look up what “Metallic halides and photons” were. What my friend Merriam-Webster taught me was that “Metallic halides and photons” were fancy scientific words that can fit into the definitions of “salt and light”.

          In considering all of the elements and “Beatitudes” or blessings of Jesus “Sermon on the Mount,” we are called to try to be all of these things, but God calls us all differently. As Christians we are all called to follow Christ, but God will call us to serve in our own unique and special ways. For example, I would probably never think to name a sermon "Metallic halides and photons-used as exemplars by the Christ". Yet Tim’s calling in life was to be a Christian cleverly disguised as a chemistry teacher.

          One of the things that I have been passionate about as part of my calling from God, is getting to know folks and seeing if they have the gifts and graces needed to potentially serve in pastoral ministry. This is a passion of mine, but it might not be a passion of yours.

          My point is this, we are called to be “salt and light,” but this will look different for everyone. We are not all called to be preachers of the gospel, like I am. We are not called to try bring the broad expanse of God’s people together in community, which I feel is part of my calling. We all however, are united in the mission of the church of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”.

          We are all called to be concerned with the lives and wellbeing of all people, to be concerned about suffering, and to be “salt and light”. We are all called to love our neighbor, and yet our own unique callings might dictate how we live this out.

          Jesus continues in our gospel of Matthew reading for this morning saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come to 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 in accomplished” (Mt. 5:17-18, NRSV).

          Jesus then concludes our gospel reading this morning saying, “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” (Mt. 5:19-20, NRSV).

          Jesus said, “whoever does them and teaches them,” as I remember one of my duties as a pastor is teach and preach God’s word (Mt. 5:19b, NRSV). One of my duties as a pastor is to preach the good and lifesaving message of Jesus Christ. To call people to turn from there darkness, to turn from there brokenness, and to turn from sin, and to repent to God for these things. We then are called to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of our lives, as our savior, and call upon the Holy Spirit to fill us. In becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, this is when our own unique callings become clearer through the power of the Holy Spirit.

          My brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ, the savior of the world calls us to be “salt and light”. Jesus calls us to love God, love our neighbor, and to follow him. So the question I have for all of us to consider today, is how you are you, and how am I, being called to be “salt and light”? You see there are so many things we could all do. Yet we are not all called to be preachers, and some of us don’t even feel called to speak in front of the church.

Historically speaking for example, a Christian monk’s highest calling was that of praying.

~ Story about protestant seminarians at a Roman Catholic monastery ~

Part of our Wesleyan or Methodist tradition is that of action, but what actions are we called to. Some feel called to serve the people of a nursing home, or build community, or to become socially active, or to work on higher levels of leadership. How are you called, and how am I called by Jesus Christ to be “salt and light”?

          Friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, as we move forward day by day, it is my hope and my prayer, that we continue to grow closer to Jesus Christ, that we continue to grow in love, in grace, in mercy, and in justice. It is my hope that we continue to discover the unique callings that God has placed on our lives, so that we all might be “salt and light” to the world. That we might fulfill the church’s mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”. Amen.