Sidney UMC - 5th Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/05/23 - Sermon - “Be Salt and Light!”

                              Sunday 02/05/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “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

          One of my favorite ministries through the Sidney United Methodist Church is our weekly Ecumenical Church Men’s Lunch. On some weeks we get seven or sometimes thirteen people. We say grace before we eat, we talk, we fellowship, and we try to solve the world’s problems. It is always a little awkward though, as some get their food before others, so we often say grace for those that have their food, knowing that the other’s food is on the way.

          Then there are the seasonings. “Can you pass the pepper please, one asks?” “Can you pass the salt please, another asks?” Or if it is Matthew Robinson and I at Roma’s here in Sidney, we ask, “can we get the mozzarella cheese shaker please”! Matthew and I like putting that mozzarella on our pizza!

          Other than saying that I like our weekly Ecumenical Men’s Lunch ministry, and that we like seasonings on our food, today in our gospel of Matthew reading Jesus talks about being “Salt and Light!” Jesus challenges us to be like “Salt and Light!” From the outside looking in, I can see where this could look a little odd. Jesus Christ, our lord, wants us to be like a table top seasoning and the thing we turn on at night to see. Strange, don’t you think?

          Well, why then would Jesus command us to be “Salt and Light?” I remember Melissa’s Uncle Bobby and Aunt Judy telling Melissa and I that years ago they went to a church in Florida called “The Salty Church”. Given this, being “salty,” as our church greeting says this morning, must be important.

          In our reading for this morning from Psalm 112:1-10, once again, we are told in Psalm 112:4:

⁴ They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous (Ps. 112:4, NRSV).

          The “they” in this verse are the people that follow and love God. These people are like a light in the darkness. We also hear in Psalm 112:8-9, once again:

⁸ Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. ⁹ They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor;             (Ps. 112:8-9, NRSV).

          The people of God shine light into darkness, there hearts are steady, and they serve and love freely.

In our reading from 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, the Apostle Paul tells us all to preach Christ, and him crucified for us and our sins. The Apostle Paul tells us to trust in the power of God, and to speak God’s wisdom. May we seek the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit, and may we be open to God’s love and calling. When we do this, we are connected to Christ, and we are living like Christ. In fact, the Apostle Paul ends this reading from 1 Corinthians 2:16 telling us in 16b, once again:

But we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16b, NRSV).

In all we do, and in all we are, we are called to love God, seek God, and to have the mind of Christ. Well with this said, what are some ways that we can live our lives to achieve these goals. This morning, Jesus tells us in our Matthew 5:13-20 reading, once again, “Be Salt and Light”. As Melissa’s aunt and uncle used to attend a church in Florida called, “The Salty Church,” let’s dive more into what Jesus meant about being “Salt and Light”.

According to my still favorite bible commentary, which is a book that helps to better explain the scriptures, called “The Africa Bible Commentary,” it says this about people being like salt in the gospel of Matthew:

“salt, which purifies, preserves, and enhances the flavour of food. They will influence society and make the earth a better more wholesome place. Salt that has ceased to be salty has lost these qualities and is as useful and refuse (5:13). Ordinarily sodium chloride - common salt – does not lose its saltiness”             (Africa Bible Commentary, pg. 1145-1146).

          So, salt purifies, preserves, and enhances the flavor of food, and in a similar way, like salt does this for food, we are called to make the world better. What long confused me, before I understood what more Jesus was saying here, is how can salt lose its saltiness. I mean if you put table salt in water, the water is still very salty. Until I did the research, I did not understand how salt could become less salty. Anyone else confused by Jesus telling us that salt can lose its saltiness? I mean can water not be wet? Can the sun not be bright when it is exposed in the sky? Etc.?

          So how then, according to Jesus in our gospel of Matthew 5:13-20 reading for this morning, can salt lose its saltiness? I also hope we can understand the connection here to our faith in Christ. If we are not careful, our faith can become common, unexciting, and bland. This being said though, how can salt stop being salty?

          Let me pick back up from my Bible Commentary to better explain what Jesus meant about salt losing its saltiness. Jesus says salt can lose its saltiness, because:

“the salt used in first-century Palestine could. It was similar to the Cibwa salt produced in the villages in the Mpika District of Zambia. This salt was made by burning a special kind of grass that grew in the Lwitikila salt pans, filtering water through the ashes and then leaving the compound in the sun to evaporate. If the resulting ball of salt was exposed to rain, the salt could be leached out at the ball would lose its saltiness and become worthless” (Africa Bible Commentary, pg. 1146).

          So, the salt that Jesus is referencing in Matthew 5:13-20 for this morning is not ordinary table salt. The salt Jesus is referencing is different, and it can lose its saltiness. So if Jesus is telling us to be “Salt and Light,” and to not lose our “saltiness,” Jesus is telling us to stay salty.

          Once again this means as disciples of Jesus Christ, like salt, if we lose our saltiness, we become, according to my Bible Commentary:

“disciples who refuse to live lives that are true to their calling. They will have no influence and will become unserviceable, worse that useless”                             (Africa Bible Commentary, pg. 1146).

          Harsh I thought. In the same way that salt purifies, preserves, and enhances our food, we will not live our faith out like we could if lose the saltiness of our faith in Christ. We do not want to become lukewarm, common, or unsalted. This is why Melissa’s aunt and uncle’s church in Florida that they used to attend was called “The Salty Church,” as we as Christians are called to stay “salty” in our faith in Christ.

          Once again, this is why Jesus tells us this morning Matthew 5:13:

¹³ “You 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 (Mt. 5:13, NRSV).

 

          Jesus is telling us to be salty, and may we be a salty church! As far as the other part of what Jesus is teaching this morning, Jesus is telling us to be salt, but Jesus is also telling us to be light. In fact, picking up Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us, once again:

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ 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” (Mt. 5:14-16, NRSV).

 

          Shine the light of your faith and your love for Christ, so that whole world sees it. Do not hide or dim your light, instead put it on display for the world. Whatever God has called you to do in the church or in the world, this pastor is here to walk along side of you, and to help you to get where God is leading you. Stay salty, and stay bright with light.

          According to my Bible Commentary it says this about light:

“Jesus’ disciples are also to be like light (5:14a). They would have been familiar with this image, for both Israel the nation and Jerusalem its capital were considered ‘a light for the Gentiles’’ (Isa. 42:6). Jesus, however, declared himself to be the ‘light of the world’ (John 9:5). The light that come from disciples is not their own, but shines through them on account of their remaining in the true light, Jesus there Lord. They need to be connected with him that same way as a light bulb needs to connected to a generating plant if it is to give light”                                              (Africa Bible Commentary, pg. 1146).

          Be “salty” like Jesus, and shine the love, truth, and life of Jesus. Shine your light of Christ brightly, and remember that our light of Christ shines the brightest when we stay connected to Christ.

          I guess on some level, I still see it as an odd combination, “salt and light,” but we are to remove darkness and to make thing better and brighter. Light removes darkness and salt make food taste better. Us being salty makes the world better.

          After Jesus telling us to be like “salt and light,” Jesus continues on in Matthew 5:17-20. Picking up in Matthew 5:17, Jesus says, once again:

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 5:17-20, NRSV).

          Jesus shifts from talking about us being salt and light, and then talks about his mission here on earth, and how we are called to be part of this mission. Jesus also tells us that everything that is in Old Testament, the law, the rules, and the prophecies will be fulfilled in him. All the prophecies of old in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible will and have come to fruition in Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come to destroy the law of Moses; he did not come to destroy the sabbath. Instead, Jesus is Lord of the sabbath, and he is the fulfilment of God’s plan here on earth.

          Part of the way that we can live this out in our lives and in the world, is by being “Salt and Light!” So, friends, shine the light of Christ brightly. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! Also, stay salty and don’t lose your saltiness. We are called by Christ to “Be Salt and Light!” Amen.