February 9, 2020, Matthew

MATTHEW 5:13-20

Can you imagine a world without salt?

Food tastes pretty “bla” without it.

In fact, the salt in our own bodies is very close to the amount of salt in the ocean, 0.4 percent.  All of us loose salt when we sweat, and it has to be continually replaced.  So, without it, our bodies do not function as they should.

Today there is a salt shaker on just about every table, but salt was not always so available.  In fact, in Jesus time it was often used as currency and could be traded for just about anything else you wanted.  Even the Roman soldiers of the time were paid in salt. So, salt is important form many different reasons.

Can you imagine a world without light?

We all take natural light is for granted.  We don’t even think about it.  It is a constant in our life, the sun comes up every morning and lights breaks through the darkness.  So what?  Big Deal!   Yet, when we look further, we see that it is a big deal!

The lack of light can affect our bodies in many different ways.  It is light and darkness that regulates our body clocks.  If it was always dark, it would be hard to wake up as darkness triggers our bodies to want to sleep.  The lack of light can also cause depression in some, and without the sun we would have vitamin D deficiencies which have a negative impact on our immune systems.0

Light is so important that it is the first thing that God created as He hovered over the water.  “And God said, ‘Let there be light; and there was light, and God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.  And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called night.  And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth…. You are the light of the world.”  My guess is that most of us don’t even think of ourselves as the salt of the earth or the light of the world.  Yet, as Jesus disciples, He is telling us that we are both salt and light.  Not that we might be or possibly will be one day. He is telling us that we are, right now, here in this Church this morning.  We are these two very important elements, and each one of us is of extreme value in God’s mission here on earth.

However, before we get to “puffed” up with pride, we need to read the rest of what Jesus said that day.  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

Perhaps Jesus’ ultimate message to each is really a warning that we can lose our salty flavor and our internal light can begin to dim, causing us to become stagnant in our spiritual life.  Afterall, life is busy, and God instead of being first in our lives, sometimes winds up in the backseat.  We think we have no time to read God’s Word nor do daily devotions.  Church attendance happens when there are no other favorite activities scheduled on Sunday morning, and our light becomes so dim the love of Christ ceases to shine through us.

Have you ever thought about salt and that there is no other substance like it on earth?  It has a taste different from anything else on earth.  By calling us the salt of the earth, Jesus implies that as His disciples we too are different and like nothing else on earth.  As disciples we stand apart from other people.  We resist the siren call of the world, of our culture and its’ values, and we follow the ways of Christ.    We also have something that, other than other fellow Christians, no one else has.  We have the love of Christ in us and the joy of knowing we have eternal life because of what Christ did for us on the cross.  We are beloved Children of God.

As God’s children and disciples, we have His light shining in our hearts.  The peace and joy that others seek.  Yet, shining our light isn’t always a pleasant experience because light is not welcomed everywhere for it exposes what lies in the darkness. Ephesians 5:13 tells us, “But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them.”  Yet, Jesus is calling us to stand firm and continue to shine the light.

What must we do to become witnesses of light? In John’s first epistle we find these words, “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.” (1 John 1:4) In short, we become witnesses of Jesus’ light through building our personal  relationship with him.  Jesus goes on to say in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.”

As we leave here this morning, let us leave with a renewed spirit, and abide in the vine.  Let us have a spirit that bolsters us in being the salt and light that Jesus says that we are as His disciples.  We together as the community of saints here at Christ Lutheran Church and in our individual lives bear the work of helping others see the light of Christ, and tasting the joy of His forgiveness and love.  Let that light shine in each of us through our words and deeds. For we are all part of the work that Jesus has taught us how to do.

We are salt!

We are light!

Let us live so that those around us may taste God’s presence through each of us. Let us live to cast light in the shadows of the darkest days.

Amen