Sermon Matthew 5: 13-20 “You Are Salt and Light”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon  Matthew 5: 13-20 “You Are Salt and Light”
February 9, 2020

Throughout this season of Epiphany, we have been following Jesus as he began his ministry.  We were with him as he climbed to the top of a hill to speak to his disciples and the people of Capernaum.  He sat down to teach as any rabbi would.  And he explained how they would be blessed as the kingdom of heaven became manifest on earth. 

As the kingdom of heaven arrives there will be conflicts between it and the kingdoms of the earth.  Specifically, the people needed to know how they should practice their faith given the Roman occupation they lived under.  How could they obey God when the empire demanded total obedience to Caesar?  We will get to this, but first, let's pray.

God, open my eyes to see the world through your compassion.  Open my mind to understand the world through your wisdom.  Open my heart to receive the world through your love. Amen.

In Jesus' day, the people of God lived under Roman occupation.  This was nothing new.  For hundreds of years, one empire or another controlled the Middle East.  The people continued to live in their ancestral homelands.  This was the land promised to the children of Israel as a perpetual inheritance.  But now the people worked the land and fished its lakes, not for themselves but to feed a vast empire.  And they wondered how to practice their faith within the context of a hostile government.  There were three responses.

The first came from the Zealots.  The Zealots said that the people of God would never be able to worship freely until the Romans were gone.  So they took up arms and began a violent revolution.  Jesus did not agree with the Zealots, because they argued for violence. Jesus said in the Beatitudes that those who work nonviolently would be blessed in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

The second response came from the Sadducees.   They said that the people of God could only practice their faith if they cooperated with the Roman authorities.  If the law of God was in conflict with the law of Rome the people had to obey Rome.  They had to compromise their faith.  The Sadducees became religious leaders by being puppets of the Roman government.   But Jesus did not agree with the Sadducees.  They wanted the people to compromise the laws of God.   But Jesus said that he wanted the law obeyed in full.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So Jesus has made it quite clear.   He disagrees with the Zealots and wants his people to act nonviolently.   And he disagrees with the Sadducees and wants his people to fully obey the law.   But what about the Pharisees? 

The third response came from the Pharisees.   Unlike the Zealots, the Pharisees did not advocate a violent response to Roman occupation.  And unlike the Sadducees, they did not advocate compromising God's law.  They told the people to practice their faith privately.  Go inside and draw the drapes.  There you can keep the Sabbath,  obey dietary laws, pray and fast without the Roman authorities knowing what was going on.  But Jesus wants us to be public in our faith.   We are not to worship here on Sundays and then pretend that we are not Christian the other six days of the week.  Here is what he said.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

That seems to settle it.   Jesus wants non-violence.   Jesus wants us to obey God’s law even if the culture is going a different way.   And Jesus wants us to practice our faith publically.  Jesus summed it all up this way.

20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

But would Jesus put us in conflict with our increasingly atheistic culture?  Wouldn't we get into trouble by publicly following our God?  Well … yes, it would.  John the baptist got in trouble for publicly practicing his faith.  So too did Jesus.  And so too will we.  We are called to obey God's law even if it makes us unpopular.  We are to obey God's law even if the culture calls it foolishness.   We are to obey God's law even if we are arrested and punished for our beliefs.   And there is to be no violence, or compromise, or hiding in fear. 

So we know that we are not to imitate the Zealots, the Sadducees or the Pharisees.   We do what God wants us to do, non-violently, and in public.   So what are we to do?  Here is what Jesus said:

13 “You are the salt of the earth.”

In the ancient world salt was an important commodity.  It was often used as money and could be traded for things you needed.  Salt was not something that could be grown or made.   It was provided by God.   Many countries had to buy salt from others.   Some countries could acquire salt by evaporating seawater. 

But there was one country that God had blessed more than all the others.   This country was blessed with a mountain of salt.  And that country was called Israel.
At the southwest corner of Israel sits the Dead Sea.   This saltwater lake is the remnant of an ancient ocean that has evaporated away.   As the water evaporated the ancient ocean left behind salt.   The Dead Sea itself has a very high concentration of salt.   And near the Dead Sea is a mountain of salt called Mount Sodom, also called the City of Salt. 

The legend behind Mount Sodom is that God was about to destroy Sodom for its disobedience.   As Lot and his wife fled the city God told them to not look back.  But Lot’s wife did not obey God.   She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt which became Mount Sodom, the City of Salt.

For the ancient Hebrews, the covenant that required them to support their priests was called a “Covenant of Salt”.    Salt was required when an offering was made to support priests.  And in the time of David, the Covenant of Salt was expanded to include support for the king. 

 Salt is necessary for life.  We would die if we didn't have enough salt in our diets.  Salt enhances the flavor of food.  Salt allows us to store food for long periods of time.

So too with faith.  Faith is necessary for life.  We would die a spiritual death were it not for the faith we are given by God.  Faith enhances the flavor of our lives.  We find greater satisfaction living a life of faith.  And a faith extends our lives to eternity.   

If we are the salt of the earth then we are required to bring our faith to the world.  Bringing people to faith is necessary for their lives.  Faith will season their lives with blessings.  And faith will lead them to eternal life.  So season the world you live in by sharing your faith.  Be the salt the world needs.

There is an old story about a man who was certainly the salt of the earth.  Former President Woodrow Wilson told this story about being in a barbershop when someone with an enormous personality entered the room and sat in the next barber chair.  He listened as this person talked to the barber.  And he was impressed with the compassion this person had for the barber and his family.  As the man spoke to the barber, Wilson had the impression that he was in a worship service of some kind.  So who was it that had this powerful effect on the man who would be president of the United States? 

Woodrow Wilson found out who it was.  And it was none other than Dwight L. Moody, evangelist, missionary, preacher, teacher, and president of Moody Bible Institute.   Moody was empowered by God to be salt for the world. 

And this is our calling.  We are called to always act non-violently, obey God’s law and practice our faith publically.  We are called to be the salt of the earth. 
We are to season the world with our faith.  Like salt, faith is necessary for life.   Faith makes life taste better.  And faith preserves our lives for eternity.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, enable us to be the salt of the earth.  Give us the gift of faith which will shine in our life bringing others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ.  Amen.