Salt, Light & Law (pt 2)

Sermon planned for Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Text: Psalm 112; Matthew 5:13-20

Good morning. We’re into our second week in our series on the Sermon on the Mount. Last week we examined the Beatitudes. We heard them as a description of the kinds of people who will be extremely happy at the arrival of God’s Kingdom. The poor will be happy, because finally there will be enough food, clothing and shelter to go around for everyone. The mournful will be happy, because God Himself will comfort them and wipe away every tear. Peacemakers will dance with delight, because they’ll finally be in a place where they fit right in – in a kingdom of peace and justice. If the beatitudes describe the kind of people that will be extremely happy when the Kingdom of God shows up, our passage this morning begins to describe what it means to fit in with this in-breaking Kingdom. It’s a to-do list, but not your average one.

I invite you to turn, with me, in your bibles, to Matthew chapter five, beginning at verse thirteen. Last Wednesday, at our Sr. Youth bible study, we talked about ‘standing out’. We shared our favorite heroes and what ‘stands out’ about them. Then we took turns writing down encouragements for one another: what stands out about each person. When Jesus climbed up the side of that mountain, only a few of the hundreds of followers came up with him – and they stood out. Matthew notes that it was his disciples that came up with him. That’s what it means to be a disciple: that you stick with Jesus even when the terrain is a challenge, even when Jesus climbs a mountain. And when you stick with Jesus, you stand out. When you make decisions that display Christ’s love, it makes you stand out. Two reasons: first of all, our surrounding culture provides a deep contrast to the love of Christ; and secondly, experiencing Christ’s love gives people a glimpse of God’s Kingdom.

In this morning’s scripture text we’re confronted with three important pieces. Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, two metaphors that speak to this issue of ‘standing out’. The last piece is Jesus’ discussion about the permanence of the law. At first, it might not seem like the two are closely connected, but I think they are.

At this point I have some photos of salt deposits for you, mostly from around the Dead Sea. (photo slideshow)
"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.” What did Jesus mean by using the metaphor of salt? How is it that salt loses its taste?

From what I read, the salt that we use nowadays doesn’t ever go bad; it never loses its saltiness. But this week I learnt that, in Jesus’ time, salt was gathered from natural salt formations, mostly by the Dead Sea and the hills just South-West of that body of water. One of the pictures you saw was a ‘pillar of salt’. Because of weather conditions, the outer layer of these pillars experiences a chemical reaction that, over time, causes the salt to lose its flavour. In Jesus’ time, this salt was deemed worthless and was discarded and, in Jesus’ words, ‘trampled underfoot’.

Despite this weakening of flavour, salt was important for a variety of reasons. As anyone who remembers a time before freezers will tell you, salt is everything. Salt is a great preservative. If you want your Ham or Roasts to last for any period of time you have to salt them well. If you want to enjoy food that isn’t bland, well you put salt on it. If you bring a dish to potluck without any salt in it – it won’t stand out.

The preserving function of salt was, perhaps, its most important quality in the time of Jesus. In fact, when people made covenants or business agreements, they would often exchange a gift of salt. The salt was a symbol of longevity – if you wanted to let your partner know that you were in it for the long-haul, then you’d give him a gift of salt when singing the agreement. It was your way of telling him that you wanted this agreement to last long. In fact, in some parts of Oriental culture, to this day, Salt is used to make a similar statement of commitment.

Numbers 18:19 All the holy offerings that the Israelites present to the LORD I have given to you, together with your sons and daughters, as a perpetual due; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD for you and your descendants as well.

2 Chronicles 13:5 Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?

The covenants that God made with Israel, and with King David, were covenants of salt – they were made to last. The question that we need to ask is whether Jesus was referring to salt because of its preserving function or was he referring to salt as a seasoning for food. It could go either way. If salt loses its taste – that is, its saltiness – it would neither help with preserving food, nor would it bring flavor to a meal. Are disciples like salt because they stand out? Do they bring the best out of those around them? Are they the flavouring that brings beauty and enjoyment to life? Or, are disciples more like a preserving salt? Are they like a strong commitment, an unwavering agreement? What was Jesus aiming at with this metaphor? I’m not sure about it. I think it could go both ways.

In light of the Kingdom of God, Christians are definitely called to be a different kind of flavour in our society. In this case, being like salt is like being the only Christian in a home, classroom or business. The metaphor doesn’t really hit us that well, especially because southern Manitoba is filled with Christians. We’re shooting for high blood pressure. But even here we need to wrestle with the question: what difference does my Christian faith make in my life? Am I standing out? Am I bland? Does my life ‘taste’ like Jesus? Do people get a taste of God’s Kingdom in and through my actions?

But Christians are also called to be a salt-like perservering reality in our world. One of the things we learn about the Kingdom of God from Jesus is that its goal is to save the entire world – all people. It’s not meant for an elite group. All who draw near to Jesus by faith are invited – no exclusions! Like salt, Christians are to be a saving reality in our world. Christ challenges us to be the antidote to the destructive realities of hate, violence, and despair; forgiving when offended, sharing with those in need, comforting the mournful, the prisoner and the lonely, etc... We are the corrosive salt that eats away at the dividing walls that separate people and keep them from experiencing community and grace in Jesus.

Salt is an apt metaphor, but Jesus’ warning is important as well. There is no use for salt that has lost its saltiness. God has a great calling set aside for each of you who choose to follow Christ as a disciple. Sometimes we are so distracted by our guilt, shame, or whatever else, that we forget the adventure of discipleship. We come to think that our sins are so huge that they really keep us from God’s love. Well… sometimes we are really wrong. Our sins are merely a speck, and God’s forgiveness leaves no barrier between us. Turn from your sin and guilt, turn to Jesus who forgives us, and get on board with discipleship. Quit being distracted by the lie that your sin is too big for God. And get-on with it – with discileship. God has handled your sin… but what doesn’t work is when you allow that distraction to keep you from living out your discipleship.

There’s a warning for those who lose their saltiness. The Kingdom of God approaches – it’s already breaking into our lives and into our world – and we are called to be a foretaste of that coming reality. People need to taste it when they see us. And if we have become tasteless, if we have reoriented our lives so that it’s nothing but a foretaste of our own wealth and self-centredness… then we are of no use. Jesus says that this kind of salt gets thrown out and trampled. Heed Jesus’ warning, become like salt. Give people a foretaste of God’s Kingdom, of His love, His forgiveness, and His peace. Become like salt, and show people God’s perservering love; a love that saves us from the corrosion of sin and guilt, hatred and strife.

In other words, become a light to the world. This is the second metaphor that Jesus used for the life of discipleship. A few weeks ago Karen and I made the unwise decision of driving out to Grand Forks in some pretty nasty weather. One of the things that kept us on the road was the tail lights of the Big-rig Trucks on the highway in front of us. As long as I kept close to them, I knew I was going to be fine. Their tail-lights helped me to sort out the poor visibility that would otherwise have completely disoriented me. Jesus’ metaphor for discipleship is great. It touches on the topic of boldness in evangelism, but it also helps us understand our roles as disciples.

Like the tail-lights on the semi-trucks that helped me find my way, Christians are to be like the tail-lights of God’s kingdom. We walk the path of love, forgiveness, and peace – we are a foretaste of the peace and justice of God’s Kingdom – and when people look at us, theyr’e supposed to be able to find their way as well. They are supposed to be able to get a taste of what God has in store for the entire world – so that they can get on board. You see, God’s goal is to bring His Shalom to the entire Creation, but we have a choice on whether or not we’re going to get on board. Are we going to stay on the road of God’s Shalom, or will we do our own thing and hit the ditch? Will we trust His Way or will we pass Him in the swirling chaos and chance a collision?

Jesus makes a connection between being a light and doing good works. He says, “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.” Our good works are like a light that brighten up our world. They are like the tail-lights that help people find their way. In our increasingly individualist culture, this kind of discussion borders on offensive. On the one hand, people are going through self-help books like a rookie hunter through bullets; everyone wants advice from Oprah, Dr. Phil, James Dobson, or whoever. But in a much more profound sense, people resist being shown the way. “What works for you just doesn’t work for me”, or “what’s true for you isn’t for me”. There is a deep relativism that underlies much current thought and belief. How can we as Christians claim to speak for Truth and God’s Goodness when any and all truth-claims are considered questionable? Are Christians irrelevant to a culture that places its final hope for Truth in science and human ingenuity?

I’m not much of a philosopher, but I am convinced that we are relevant; that our culture is as ready as ever to catch a glimpse at the tail-lights that will lead us Home. Will we do the good works that Jesus taught us? Will be provide a light so that our friends and neighbours can get on board and bring glory to God?

In the last section of our passage this morning Jesus discusses the permanence of the law. Read with me, beginning in verse seventeen:
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.

This was a key passage for the early church. Early Christians wanted to know how to relate to their Jewish background. Jewish Christians had initially argued that all believers in Jesus would first have to become full Jews before they would see the Kingdom. Later, Paul and others worked among the Gentiles and they received a clear message from Jesus that the Gentiles were already part of God’s project. This raised questions about how these Gentile Christians were to relate to all the Jewish laws. In our passage from Matthew, Jesus says that he came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. In fact, every letter of the law stands, and every commandment holds. And of course, this is where things get confusing or strange. Jesus says that all the commandments hold, but if you read the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, it basically has Jesus re-interpreting the law. “You have heard that it was said… but I say to you…” The laws of the Old Testament are not abolished, but they’re also not applied literally to Jesus’ new community of disciples. Like all Rabbis, Jesus took it as his role to interpret the laws for his followers and make certain applications of the law. This was called ‘binding and loosing’.

This re-interpretation did not mean that the law was being abolished – not at all. The law was seen as more than a written reality. The law of God was His very Will, and that Will is dynamic. It requires constant attention, not just a one-time translation. As a teacher, Jesus was fully within his right to interpret the law for his disciples – for us. He was not rejecting His Judaism when he told his followers to turn the other cheek. He was showing them the heart of the law: LOVE! In fact, when asked to sumarize the law, he said that the Greatest Commandment was to love God with everything you got, and the second was like it: love your neighbour as yourself.

If your deeds will follow this law of love, your deeds will become a light that will show others the way. If your deeds follow this law of love, then your deeds will be like salt for the earth; they will preserve, save and strenghten others, and they’ll add a beautiful flavour to life. The only way our righteousness will exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees is if we follow Jesus on the road marked by His love. If others see us as a community of love, then they’ll know the most important thing in the world – they’ll know that in this fellowship something absolutely new is going on by God’s grace; something beautiful, something whole and just, peaceful and restored. Our Rabbi has given us a beautiful interpretation of God’s law: to love God and neighbour. It’s not too hard for us, it’s not impossible. Sure, it can be like a blizzard at times, knowing how to show love or how to receive it… but it can be done. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The burden of Christ’s law is light. It is not the heavy baggage of legalism. It is not the heavy baggage of walking through this life on your own. It is a life in community with God and with His saints. But His law is light in another sense. It lights up the darkness. It brings flavour and it preserves. As you travel down life’s road, may you find yourself enlightened by Christ’s love; may it guide you through the whirling billows of the storm. May you be a light of love yourselves, so that others get a taste of God’s love, of His Kingdom and its Peace. All this for the glory of God our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.