Bible Text: Matthew 5:13-16 | Preacher: Pastor Karen Bartkowski | Series: The Beatitudes | “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  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.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

Hello!  My name is Karen Bartkowski and I am the Associate Pastor here at Lima United Methodist Church.  I am glad to join you in worship today and I pray that our time together will be a blessing.

Jesus says You are the Salt of the Earth and You are the Light of the World.  We know that Jesus loves to teach in parables.  He chose words with symbolism and metaphor.  I think Jesus taught and spoke this way so that we would have to do some thinking to really understand what he is telling us.  Maybe that thinking will help the message sink in a little more.  This is one of my favorite spiritual disciplines.  I love searching the scriptures.  If you listened to the Thoughtful Thursday a couple of weeks ago, you heard me say that searching the scripture is WAY different than reading the Bible.  If we just read the scripture passage from today, we would understand that it is Jesus speaking and we could pronounce all the words.  But, do we really understand what Jesus is saying?  What does it mean to be Salt and Light?  Here’s my goal for us for today.  Let’s write this scripture passage in our own words.  Let’s expand upon what Jesus was saying, let’s add some description and some definition by doing a little work.  I pray that this exercise would help us to expand our comprehension, to see the nuances of Jesus’s teaching and to begin to realize the message in the scripture for us personally.

Let’s start with the very first word!  You…Jesus is speaking to his original 12 disciples, but he is also speaking to each one of us who is now a disciple of Jesus.  You, who are sitting on your couch, You, who are in your recliner, you who are dressed up for church or you who are still in your PJs. You who are young and you who don’t feel so young anymore!  You, all of you, and me!  All of us!  And Jesus didn’t say you might be salt and light.  He didn’t say if you work hard enough you could be salt and light someday.  No, he said YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH and YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.  My friends, You are salt and You are light.  I am salt and I am light.  Jesus named us!  Jesus commanded us!  

So, say it outloud right now. Say your name and “You are the salt of the earth”.  Go ahead…And say your name and “you are the light of the world”.

So, we are all in this together.  That’s comforting! But, what did Jesus really name us?  Salt?  Light?  If Jesus calls me salt and light, I would really like to understand what that means.

Let’s look at what we think we already know about salt and light,  about what their purposes and uses are, and let’s come up with some other words that might mean something similar.

SALT

It’s probably on our table or in our kitchen right now, right?  It’s on the shelves in the grocery store.  Maybe you have some in your garage in preparation for the icy weather.  We don’t typically have any trouble getting access to salt.  It’s out there and we buy it and use it without much thought.  What do we use it for?

You likely are saying, flavor our food, right?  We put it on our eggs, in our pasta water, on our potatoes.  Some people add salt before they even taste the food!  Salt changes the flavor of the food, doesn’t it?  Or draws out the natural flavor of the food?  Salt is a flavoror!

Historically, salt has been used mostly as a preservative.  Without the benefit of refrigeration, fresh meat rubbed with salt would last far longer than meat without salt.  Salt would have been necessary as food was transported from the farm to the community or town.  Without the salt, the food would spoil and not be safe for consumption.  Without salt, there would be a lot of waste.  Now we have refrigerated trucks and warehouses that help get food safely to the consumer.  Salt is a preservative!

Salt makes us thirsty.  Salty food makes us desire something to drink. Restaurants rely on this fact.  The more thirsty you become, the more drinks you buy.  I read an article that said that all you can eat buffets (remember them?) add salt to their food.  This way people fill up by drinking water and actually eat less.  Either way, salt makes us crave water.

In the realm of gardening, salt can serve 2 purposes.  Salt can act as a fertilizer.  It can promote growth in some plants.  But, conversely, salt can be used to tame weeds.  Salt has the ability to help grow what is good and remove what is bad.  Salt can produce and stamp out.

And, salt is vital to human life.  Salt regulates the electrolyte and water balance in our bodies.  Too much or too little salt can cause health issues.  We cannot live without salt.

We may occasionally use the phrase “salt of the earth” to describe someone.  He is the “salt of the earth”.  What does that mean?  It usually describes someone with high moral character, who is reputable and credible, someone who is a role model. In this sense, Salt is a compliment.

In the Old Testament, we read several times about salt being used as a covenant.  Salt was to be used on any meat that was offered to God as an offering.  Salt was known for its purity and any offering given to God needed to be pure and clean.  Adding salt secured the purity of the offering. Salt was also consumed to celebrate the bond of friendship.  Ancient customs said that people who ate salt together were secured in friendship. The use of salt preserved the promise created between people or between people and God. Salt connects people to each other and to God.

So, what do we have so far…salt provides flavor, salt is a preservative, salt makes a crave water, it both promotes growth and eliminates the unwanted. Salt defines connection. It is vital to our very life and in social context describes a person who is highly thought of.

Jesus said, You are the salt of the earth.  7 words!   As we apply our very cursory study of salt, we can begin to be able to expand our understanding of Jesus’s words.

Jesus is saying we add flavor to the world, we have the ability to make things better than they are. Jesus is saying that we can preserve what is important and life giving and remove what is harmful and unjust.  Jesus is saying we can preserve peace.  Jesus is saying that we can make others crave water, the Living Water that is Jesus Christ.  Jesus is saying that we are vital to the health of others.  If we are salt, we have the ability to make and keep connection with others and with God.

You are the light of the world. 

LIGHT

Light is one of those things we likely take for granted.  Know how we can be sure of that.  Who flips the light switch on when you enter a room when the power is out?  I can’t see you, but I hope I am not the only one raising my hand or nodding my head.

Light is everywhere.

Created first by God to separate the darkness.  Genesis 1 says  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”  

Of course, our largest source of light is the sun. It provides us with the light necessary to see the natural creation of God.  Light provides us the ability to see the details of creation we would miss in the darkness.  

In Jesus’ time, the sources of light were the sun and fire.  Fire used in candles, in torches, in ovens.  No electricity meant the only source of light was of God’s own creation.  Daylight defined time.  Sun down defined the beginning of the Sabbath for the Jews and for the beginning and the end of festivals and celebrations.  Light during the day was used for work and darkness for rest, except on the Sabbath.  Light was a trigger for life in the town to start, for people to wake up and get to work.  In the evening, when the sun went down, people retreated to their homes and used small candles to provide light until they went to sleep.  Light signals there is work to be done..

Now we have electricity, so we turn on the light when we get home so that we can see where we are going.  So that we don’t walk into the sofa or trip over our dog or step on one of those nasty legos left on the floor by our kids.  Think about a lighthouse.  Built purposefully on the land that juts out into the ocean.  Built and maintained so that boat captains would know where the land was, and then either plan to approach the land or to steer away to avoid crashing into the shore.  We use light to prevent something harmful from happening.  Light can show us potential danger.

A couple of weeks ago our dishwasher broke.  I guess it was not used to being run every day or even more than that with all of us home all the time.  When we called our neighbor to see if he would be willing to help us fix it, he of course asked some questions.  I had to look under the sink and examine the hook up.  I could see under there.  I saw the extra sponges and the cleaning solution.  I could see where the dishwasher hose was, but I could not see enough detail to answer my neighbor’s question.  I had to use a flashlight.  Sometimes we need extra light, more intense light, more pointed light to make out the details.  It wasn’t enough to see, I needed to examine.  Light gives us the ability to see even more detail.

How about a traffic light?  It provides order to the intersection.  It provides direction to the people who have approached the same intersection.  Can you imagine the streets of Delaware County without traffic lights?  Light provides order.

The moon looks like a light doesn’t it?  It glows because it is reflecting the light of the sun.  It does not have it’s own ability to produce light but relies on the power of the sun to be seen.   Reflected light is powerful and beautiful but is dependent on a power source. Light can be direct or indirect.

Just like salt, light is vital to our health.  Our bodies need to absorb the light of the sun and change it into Vitamin D to remain healthy.  Plants use light to grow.  We cannot live without light.

We know the phrase “she lights up a room.”  What makes us say that about someone? It means that you have great energy and appeal. So much so that the room seems dreary until you show up. Just like a smile lights up a face, an individual can light up the room. It means you have good energy, positive energy, make people feel good, or/and you are beautiful.  Light describes us approachable, authentic and friendly.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, ““I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The prophet Isaiah foretells of Jesus: I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them  and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.  Our source of light is Jesus.

So, what do we know about light? Light reminds us there is work to be done.  Light protects us from danger and helps us see even more clearly. Light provides order and is vital to our health.  Light can show others that we are open and positive.  Our source of light is Jesus Christ and the light we reflect has power and beauty.

Jesus says You are the Light of the World.  7 more words, tons more meaning.

Jesus is saying that we have power as we reflect the love of Jesus.  We have beauty as we reflect the life of Jesus.  We have a responsibility to help others avoid dangerous situations.  Jesus says we can accentuate important ways of life.  We can spotlight injustices and organize ourselves and others to reduce the chaos and prevent further damage. Jesus is saying that as light we attract others to us.  We brighten the world around us.

14 words of Jesus.  A few words with so much to understand.  Jesus has called us, you and me to VITAL, life giving, powerful work.  He has called us the salt and the light.  He has named us using words that are basic, using elements that are readily available and seemingly unending.  In the first 12 verses of this 5th chapter of Matthew, Jesus says that despite the challenges I know you will bear on this earth, I have called you blessed.  I always thought that Jesus was telling me that eventually I will be blessed, happy and content despite the challenges. I never really made a connection between the Beatitudes and the Salt and Light verses. Now I ask how can Jesus call us salt and light and make us wait for the blessing?  How are we to endure and overcome the struggles we and others have?  How do we find the energy and the strength to be peacemakers and justice makers?   Last week Pastor Dorry challenged my thinking and gave me a new understanding of being blessed.  An understanding that gives me confidence in fulfilling the roles of salt and light.  She said she came across a definition of blessing 

Pastor Dorry said that she had learned that the blessing is a transfer of God’s spirit to us.  Each blessing gives us a new dose of God’s spirit. An injection if you will.  An injection of the power of the spirit of God.  WIth that spirit power comes peace, encouragement, discernment, strength, boldness, compassion…the list can go on and on…a blessing means we get to feel God even stronger in our lives, we get to move to a deeper relationship with God, we grow to be more like the “little Christs” we have been called to be.  We can see how we can embody the titles that Jesus has bestowed on us…You are the salt of the earth and You are the light of the world.

To God be the Glory,

Amen.