Sermon on the Mount: Salt & Light

A sermon preached at United Presbyterian Church in Lonetree, Iowa on April 12, 2015 from Matthew 5:13-17. 

A few weeks ago while preaching on the beatitudes I stated that Christendom is over.

What we see now is that:

• Leaders of the church are no longer admired. Any mention of them only seems to happen when they are exposed for unseemly behavior.

• The ideas and notions of the church are no longer given preference in society. In fact, those on the extreme ends of our faith are lifted up by others as caricatures to be made fun of.

• The church has become just another extra-curricular activity. It's no longer central to family life or to the formation of our kids.

For many of us this is hard news to swallow. The church and its role in society no longer works like we think it should or how we've always seen it work.

If this is news to you or if this is a new idea to you, I hope you won't simply dismiss it. I hope you will take some time to think about it, talk about it, read about it, and ask what it means for the church.

I hope you'll do that because I think it's vitally important for us to grasp this new reality. I'm convinced if the church doesn't work out the implications of this change, then the future of the church – at least as we have known it – will be bleak.

That's not to say that Christianity itself is in trouble. Our faith will always be around, I'm sure of that.

But how we express that faith will not stay the same. It will change and adapt. And it's already been doing just that in different ways and places around the world.

To help us in that work, I think the Sermon on the Mount is the perfect text for a church pushed to the side of culture.

It reminds us of the truth of who we are and who we are called to be. And it gives us a map to make our way in the reality of this new world.

But before we can see how it's message is relevant to us today, we need to consider its message for the early followers of Jesus.

They were simple folks who lived simple lives: fishermen, homemakers, tax collectors, tent makers, and fabric makers and assorted others from around the edges of the Roman Empire.

According to the values of their world, they didn't amount to much. They were nothing special. They weren't the sorts of folks you would think would make much of a difference in the world.

And their world told them that too.

They were after all, subjects in the Roman Empire, which dominated its conquered peoples and - in order to keep them from rebelling - convinced them they had little value and no power.

To them, the message of Jesus was simple:

You are salt. You are light and even more pointedly: You are “indispensable...as indispensable as salt or as light.”

Back then, those would have been encouraging words for Jesus' followers.

They too are encouraging words for those of us who might feel sidelined or marginalized. For those of us who might wonder how we are to be the church in the world in which we find ourselves.

I want you to take note that in this passage:

Jesus does not say, "If you want to become salt and light, here's how you do it...."

He does not say, "before I can call you salt and light, I need to see this from you...."

He also doesn't say: “You will be salt” or “You should be salt”

Instead he says, “You ARE the salt of the earth. You ARE the light of the world”

It's as if Jesus says: You can't become those things. You can't stop being those things. You simply are those things.

Now, it's true Jesus goes on to say that salt which loses its saltiness is useless and that light wasn't made to be put under a bushel. Which might imply that there is a threat behind Jesus words

This passage has certainly been interpreted that way.

But really, who has ever heard of salt that loses its saltiness? Or how many people actually put a lit candle under a bushel basket?

Those things just don't happen.

I think, all we should read in these words is a blessing and a commission:

"You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world! That's the way it is and that's the way it will always be. Period."

A few weeks ago, my wife and I attended the NEXT Church conference at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Downtown Chicago.

During my time there, I heard many great stories about what is happening around the church: Music programs with neighborhood schools. New ministries among those who are disabled. Work being done to bridge the racial divide.

A lot of great stuff.

However, as encouraging as it was to hear those sorts of things, I struggled with my time there because the conference mostly featured folks from fairly large, prominent, and well-resourced congregations mostly located in big cities and wealthy suburbs.

Which is a far cry from Lonetree, Iowa.

It's a far cry from the types of churches I've been a part of for most of my life. These are not the type of churches I've ever felt called to serve in my own ministry.

I came away a little discouraged and depressed. And admittedly a little jealous and envious. I even felt a little bit like I don't have much to offer to impact the world in a meaningful way.

The good news, however, is that in the past week, my faith has been renewed. And it's this chuch here in Lonetree that has helped renew that faith.

It's true, we may be located in a little town of 1,500 located in the corn fields of rural Iowa. We may not be a well-resourced congregation. We may not be flashy and we may not be out there doing innovative, cutting edge stuff.

But the truth remains: “We are salt and we are light.” And we are making and we continue to be called to make a difference in our world.

You see, over the past several weeks. I have seen you let your light shine, I have seen you be the salt of the earth.

I have seen faithful disciples gathered in worship on a joyful Easter Sunday sharing the good news of the resurrection: Over a hundred of us gathered here!

I have seen faithful disciples care for those in need through the Food Bank and through preparing Easter Baskets.

I have seen faithful disciples loving and nurturing the children and youth in this community, giving them a place to hang out, have fun, and to hear God's word and to come to know God.

I have seen faithful disciples visiting the elderly and sharing the good news of God's love and peace with those society has often left behind.

I have see faithful disciples share their resources to help kids have a summer camp experience.

I have heard stories of you caring for the sick and those in need, of sharing the good news through a new website, and connecting the gospel to kids using the sorts of technology they naturally gravitate towards.

There is so much more which I'm sure I've failed to mention. And there's even more going on that I am simply not aware of.

I'm certain there are ways that each one of you is being Salt and Light in the world, in the places where you live, work, and play.

The truth of the matter is this:

Our success as disciples of Jesus is not measured by the world's standards.

It's not about returning the church to the center of culture, or once again becoming a prominent, well-attended congregation. If that's what we are striving for then I'm afraid we are working towards the wrong goals.

Instead our call is to live out in humility who it is we really are: Salt of the earth and Light of the world.

And to be so in both word and deed, not to give glory to ourselves, but so others might see and all would give glory and praise to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Now and forever.

Amen.

Rev. Christine Chakoian in Feasting on the Word and Rev. David Lose at Working Preacher provided some primary points of inspiration.