Jesus accomplished your salty, enlightened life

Salt that loses its saltiness loses its benefits for food making it as good as dirt on a walking path. A flashlight turned on and put into a drawer is useless to help you see in the dark. Plus, it wastes batteries. And, in this economy, you do not want anything to go to waste. In our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus did not bring up salt because he was doing a cooking demonstration. Nor did he bring up light because he was giving a safety seminar.

The section of Scripture we focus on today comes right after last week’s verses from Matthew 5. We are still listening to Jesus teach his disciples from a mountainside. Remember, these are not the 12 disciples, but a larger group of Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5 are for those who already trust in him and have been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. They have faith and are looking forward to eternal life in heaven. We study this section of Scripture during the Epiphany season because Jesus appears here as the great teacher opening the eyes of the people to the real truths of Scripture that had been hidden by false teachers. Jesus was modeling what he preached by sharing the Word of God to preserve people for eternal life and enlighten them with the truth of the Scriptures, which at that time was referred to as the Law and the Prophets or as we call it today, the Old Testament.

As Jesus taught, he revealed what selfishness looks like among his disciples. In our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, we hear Jesus’ words, ¹³ “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.” Jesus said that believers are salt, which was most often used as preservative for vital food storage at that time. Then, 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.”

Matthew 5:14-16

Jesus said that believers are light, meant to be seen like a city on a hill or lamp lit for use inside a home. In his two illustrations, Jesus taught the downfall of salty, enlightened believers is giving into selfishness. Selfishness is like salt that loses its ability to preserve. Selfishness mixes the message of the Bible with worldly teachings. Or it leaves out teachings or speaks in a broad manner about topics. It lessens the severity of sin, the punishment for sin and the need for the Savior. Thus, selfishness does not preserve people, but leads to their destruction. Selfishness is also like hiding the light when you make sarcasm or cynicism your only response to the sinful broken world, rather than shining the solution of Jesus’ power to bring people hope in eternal life in heaven where there will be harmony and peace. Hiding your light is giving into peer pressure, the fear of confrontation or rejection, lack of love for others and lack of confidence in God to protect you and in the Bible to be your powerful defense against the dark, empty false teachings of the unbelieving world. Hiding the light is literally hiding your Bible away in a drawer or closet, or not opening it for so long that you do not even know where it is. Selfishness is not allowing others to be enlightened by the clear and full sharing of God’s Word. The downfall of salty, enlightened believers is giving into selfishness, and depriving the world of the preserving power of Jesus and enlightening truth of his forgiveness. Also, a selfish, loveless heart may ultimately lose its connection with Jesus leading a person to suffer eternity in hell.

Jesus made three statements in response to your selfishness. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus said,

“ ¹³ You are the salt… ¹⁴ You are the light… and 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.”

Matthew 5:13, 14, 17-18

Jesus said with absolute confidence that you are salt and light because he accomplished every aspect of the Law and the Prophets. Jesus showed on a small scale his power to preserve like salt by miraculously healing people’s diseases. Later, he would show his power to preserve life by returning to life after being entombed for three days making it clear he can also bring others back to life. Jesus showed his power to enlighten by teaching the truths of Scripture regarding repentance and the promised Messiah, rather than the self-righteous or genealogically exclusive, “We are children of Abraham,” teachings of the religious leaders of the day. Jesus put himself on a hill at his crucifixion to be seen by all like a city on a hill, and the message of Jesus has shined in each generation. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for your evil works, and traded you his life’s record of good, righteous works. Jesus carefully kept every aspect of God’s law by keeping the heart of God’s law, which is to show love to God and all people. A more detailed definition of the law is also the Ten Commandments, which again Jesus kept every moment of his life. Jesus’ perfect keeping of God’s law and his fulfillment as the promised sacrifice for sin to save all people gives glory to God the Father. Jesus’ unselfish work saved you from your selfishness. Jesus is the reason you are the salty, enlightened righteous. Because he accomplished everything in the Law and the Prophets, you are a member of the kingdom of heaven.

  Jesus taught that what he made us was to be shared. You are salty, enlightened righteous disciples who know the decay of sin. You see people disconnected from Jesus and help them. You mow grass or shovel sidewalks, make meals and post encouraging comments on social media, you sit and cry with the mourning, you listen to those struggling with their identity or addiction. These are ways you preserve the decaying, and as you do these things you also share Jesus who is the eternal preservative. You enlighten those sitting in darkness unaware of the message of Jesus. When you see someone pushing and pursuing ideas not found in Scripture, but spread by the devil or sinful people, you pause to ask questions and seek to understand, rather than blast them with words of judgment or intolerance. You wait patiently and then slowly turn the lights on for them, slowly sharing truths of Scripture so they hear more about what Jesus has done for them. And all the while you pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes and give them the gift of faith.

It was God’s purpose for the Israelites to live as salt and light. In our Old Testament reading from Exodus 19, the Lord gave Moses a message for the Israelites just months after they had been freed from slavery in Egypt,

⁴ “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

Exodus 19:4-6

God rescued Israel by his power. He freed Israel making them his treasured possession. And as his people, God gave them a special purpose. All of Israel was to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This calling went above the other temporary priesthood God set up from the tribe of Levi. God called all the people, male and female, young and old, from all the tribes, to be his holy priests to share the wonders of God’s powerful deliverance revealed in a small way when he saved them from Egypt, and the greater deliverance in the future through the promised Messiah, the Savior of both Jews and Gentiles. Israel had this calling because they had the Word of God, and this calling remains true for all who believe as we heard in our New Testament reading from 1 Peter 2,

⁹ “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

God showed you mercy by preserving your life and putting Jesus to death for your sins. You are the people of God’s kingdom, not bound only to temporary earthly kingdoms. You are the chosen, royal priesthood, holy and special. And as the unbelievers see you live differently, hear you speak differently and experience your unconditional love, God will receive glory as we read in Matthew 5, ¹⁶ “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Your leadership at Divine Peace wants to teach you what Jesus taught. The mission statement of Divine Peace that appears on our website, the bulletin, social media, etc. is “Teaching solid biblical truth in our community.” Hearing and believing Jesus’ teaching makes us the salty, enlightened people of God. Through worship and the creeds, bulletin, sermon, hymns, and Bible study and guidance in your personal devotions, our confidence grows in Jesus, and we are equipped to teach the full truth of the Law and Prophets, and the New Testament. He tells us what we are because of what he has done for us. He also tells us what to do now that we are his treasured possession. Salty salt is good for seasoning and preserving food. Shining light put up high and out in the open allows all to see clearly. You have been preserved and enlightened by Jesus. He carried out his Father’s will to live a perfect life, sacrifice himself on the cross and rise from the grave, and make you his disciples through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. You are equipped to preserve and enlighten others by loving them and sharing solid biblical truth. You have been saved and you get to share in the work to bring the saving message to others because Jesus accomplished your salty, enlightened life. Amen.