Sermon 5th February 2023 – 5th Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Matthew 5:13-20 – Salted
or Assaulted
We live in a very
health-conscious age. We watch our calorie intake – we read that ever shrinking
panel on the back of products to see how many kilojoules that frozen pizza has.
We try to get those 10,000 steps up each day. We chose “fat free”, “no added
sugar” and “reduced salt” as healthy options. You reduce your guilt when you
stop past McDonalds and get the Large Meal Deal as long as you get Diet Coke as
the drink option.
Jesus uses analogies today to
describe our presence in the world as Christians as salt of the earth. A very
interesting analogy because salt can actually be considered harmful to our
health. No doubt if you’ve been for a checkup recently that one of the
recommendations by your GP would have been to try and reduce your salt intake. But
could you imagine a life without salt? Your fish n chips – that piece of steak
– that salad– those salt and vinegar chips. So it’s not about getting rid of
salt but finding just the right balance between health and taste. Even though
Jesus speaks about salt losing its saltiness there’s a lot of questions as to
whether that can actually happen.
But what can happen is that
salt can lose its benefits particularly when it is overused or wrongly used –
hence the saying “rubbing salt into a wound”. Or if you put too much salt on
your fish and chips it can actually ruin the flavour. And you can’t unsalt it –
it takes into the taste immediately. And you can’t add something to nullify it.
You can’t add sugar to counterbalance the saltiness. So when Jesus says that we
are the salt of the earth this is something we seriously need to consider. Of
how we balance our saltiness in the world so that we don’t cause harm to people
and the Christian message by oversalting.
But on the other hand, just
like fish and chips without salt – our world without the Christian message
would be a poor world indeed. So, it’s about striking a balance. It’s how we
read our situations. Have you ever put salt on your meal without tasting it? You
presume the chips always need salt. But what if the person who prepared the
chips had already put salt on them?
Likewise it can be harmful to
a situation when we come straight in with the LAW of God in order to judge and
create repentance to lead to forgiveness and we haven’t read the situation of
the person. Sometimes a person’s spirit has been already weighed down with
guilt and remorse and they need to hear the freeing word of comfort in the
Gospel – your sins are forgiven – you are accepted by God. Like the woman
caught in adultery who was already aware of her wrongdoing by those wanting to
stone her. Judgment had already been passed.
There is a saying that journalism
exists to Comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable. As Christians
we need to be careful to ensure that we comfort the afflicted which is what
Paul says in 2 Corinthians: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all
our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any
affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. That
doesn’t mean there is no place for the law. No. Jesus said - Do not think that
I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but
to fulfill. 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.
Last week we had our latest
review and it was identified that a huge part of our mission in the -Go, Grow
and Enable model is to “GO”. To be part of Jesus’ Great Commission - go and
make disciples of all nations. This doesn’t just happen as Paul tells us in
Romans: How can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And
how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can
they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell
them without being sent? “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring
good news!” And this is what Jesus means about being the light of the world.
We have been enlightened with
the Holy Spirit through our Baptism. And we are commissioned to not keep that
light hidden - No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,
but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. But, like salt,
the purpose of that light is not for our own enlightenment but God’s – Let your light shine before others, so that
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
In Baptism is where the Great
Commission originates - go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And notice that last part – TEACH them
to obey. It’s not about judgment when it comes to the law but about teaching
which is, sadly, how the Christian faith is often heard is - “THOU SHALT NOT”.
We want to teach people ABOUT
God. And it is in that teaching that allows the Holy Spirit to do the necessary
work. If it’s a word of the Law to bring about repentance then the Holy Spirit
will do so in the right measure. If it’s a word of comfort that is needed then
the Holy Spirit will do that too, in the right measure.
And that’s exactly what Paul
discovered in our 2nd reading when he said: I did not come proclaiming the
mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing
among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness
and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with
plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
The Holy Spirit knows exactly
what is needed in a person’s life because no one comprehends what is truly
God’s except the Spirit of God. Pastor Nathan spoke about connecting with our
community. For those who missed it, he spoke about purchasing a camper trailer.
And when he went to pick it up he discovered that the camper trailer and his
vehicle had different connections and therefore he couldn’t connect them and
take the camper trailer home. So we need to discover how we connect with people
around us. Paul discovered that same challenge when he said: Those who are
unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness
to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually
discerned.
So we need to start way back
at the beginning. And Jesus said the greatest commandment is: Love God with all
your heart. And love your neighbour as yourself. That’s the beginning. Be God’s
salt in the world. Salt is used for healing – bring healing to those hurting in
the world. Salt is used for preserving. We too can perverse God’s world by, as
Jesus said, that people may see our good works and give glory to God. And, salt
is used not just to flavour but to enhance and draw out the flavour of food. We
too can bring flavour into the world by living lives that show our hope in God
in a world that is losing much hope through wars, climate change, economic
uncertainty, rising crime, health fears.
Yes we face them too but we
know that God is and always will be in control and so we live with hope.
And as St Peter says - Always
be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
