Salt and Light

This sermon can be listened to here

Gate Pa –  5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year A - 2020

Readings:

Psalm                          Psalm:  112:1-9

First Reading:              Isaiah 58:1-9 

Second Reading:         1 Cor 2:1-12

Gospel:                          Matt 5:13-20

What I want to say:

What does it mean for Jesus to fulfil the law? What does it mean for how I am salt and light? Last week we were given a list of kinds of people who we might aspire to be in the beatitudes. They are salt and light. Who is salt and light for me? 
What I want to happen:

Who is salt and light for me? Am I salt and light?

The Sermon

       1.     Introduction:

Jesus calls some people who have been listening to him

Engaging with him
fisherman and others

He invites them to give away all they are

To let go of who they are

Their family

Their place in their community

Those relationships and roles that sustained and defined

He invites them to follow

To a new identity

Disciple to him

This new rabbi

And after a short while he gathers them

Up a hill

Overlooking their world

All they had known of life

With all its grief and despair

Violence always lurking on the edge

Poverty defining each day

The constant demand of upholding honour

Surviving Rome

Paying the masters

Living

Gesturing at this world he says

Imagine a world where the most important people are the poor in spirit,

How different would this world be

Can you imagine a world where we look up to those who mourn,

Or where people aspire to be like the meek.

That is what the reign of God looks like

 I long for people to join me in honouring those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

   where we all revere the merciful.

Imagine a world where the pure in heart receive great honour.

  Or where children grow up aspiring to be numbered among the peacemakers.

For the sake of all you see out there

Hold in the greatest honour those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I say to you, "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in reign of God,

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

You can imagine

They are stunned

These brand spanking new disciples

This is not what they were expecting

And those others who saw them go

Who tagged along to listen in

I invite you to join them on that hill

Listening in

They cannot believe their ears.

But Jesus is not finished

He looks at his new followers

Straight in the eye and says

" when you are reviled and persecuted

You are the salt of the earth;”

     As an aside
     Salt is great making food taste good
     And preserving meat
     And if we use iodised salt
     Keeping us free of goiter
     But too much and then its all about high blood pressure
     But maybe Jesus isn’t talking about this use of salt
     But salt discs used in the dung fires
     Make dung burn hot enough to cook the food

"When you are reviled and persecuted

You are the salt disc of the earth oven;

helping God’s reign to bubble away

but if salt has lost its saltiness,

it can’t be restored

It is no longer good for anything,

but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.

When you are reviled and persecuted

You are the light of the world.

Like Jerusalem

A city built on a hill cannot be hid.

No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket,

You do that when you put out the oil lamp

But when you light it

You put on the lampstand,

and it gives light to ALL in the house.

in the same way,

Be a light

live the reign of God

Set an example of what that reign looks like

Not to get fame and glory for yourself,

but so that others will see God's goodness.

Don't think that my teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets.

And don't think you can skip the details.

Details count.

But something more than the details is also needed.

You must align your whole self with what God desires

- that is what those in Kingdom of Heaven are like.

The scribes and Pharisees are soaked with Torah

be even more soaked

live the law and the prophets.

What did you hear?

What surprised you?

What questions do you have?

How do you want to respond?

Discussion

       2.     Law and Prophets

Think we often think Jesus teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets

NRSV says

“"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil”

Fulfil

What does it mean to fulfil the law and the prophets

       3.     Who is salt and light?

Who is salt and light for me?

Am I salt and light?