The Fifth Sunday in Lent

SERMON

INI

Text: Matthew 5:13-16

In Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord, through whom we become the most blessed people ever to walk on this earth,

Fellow Redeemed:

Who are you? How would you describe yourself? I was fortunate some years ago to become involved as a student in a Dale Carnegie Course. HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE is probably the trademark of the course. It was an interesting experience. But one part of it stands out in my mind as particularly helpful. After a few sessions the group was asked to form a circle. Each one of us took our turn sitting in the center of the circle. The group took turns telling us what they saw in us, or how we came across to them. Now, that was revealing. Talk about introspection! You know, the Lord has an interesting way of describing us. He tells us who we are. He doesn’t tell us who we should be, who we could be, He tells us who we are. For example, YOU ARE ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. (Gal. 3:26) YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE. (I Peter 2:9) YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH. (Mat.5:13) YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. (Mat.5:14) My friends, it doesn’t matter what your occupation is or what your title may be. You will never surpass the value or importance of these names.

It is true, you will never become great in the eyes of the people of this world because of who you are. The contrast is amazing, isn’t it? Someone will learn how to act and pretend to be someone else on a movie screen and people go crazy to get them to sign their name on something. Or someone either sings or yells (there is a difference you know) on television and they become an American idol, literally. Someone figures out how to hit a ball that is thrown by him 100 miles an hour and is paid millions of dollars to do it even though he hits it only 30% of the time. Some people consider it the high point in their life if they can get close enough to the person to see him or shake his hand.

Nevertheless, you together with all believers in Christ are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In other words, we are indispensable to that all important, Godly purpose, without whom total spiritual darkness would cover the earth and total spiritual decay would devour it.

The Apostle Paul is inspired to explain us, as paradoxes, that is, seeming contradictions: UNKNOWN, AND YET WELL KNOWN; AS DYING, AND, BEHOLD WE LIVE; AS CHASTENED, AND NOT KILLED; AS SORROWFUL, YET ALWAYS REJOICING; AS POOR, YET MAKING MANY RICH; AS HAVING NOTHING, AND YET POSSESSING ALL THINGS (II Cor. 6:9-10)

In short we are God’s amazing, special people with one all important purpose: THAT YOU MAY PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HAS CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT. (I Peter 2:9) As such, YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

THE SALT OF THE EARTH Those of us who yet recall the days before refrigeration or the icebox can well relate to the use of salt. Salt was used not only to flavor food but it was used liberally as a curing and preserving agent for food, especially meat. It is still used for that purpose to some degree today.

Just as salt counteracts decay and preserves food in a sound and eatable condition so the disciples of Christ are the salt of the earth. They alone have what it takes to overcome spiritual and moral corruption and decay. And to be sure, there is plenty of spiritual and moral corruption and decay all about us in the world as well as in the church of the day. I don’t think we need to go into details. The newspaper, magazines, television, movies etc. are full of it.

My dear friends in Christ, I’m going to lay it on the line. This is the way it is. You who are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus are the only ones who can counteract this corruption and decay. Man—that is a big bill to fill, isn’t it? Indeed it is. But we are the only ones who have what it takes to fill the bill. Because we have the power of God and the wisdom of God.

May I share with you some worthwhile words from a psychiatrist, yes psychiatrist, who wrote Christian Psychiatry. He writes, "Not only does the Bible give Christian counselors a framework it gives the best framework. It not only gives insights into human behavior, it puts everything into proper perspective. It tells who man is, where man came from, the purpose of man, and the nature of man." (p. 13)

That is the point you see. God in His Word does not merely deal with the symptoms of the problem. As Martin Luther has said, "How the salting takes place is easily understood. Christians must rise and say; ‘All that is born on earth is of no account, rotten, and corrupt before God.’" And one cannot cure the rottenness by working with the symptoms of the problem.

In other words one is not going to cure cancer by putting a band-aid on the open sore and taking an aspirin for the pain. One needs to cut deeply—to the very base of corruption and rot. For the Savior makes it so very clear, OUT OF THE HEART PROCEED EVIL THOUGHTS, MURDERS, ADULTERIES, FORNICATIONS, FALSE WITNESS, BLASPHEMIES. (Matthew 15:19) The root of all the corruption is in the sinful heart of man. And in order to get at the root of it all the salt of God’ s Word alone must penetrate to the core.

It alone can shatter the stony heart of man and over come his will and turn his life into a living sacrifice unto the Lord. This is really the only solution. There is no end to the books and articles printed to deal with the matter. There are people with various degrees who claim to be experts on the subject of human behavior—but all of it is for naught without the Word of God.

Now the Lord brings us up rather short with a question. First of all He reminds us, YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH. No salt substitutes here. BUT IF THE SALT LOSES ITS FLAVOR, HOW SHALL IT BE SEASONED? There it is again—you and I are it. And if we do not bring the Law of condemnation against sin and the sweet Gospel of God’s forgiving love to bear on this sinful, putrid and decaying world who in this whole wide world is going to do it? Indeed, the Lord even takes it one step further. He points out the obvious, BUT IF THE SALT LOSES ITS FLAVOR, HOW SHALL IT BE SEASONED? IT IS THEN GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT TO BE THROWN OUT AND TRAMPLED UNDER THE FOOT OF MEN. In other words, if we have lost our desire, if we have lost sight of our one primary purpose in our life than what are we good for?

To be sure, the only labors of lasting value which shall endure the fires of judgment are the labors which all of us do for the salvation of our children, our friends our neighbors—yea, all mankind. Everything else goes up in smoke. Lord, forgive us for our lack of saltiness. Fill us with Your Spirit that we may be what we are as opportunities come before us.

Now, as if that were not enough to spiritually digest, my friends in Christ, you are also THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Now I suppose one might respond by saying, "Now just a minute here. Isn’t that claiming just a little too much? The light of the world? After all, isn’t Jesus the light of the world? Indeed, He is. Jesus says, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. HE THAT FOLLOWS ME SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS BUT SHALL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE. (Jn. 8:12)

So how do we become the light of the world? Well, we are the light of the world but not because we are the source of the light in this sin darkened world. We are the light of the world because we are reflectors of that TRUE LIGHT. As the Apostle Paul is inspired to write, FOR YOU WERE ONCE DARKNESS, BUT NOW YOU ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD. WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT (Eph. 5:8) And again, you are, CHILDREN OF GOD IN THE MIDST OF A CROOKED AND PERVERSE GENERATION, AMONG WHOM YOU SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THE WORLD, HOLDING FAST THE WORD OF LIFE… (Phil. 2:15-16)

Yes, beloved in Christ, God has set His city of believers on a hill, so to speak. He has set us on a hill in the midst of a sin darkened, adulterous and perverse world of people. He doesn’t wish for us to crawl off into a monastery or off where we have no contact with any one else. Of course, there are times that is exactly what we wish to do. And from time to time we need to get away from everything to rest. Even Jesus and His disciples had to do that,

But the point is that as we live out our time of grace here in this world we will want to let our light shine as a beacon set upon a hill for all to see. We do this individually and collectively as we carry on the work of His kingdom with others. But if the individual light is dim the whole church’s light loses some of its brilliance.

We may hear a fellow believer say, from time to time, or we may have uttered these words ourselves, "But I am no missionary." I beg to differ. Yes you are. It comes with the package. As soon as the Gospel of God’s love in Christ Jesus enters our heart and draws us into His kingdom for time and for eternity we become part of the plan of God.

And He uses each of us according to the gifts that He has given and according to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Not every one will become a pastor or a teacher in the church but many times lay people have better opportunities than pastors and teachers. I am finding that out more and more each day. I am finding numerous opportunities to carefully let the light of the Lord shine. Our light is our whole lives, words, actions—all to the glory of God.

It is not that the Lord has assigned to us an impossible task. It is not as though, for example, He has required that we convert 20 people to Christ before we die. We couldn’t do that anyway. And God knows that. Only He can change hearts and draw people into His kingdom. But He give us this little task which is absolutely essential to His work. Be what you are! Be the salt that is needed so badly. Be the light in this sin darkened world. God says, "I will do the rest." The hymn writer puts it all into perspective by simply asking:

The world is in gross spiritual darkness. And we have the only light around—the only light available. You are it, my dear friends. You are indispensable. You are not replaceable. YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

There should be no doubt in your mind, whether your light shines in your neighborhood, at school, in church, in India or Africa, as you let the light of Christ shine in your life and actions by word and deed some will come out of spiritual darkness into the glorious sun light of Gods gracious love in Christ Jesus. And so shall be fulfilled those beautiful words of Is. THE PEOPLE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT THOSE WHO DWELT IN THE LAND OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT HAS SHINED (Is. 9:2).

Indeed, my friends in Christ, remember, it is not that we should be, or ought to be, or could be. No, by friends in Christ WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Praise be to God for this grand and glorious opportunity to be co-workers together with Him.

We pray that the Lord our God will fill us with His Spirit that we may simply be what we are, by His grace, in His name and to His glory Amen

—Pastor L.D. Redlin, emeriti