CALLED TO BE SALT AND LIGHT
Matthew 5:13-16; John 1:1-5
Rev. Paul Wrightman 8/28/22
WE HAVE SPENT THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS TAKING A CLOSE LOOK
AT WHAT ARE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE “BEATITUDES,”
THE DECLARATIONS OF BLESSING WHICH BEGIN
JESUS’ MOST FAMOUS SERMON, THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
THE BEATITUDES ARE TO THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
WHAT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
IS TO OUR OWN CONSTITUTION.
JESUS INTENDED THE FINAL BEATITUDE, WHICH WE LOOKED AT
LAST WEEK, TO BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE BEATITUDES AND
THE BODY OF THE SERMON PROPER.
AS WE SAW THERE, JESUS DOES SOMETHING NOTABLE
IN SWITCHING FROM THE THIRD TO THE SECOND PERSON.
THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “BLESSED ARE THOSE. . .”
AND “YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH. . .”
JESUS’ UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN GRAMMAR HAS THE EFFECT
OF PULLING US IN AND ADDRESSING US PERSONALLY:
“YOU (CALL OUT A FEW NAMES) ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH;”
AND “YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
THESE STATEMENTS, COMING WHERE THEY DO,
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BEATITUDES,
SHOW US THAT THE POINT THAT JESUS IS MAKING
IS THAT IN LIVING OUT THESE DECLARATIONS OF BLESSING
HIS FOLLOWERS SERVE THE VITAL FUNCTION
OF BEING SALT AND LIGHT TO THE WORLD.
AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE WITH THE FIRST THREE GOSPELS
TO BE WRITTEN, MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE,
JESUS LINKS DISCIPLESHIP WITH A WAY OF LIFE,
A CONCRETE WAY OF LIVING, AND NOT WITH A SET
OF STATEMENTS ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO BELIEVE.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, WRITTEN CONSIDERABLY LATER THAN
MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE, INTRODUCES A NEW DIMENSION
OF DOCTRINAL BELIEF WHICH IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT IN THE
EARLIER GOSPELS.
FOLLOWING MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE, THE CLEAR IMPLICATION
IS THAT ANYONE FROM ANY FAITH TRADITION WHO LIVES A LIFE
WHICH REFELCTS THE VALUES EMBODIED IN THE BEATITUDES
IS ACKNOWLEDGED, AT LEAST BY JESUS, IF NOT THE CHURCH,
AS BEING A MEMBER OF HIS OWN FAMILY.
JESUS MAKES EXACTLY THE SAME POINT IN MATTHEW, CHAPTER 25,
WHERE IT IS CLEAR THAT ANYONE WHO FEEDS THE HUNGRY AND
WELCOMES THE STRANGER IS CONSIDERED BY JESUS TO BE
A BROTHER OR SISTER OF HIS.
THIS SHOULD BE A BIG RELIEF TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE
NOT OFFICIALLY “BELIEVERS,”
AND WHOM SOME OF OUR FAMILY RELATIONS
WHO ARE FUNDAMENTALIST OR EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS
TELL US ARE GOING TO HELL BECAUSE THEY DON’T
BELIEVE THE RIGHT THINGS ABOUT JESUS.
A STRONG CASE CAN BE MADE ON THE BASIS
OF MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE THAT JESUS HIMSELF
COULD CARE LESS ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVED ABOUT HIM.
INSTEAD, CARES A WHOLE LOT ABOUT PERSONS
LIVING THEIR LIVES AS HE LIVED HIS.
THIS DOES NOT AMOUNT TO WHAT EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS
WRITE-OFF AS “WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” THE MISTAKEN BELIEF
THAT WE CAN SAVE OURSELVES BY PERFORMING “GOOD DEEDS.”
WHAT IT DOES AMOUNT TO IS THE AFFIRMATION THAT ANYONE
WHO IS POOR IN SPIRIT, WHO IS DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE
BROKENNESS OF THE WORLD TO THE POINT OF TAKING ACTION,
ANYONE WHO HUNGERS AND THIRSTS FOR RESTORATIVE JUSTICE,
WHO PRACTICES COMPASSION-IN-ACTION,
AND WHO STRIVES TO BE A PEACEMAKER,
ANYONE WHO ACTUALLY LIVES THIS WAY IS IMPLICITLY CONNECTING
THEIR LIFE TO THE LIFE OF JESUS, AND CAN BE CONSIDERED,
IN THE BROADEST SENSE OF THE TERM, A FOLLOWER OF HIS.
THESE SO-CALLED “ANONYMOUS” FOLLOWERS ARE “SAVED”
JUST AS MUCH AS THOSE WHO HAVE EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGED
JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR AND LORD.
THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
THROUGH LIVING ACCORDING TO THE WAY OF JESUS.
IN FACT, THEY MAY BE CLOSER MEMBERS OF JESUS’ FAMILY
THAN THOSE WHO HAVE ADOPTED THE NAME “CHRISTIAN”
BUT COULD CARE LESS ABOUT LIVING THE WAY THAT JESUS DID.
THUS, WE HAVE THE IRONIC REALITY THAT NON-CHRISTIANS
AND THOSE FROM OTHER FAITH TRADITIONS WHO
ARE INTO FEEDING THE HUNGRY AND WELCOMING THE STRANGER
ARE ACTUALLY BETTER FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
THAN MANY SO-CALLED “CHRISTIANS.”
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US CONTEMPORARY FOLLOWERS
OF JESUS TO BE SALT AND LIGHT?
WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE REFERRED TO HIS DISCIPLES
AS BEING SALT AND LIGHT FOR THE WORLD?
IN JESUS’ TIME SALT WAS CONNECTED IN PEOPLE’S MINDS
WITH THREE SPECIAL QUALITIES: PURITY, PRESERVATION,
AND FLAVOR.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT JESUS SPECIFICALLY REFERS TO TASTE
IN TODAY’S READING ABOUT SALT, I THINK IT’S PRETTY CLEAR
THAT THE MAIN MEANING HE HAS IN MIND
IS QUALITY NUMBER THREE: FLAVOR.
IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS IS TELLING US THAT BEING
A FOLLOWER OF HIS SHOULD BE TO LIFE
WHAT SALT IS TO FOOD.
THE CLAIM IS THAT THE QUIET BUT CONFIDENT JOY
THAT COMES FROM LIVING LIFE ACCORDING
TO THE BEATITUDES GIVES FLAVOR TO LIFE,
BOTH ONE’S OWN LIFE, AND THE LIVES OF THOSE
WITH WHOM ONE IS CONNECTED.
THE TRAGEDY IS THAT, SO OFTEN, PEOPLE HAVE
CONNECTED CHRISTIANITY WITH PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE
OF FLAVOR, OR QUIET, CONFIDENT JOY.
THEY HAVE CONNECTED CHRISTIANITY WITH THAT WHICH
TAKES THE FLAVOR OUT OF LIFE.
JUDGE OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES ONCE SAID:
“I MIGHT HAVE ENTERED THE MINISTRY IF CERTAIN
CLERGYMEN I KNEW HAD NOT LOOKED AND ACTED
SO MUCH LIKE UNDERTAKERS.”
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON, A ONE-TIME CARMEL RESIDENT --
WHO WROTE TREASURE ISLAND USING POINT LOBOS
AS HIS INSPIRATION -- ONCE ENTERED IN HIS DIARY,
AS IF HE WERE RECORDING AN EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON:
“I HAVE BEEN TO CHURCH TODAY, AND AM NOT DEPRESSED.”
WE NEED TO REDISCOVER THE LOST JOY OF CHRISTIAN FAITH.
AND JESUS PROMISES THAT OUR LIVES WILL BE BLESSED,
OF FILLED WITH JOY, IF WE LIVE OUR LIVES ACCORDING TO
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES HE SETS FORTH IN THE BEATITUDES.
I SUSPECT THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS THAT CHRISTIANITY
IS KNOWN AS A SOURPUSS RELIGION IS THE FACT THAT
WHAT THEY SEE WHEN THEY SEE MANY CHRISTIANS
IS PERSONS WHO ARE JUDGMENTAL, ARGUMENTATIVE,
AND CONDEMNING,
RATHER THAN PERSONS WHO ARE FILLED WITH THE JOY OF LIVING
BECAUSE THEY ARE LIVING THE WAY THAT JESUS LIVED.
JESUS CONTINUES IN TODAY’S READING:
“YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
IT MAY WELL BE SAID THAT THIS IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT –
AS ALSO THE GREATEST CHALLENGE – THAT JESUS GIVES TO US,
HIS FOLLOWERS.
JESUS CLAIMED TO BE “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
WHEN JESUS TELLS US THAT WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD,”
HE IS TELLING US THAT WE ARE LIKE HIM WHEN WE LIVE
OUR LIVES AS HE LIVED HIS LIFE.
WHEN JESUS SAID THAT HIS FOLLOWERS MUST BE THE
LIGHT OF THE WORLD, WHAT DID HE MEAN?
A LIGHT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST SOMETHING WHICH
IS MEANT TO BE SEEN.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE HOUSES IN PALESTINE
WERE VERY DARK, WITH ONLY ONE LITTLE CIRCULAR WINDOW
NOT MORE THAN EIGHTEEN INCHES ACROSS.
THE LAMP WAS LIKE A SAUCE-BOAT FILLED WITH OIL
WITH THE WICK FLOATING IN IT.
IT WAS NOT SO EASY TO REKINDLE A LAMP IN THE DAYS
BEFORE MATCHES EXISTED.
NORMALLY THE LAMP STOOD ON THE LAMP STAND,
WHICH WOULD BE NO MORE THAN A ROUGH WOODEN STOOL.
WHEN PEOPLE WENT OUT, THEY WOULD COVER THE LAMP
WITH A BUSHEL BASKET IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE FLAME.
JESUS IS USING HOMESPUN IMAGERY TO POKE FUN
AT HOW ABSURD IT WOULD BE TO GO TO ALL THE TROUBLE
OF LIGHTING A LAMP FOR LIGHT, AND THEN TO IMMEDIATELY
DARKEN THE LIGHT BY PUTTING IT UNDER A BASKET.
JESUS IS TELLING HIS FOLLOWERS THAT OUR LIGHT –
THE LIGHT WHICH COMES FROM LIVING THE WAY THAT HE LIVED –
IS MEANT TO BE SEEN, NOT HIDDEN.
JESUS’ IMAGE OF GIVING LIGHT TO THE WORLD IS HIS WAY
OF REPEATING THE MESSAGE THAT HIS FOLLOWERS
ARE MEANT TO BE SALT, PROVIDING THE WORLD WITH FLAVOR,
WITH A TASTE OF WHAT REAL LIVING IS ALL ABOUT.
AS SOMEONE HAS WELL SAID, “THERE CAN BE NO SUCH THING AS
SECRET DISCIPLESHIP, FOR EITHER THE SECRECY
DESTROYS THE DISCIPLESHIP, OR THE DISCIPLESHIP
DESTROYS THE SECRECY.”
NOTICE THAT JESUS DID NOT SAY
“YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE CHURCH;”
IN OTHER WORDS, EVERY DIMENSION OF OUR LIVES,
INCLUDING WHAT WE CALL THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
DIMENSIONS OF OUR LIVES, IS TO REFLECT THE VALUES,
THE LIGHT OF JESUS.
NOTICE ALSO JESUS’ BLATANT EMPHASIS
ON “GOOD WORKS” OR “GOOD DEEDS.”
NOT A WORD ABOUT RIGHT BELIEFS.
MANY WORDS ABOUT RIGHT ACTIONS.
I’D LIKE TO CLOSE BY LOOKING AT A MORE MYSTICAL,
A MORE MEDITATIVE, DIMENSION OF LIGHT, A DIMENSION
WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH GOOD WORKS
OR GOOD DEEDS, BUT IN REALITY HAS EVERYTHING
TO DO WITH THEM, BECAUSE IT IS THE SOURCE, THE WELLSPRING,
FROM WHICH OUR GOOD WORKS AND DEEDS FLOW.
AS THEODORE ROETHKE SAYS IN HIS MAGNIFICENT POEM
IN THE “AS WE GATHER” SECTION OF TODAY’S BULLETIN,
“BEING, NOT DOING, IS MY FIRST JOB.”
IN GREEK THE WORD KALOS MEANS BOTH GOOD
AND BEAUTIFUL.
GOODNESS AND BEAUTY ARE BOTH CONNECTED WITH LIGHT.
IN THIS CONTEXT, WHAT COULD BE MORE EMPOWERING
THAN TO ALLOW OURSELVES SIMPLY TO BE IN THE PRESENCE
OF THE VERY SOURCE OF LIGHT, WHO MANY BELIEVE TO BE JESUS?
THIS REMINDS ME OF A STORY FROM DR. RACHEL NAOMI REMEN:
DR. REMEN WRITES:
“AS AN ADOLESCENT, I HAD A SUMMER JOB WORKING AS A
VOLUNTEER COMPANION IN A NURSING HOME FOR THE AGED.
THE JOB BEGAN WITH A TWO-WEEK INTENSIVE TRAINING
ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE ELDERLY.
THERE SEEMED TO BE A GREAT DEAL TO REMEMBER.
WHAT HAD BEGUN AS A RATHER HEARTFELT WAY TO SPEND
A TEENAGE SUMMER QUICKLY BECAME A REGIMENTED SET
OF TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS FOR WHICH I WOULD BE EVALUATED
BY THE NURSING STAFF.
BY THE FIRST DAY OF ACTUAL PATIENT CONTACT,
I WAS VERY ANXIOUS.
MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS TO VISIT WITH A
NINETY-SIX-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO HAD NOT SPOKEN
FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.
A PSYCHIATRIST HAD DIAGNOSED HER AS HAVING
SENILE DEMENTIA, BUT SHE HAD NOT RESPONDED TO MEDICATION.
THE NURSES DOUBTED THAT SHE WOULD TALK TO ME,
BUT HOPED THAT I COULD ENGAGE HER IN A MUTUAL ACTIVITY.
I WAS GIVEN A LARGE BASKET FILLED WITH GLASS BEADS
OF EVERY IMAGINABLE SIZE AND COLOR.
WE WOULD STRING BEADS TOGETHER.
I WAS TO REPORT BACK TO THE NURSING STATION IN A HOUR.
I DID NOT WANT TO SEE THIS PATIENT.
HER GREAT AGE FRIGHTENED ME AND THE WORDS ‘SENILE DEMENTIA’
SUGGESTED THAT NOT ONLY WAS SHE FAR OLDER THAN ANYONE
I HAD EVER MET, SHE WAS CRAZY, TOO.
FILLED WITH FOREBODING, I KNOCKED ON THE CLOSED DOOR
OF HER ROOM.
THERE WAS NO ANSWER.
OPENING THE DOOR, I FOUND MYSELF IN A SMALL ROOM
LIT BY A SINGLE WINDOW WHICH FACED THE MORNING SUN.
TWO CHAIRS HAD BEEN PLACED IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW;
IN ONE SAT A VERY OLD LADY, LOOKING OUT.
THE OTHER WAS EMPTY.
I STOOD JUST INSIDE THE DOOR FOR A TIME, BUT SHE
DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY PRESENCE IN ANY WAY.
UNCERTAIN OF WHAT TO DO NEXT, I WENT TO THE EMPTY CHAIR
AND SAT DOWN, THE BASKET OF BEADS ON MY LAP.
SHE DID NOT SEEM TO NOTICE THAT I HAD COME.
FOR A WHILE I TRIED TO FIND SOME WAY TO OPEN A CONVERSATION.
THE SILENCE IN THE ROOM WAS ABSOLUTE.
SOMEHOW IT ALMOST SEEMED RUDE TO SPEAK,
YET I DESPERATELY WANTED TO SUCCEED IN MY TASK.
I CONSIDERED AND DISCARDED ALL THE WAYS
OF MAKING CONVERSATION SUGGESTED IN THE TRAINING.
NONE OF THEM SEEMED POSSIBLE.
THE WOMAN CONTINUED TO LOOK TOWARD THE WINDOW,
HER FACE HALF HIDDEN FROM ME, BARELY BREATHING.
FINALLY I SIMPLY GAVE UP AND SAT WITH THE BASKET
OF GLASS BEADS IN MY LAP FOR THE FULL HOUR.
IT WAS QUITE PEACEFUL.
THE SILENCE WAS BROKEN AT LAST BY THE LITTLE BELL
WHICH SIGNALED THE END OF THE MORNING ACTIVITY.
TAKING HOLD OF THE BASKET AGAIN, I PREPARED TO LEAVE.
BUT I WAS ONLY FOURTEEN AND CURIOSITY OVERCAME ME.
TURNING TO THE WOMAN, I ASKED, ‘WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?’
I IMMEDIATELY FLUSHED.
PRYING INTO THE LIVES OF THE RESIDENTS WAS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN.
PERHAPS SHE HAD NOT HEARD.
BUT SHE HAD.
SLOWLY SHE TURNED TOWARD ME AND I COULD SEE HER FACE
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IT WAS RADIANT.
IN A VOICE FILLED WITH JOY SHE SAID,
‘WHY CHILD, I AM LOOKING AT THE LIGHT.’”
REFLECTING ON THIS EXPERIENCE, DR. REMEN CONCLUDES:
“A NINETY-SIX-YEAR-OLD WOMAN MAY STOP SPEAKING
BECAUSE ARTERIOSCLEROSIS HAS DAMAGED HER BRAIN,
OR SHE HAS BECOME PSYCHOTIC AND SHE IS NO LONGER
ABLE TO SPEAK.
BUT SHE MAY ALSO HAVE WITHDRAWN INTO A SPACE
BETWEEN THE WORLDS, TO CONTEMPLATE WHAT IS NEXT,
TO SPREAD HER SAILS AND PATIENTLY WAIT
TO CATCH THE LIGHT.”
THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT ALL OF US,
WHEREVER WE ARE ON OUR JOURNEY OF LIFE,
ARE ESSENTIALLY LIKE THIS WOMAN.
LIKE HER, WE ALL LIVE, AT LEAST PARTIALLY, IN A SPACE
BETWEEN THE WORLDS, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH
THE WORLDS OF LIFE AND DEATH, BUT DEFINITELY, FOR US,
OUR EVERYDAY WORLD AND THE NUMINOUS, MYSTERIOUS
WORLD OF GOD’S SPIRIT.
PERHAPS WHAT WE MOST NEED TO BECOME
BETTER FOLLOWERS OF JESUS IS NOT TO READ
MORE SPIRITUAL BOOKS, OR EVEN TO HEAR MORE SERMONS,
BUT SIMPLY TO ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE RECHARGED
IN THE LIGHT OF JESUS’ PRESENCE.
PERHAPS WE SIMPLY NEED TO SIT IN SILENCE,
SPREADING OUR SAILS AND WAITING PATIENTLY
TO CATCH THE LIGHT.
AFTER ALL, OUR DOING ULTIMATELY SPRINGS
OUT OF OUR BEING.
WHAT WE DO IS AN EXPRESSION OF WHO WE ARE.
TO QUOTE THEODORE ROETHKE AGAIN:
“BEING, NOT DOING, IS MY FIRST JOB.”
ALL THIS ACTION I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT,
AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY – I BELIEVE JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT –
HAS ITS SOURCE IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
AND WHAT BETTER WAY CAN WE DEEPEN THIS RELATIONSHIP
THAN BY SIMPLY ENJOYING THE BEAUTY AND GOODNESS
OF BEING CAUGHT UP IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S PRESENCE?
SOAKING UP GOD’S GREAT LIGHT, AS IT WERE,
IS PRECISELY WHAT EACH OF US NEEDS
TO BE THE LITTLE LIGHT THAT GOD CALLS EACH OF US TO BE.
FOR ME PERSONALLY, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO SOAK UP
GOD’S LIGHT IS TO SIT IN SILENCE CONTEMPLATING, MEDITATING ON
A PROFOUND PAINTING OF THE FACE OF JESUS.
AND AGAIN FOR ME PERSONALLY, THE MOST PROFOUND PAINTING
OF THE FACE OF JESUS IS REMBRANDT’S “FACE OF CHRIST,”
A REPRODUCTION OF WHICH IS ON DISPLAY
IN THE ENTRANCE TO OUR SANCTUARY.
THEY SAY THAT “A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS,”
AND FOR ME THIS IS DEFINITELY TRUE WITH REMBRANDT’S PAINTING.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ORDER YOUR VERY OWN
PERSONAL PRINT OF THIS PAINTING, OR ANOTHER
THAT SPEAKS TO YOU, AND TO USE IT AS AN PRAYER ICON
LEADING YOU TO A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS.
THIS PRINT IS EASILY OBTAINABLE ON THE INTERNET SITE ART.COM.
JUST GIVE IT A TRY.
I SUSPECT THAT YOU’LL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED
BY THE POWER OF THIS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE.
IT’S JUST ANOTHER FORM OF PRAYER.
AMEN.