Matthew 5:13-20
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “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. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Ever read the prayers that are posted by the Vanderbilt Divinity Library?
They can be nice.
Here's one for this week. . .
Perfect Light of revelation,
as you shone in the life of Jesus,
whose epiphany we celebrate,
so shine in us and through us,
that we may become beacons of truth and compassion,
enlightening all creation with deeds of justice and mercy. Amen.
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/prayers.php?id=17
I do wonder at what sort of Salt and Light we are to be. At how that might be lived. At why we're so much more often something quite less tasty than good spice, something quite less illuminating than clear light.
Rolf Jacobson had an interesting comment last week on the workingpreacher podcast. He told of someone - their substitute organist - who came to their parish because a person had commented, I believe in a criticism - "those are the Lutherans, that's where they all think they're sinners." This sounded so honest, and different to the organist that (I think this was a woman) she started attending there.
Salt. Light.
Maybe not what people think it is.
Maybe the preaching task this week - is to announce it (AGAIN!)
You ARE the light of the world
You ARE the salt of the earth
I attended a continuing ed event back in my youth, the late 80's I think.
The small group facilitator I was with would have us preach extemporaneously a bit on a story.
He would say: "You are a Doctor of the Word!
Preach to me Doctor!"
Preach to me Doctor!"
And so, I say to you who are salt and light and are called to announce this saltandlight-ness to a congregation.
Preach it Doctor!
2 comments:
a quote
Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness. It strikes us when we walk through the dark valley of a meaningless and empty life...when despair destroys all joy and courage. Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks through a voice saying, "You are accepted. You are accepted by that which is greater than you and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now; perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek anything do not perform anything do not intend anything. Simpy accept the fact that you are accepted. If it happend to us, we experience grace.. Tillich, Shaking the Foundation
to be honest, I don't have much as far as the salt and light thing goes. I did like a comment on workingpreacher.org about the gospel text that relates to what kind of salt and light we are to be: "Whatever function Jesus had in mind [for salt], in all cases salt is not an element useful to itself. Its value comes in its application on other things. So, likewise the followers of Jesus are called to exist for others." Whatever else our saltiness is about, its pretty clear that it is about living for the other and not just for one's own saltiness.
I've been doing more thinking about the second half of the gospel text. A friend of mine posted something like this on facebook: "I do not know what it feels like to be perfect, but I do know what it feels like to be forgiven."
I think about Jesus' call to be more righteous than the Pharisees and scribes and get a little nervous about the text...mainly because I have no idea how to be that righteous (and maybe that's the point). However, it also makes me think about my time when I was young...and raced downhill skiing. I loved to race. Well, actually that wasn't the case, I loved to ski, I secretly dreaded racing. I dreaded it because I felt like my races were never good enough. I always had mistakes in the run and I don't think I ever had a perfect race. However, racing became so much more enjoyable (and I actually got faster) when I stopped worrying about having that perfect race. I wonder if Jesus is getting at something similar here. If we focus on trying to be perfect, we are doomed, but if we live into who we are (salt and light for the earth), we not other live abundantly, but also give flavor and light to those around us.
Post a Comment