Matthew 5:13-20
Jesus said, "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."
Sermon
My brain likes rules and structures. In fact I think I could have been a pretty good pharisee... tell me the rules... line them up... and I will follow them... just show me which hoop needs jumping through and I’ll get it done... good rules that are doable are so helpful.
And so... upon turning 14 and getting a learners license... on those first few 10 mile drives into town from the farm, I would pull out of the yard and rapidly accelerate up to the 80km/h on the gravel... with no thought to conditions or the amount of washboard vibrating that poor old car into pieces, I would drive up to the speed limit and then immediately stop accelerating.
Then, half a mile later and breaking hard... I would get to the highway and do it again... I didn’t break any laws.
And this one time... there was someone going 98km/h on the highway and I approached slowly... at exactly 100km/h.
In Southern Alberta there are places where you can see 5miles at a stretch. I pulled slightly closer to the middle line (but I didn’t touch it...) and I looked 5 miles down the road... it was clear.
Mirror, shoulder, signal (the law of drivers education)... and I pulled out... and started to overtake the other driver.
It seemed like it took forever but I had the distance so... I saw no justification in breaking the law... the speed limit... I remember my Dad saying “What are you doing? Poor the coal to her... get around this guy...” and that day I probably set the world record for the slowest pass in Southern Alberta History. But I did not break the law.
Later my dad explained that there is the law... and then there is the “Spirit” of the law. We debated the realities of how laws work in reality - of how interpretation allowed for flexibility...
And ya know... I hated it... much like those early Pharisee’s I saw no flexibility in the law. Oh sure... there were lots of people in those old days that couldn’t keep the law due to financial situations and poor health... oh sure... there were the sick and the lame who physically couldn’t do it... and of course the foreigners... there was no room in God’s heart for them... but the law was the law...
Now...
I’m just as happy as the next person to complain about rules I don’t like... but for the most part... I think alot of people find that being nicely held to account by the laws of the town, the laws of morality, and the laws of God is OK.
But this is a false comfort really - to be comforted by the laws of God is to not take them seriously at all...
An example from our civic laws is helpful. I’m comfortable with our civic laws because for the most part I don’t get caught when I break them.
Every traffic violation isn’t caught, and every time the gate is left open and the dogs runs out does not result in fine to get the dog back. I’m comfortable with our civic laws because for the most part they work... but I’m not really following them perfectly nor am I held to account.
Now... imagine if you will... if... once a year you had to go down to the town office and they opened a special drawer and in it was every violation you got away with for the last year... and imagine if you were held accountable for what you had done, and what you had left undone..
Your past is going to haunt you! So the weekend you didn’t clear the snow on time, that time you spun your tires just for fun (stunting), that time you rushed through that school zone at 4:50pm. That home project you did without the proper permit. That tree that is currently too tall...
You get the point... this is an accounting where you are actually held accountable against the law. Actually exposed to this level of scrutiny, we fall short.
---
This is a mirror of what Jesus is talking about today.
If you think of the 1000’s of fines one might accrue in a year... most of us would financially sink. And the religious system of Jesus day was doing exactly that. The people gathered around Jesus for the most part are the poor, the lame, the foreigners, the jobless.
For these people... there was no way to afford what it would cost to be declared righteous. They are in fact sunk... and daily they live with the guilt that they are not measuring up... that they are not doing what is required of them... and the 100’s of laws that condemned them would allow no wiggle room. They live in fear of both Rome, the taxes, and even God.
And this is the role of the law...
The law kills. It exposes our short comings. It is impossible to fulfill.
Article 4 of the Augsburg confession begins this way “It is taught that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God by our own strength, merits, or works, or satisfactions.”
Now... if you change the law and only hold yourself accountable for the things that you personally value. Or... if you create a system where you can somehow buy your way out of it - give enough money to the church or charity or something... pay the fine as it were... you might consider yourself to be OK. You might even begin to feel comfortable outside the law/ And that is in fact what we have done with our civic laws... we are held loosely accountable to most of them... but we get away with a lot.
But let’s be clear... Jesus does not abolish the law... And today we hold the law, and the gospel together in our hands.
And you should be squirming in your seats now... I’ve only said half the story but... just like Jesus I have just told you that you are dead under the law... that not even the best of the best is good enough... and that you have no hope in your own systems or in becoming something different. Period.
And here is where Christian’s have a language of their own. “You’re dead in the things done and left undone.”
And what does that feel like? How does that jive with Canadian culture in 2011 to have someone tell you that you are “dead in your sins” and “Helpless to free yourself”? We live in a world that has millions of self-help books published every year that basically tell you how far away from being where you should be your are. We live in a world that is obsessed with:
Self-Help
Self-Improvement
Self-Guiding
Self-Discovery
Self-Love
Self-Motivation
And the key word here is “Self”
And the key element of all these things is “your not currently good enough”
And here is a clue... if any philosophy begins with the word “Self” it is going to fall short because it is rooted in what we know to be falling short. Both in civic and God’s law... the reality of being human is to not measure up.
---
But here is a key turning point.
Here is the hinge that links the law and the gospel.
Here is the freedom that the ‘self-righteous’ Pharisee has trouble with.
Here is the Word from God - from the holy other - from the one that is bigger than any one self... a power that originates from outside of ourselves...
God declares:
You are Salt of the earth. You are a light on the hill.
And take note... Jesus is not saying “You could be Salt and Light...”
Jesus does not say “I have a 4 point strategy on how you can live more salty.”
Jesus does not say “Here is how to shine brighter and make money too”
Jesus looks at the disciples and the crowds that are unable to meet the requirements of the law and declares “You are the Salt of the earth. You are a light on the hill”
Jesus declares the law fulfilled in his coming... the penalty of the law is fulfilled in Christs coming and dying and rising. That’s the gospel.
The law still has a purpose... and yet there is nothing that could take away from the declaration that Jesus is making.
You are Salt and Light and are freed from the condemnations of the law so that you can explore what this means - all this saltiness and lightness.
By taking the best rule followers in the world... the Pharisees and Scribes... the most self-righteous people possible... and stating that to enter the Kingdom of God you must be even more righteous... Jesus is proclaiming a new way to think about righteousness - a new way to be right with God.
You are salt... this is the reality that Jesus proclaims... and of all the spices on the rack... salt is the one that does not lose its flavour although it can be mixed poorly. Chalk and salt was the base of the Roman road system. Salt was an essential part of all grain offerings at the temple. Certain types of salt when burned change the colours of the flames. Salt is flavour... Salt preserves. Salt is a valued and useful. And you are salt for the world.
You are light... without which there is darkness... without which there is stumbling around. Even under a basket which no one would do... the light shines through. A single candle gives light to a whole room. You are light for the world.
We are not salty people who light up a room to earn righteousness... we are salty people who light up the world because this is how God is working in us... and with us... and through us...
---
Today God is showing us the reality of who we are... the reality of how the Word of God continues to permeate all people... and all things....
Amen
Jesus said, "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."
Sermon
My brain likes rules and structures. In fact I think I could have been a pretty good pharisee... tell me the rules... line them up... and I will follow them... just show me which hoop needs jumping through and I’ll get it done... good rules that are doable are so helpful.
And so... upon turning 14 and getting a learners license... on those first few 10 mile drives into town from the farm, I would pull out of the yard and rapidly accelerate up to the 80km/h on the gravel... with no thought to conditions or the amount of washboard vibrating that poor old car into pieces, I would drive up to the speed limit and then immediately stop accelerating.
Then, half a mile later and breaking hard... I would get to the highway and do it again... I didn’t break any laws.
And this one time... there was someone going 98km/h on the highway and I approached slowly... at exactly 100km/h.
In Southern Alberta there are places where you can see 5miles at a stretch. I pulled slightly closer to the middle line (but I didn’t touch it...) and I looked 5 miles down the road... it was clear.
Mirror, shoulder, signal (the law of drivers education)... and I pulled out... and started to overtake the other driver.
It seemed like it took forever but I had the distance so... I saw no justification in breaking the law... the speed limit... I remember my Dad saying “What are you doing? Poor the coal to her... get around this guy...” and that day I probably set the world record for the slowest pass in Southern Alberta History. But I did not break the law.
Later my dad explained that there is the law... and then there is the “Spirit” of the law. We debated the realities of how laws work in reality - of how interpretation allowed for flexibility...
And ya know... I hated it... much like those early Pharisee’s I saw no flexibility in the law. Oh sure... there were lots of people in those old days that couldn’t keep the law due to financial situations and poor health... oh sure... there were the sick and the lame who physically couldn’t do it... and of course the foreigners... there was no room in God’s heart for them... but the law was the law...
Now...
I’m just as happy as the next person to complain about rules I don’t like... but for the most part... I think alot of people find that being nicely held to account by the laws of the town, the laws of morality, and the laws of God is OK.
But this is a false comfort really - to be comforted by the laws of God is to not take them seriously at all...
An example from our civic laws is helpful. I’m comfortable with our civic laws because for the most part I don’t get caught when I break them.
Every traffic violation isn’t caught, and every time the gate is left open and the dogs runs out does not result in fine to get the dog back. I’m comfortable with our civic laws because for the most part they work... but I’m not really following them perfectly nor am I held to account.
Now... imagine if you will... if... once a year you had to go down to the town office and they opened a special drawer and in it was every violation you got away with for the last year... and imagine if you were held accountable for what you had done, and what you had left undone..
Your past is going to haunt you! So the weekend you didn’t clear the snow on time, that time you spun your tires just for fun (stunting), that time you rushed through that school zone at 4:50pm. That home project you did without the proper permit. That tree that is currently too tall...
You get the point... this is an accounting where you are actually held accountable against the law. Actually exposed to this level of scrutiny, we fall short.
---
This is a mirror of what Jesus is talking about today.
If you think of the 1000’s of fines one might accrue in a year... most of us would financially sink. And the religious system of Jesus day was doing exactly that. The people gathered around Jesus for the most part are the poor, the lame, the foreigners, the jobless.
For these people... there was no way to afford what it would cost to be declared righteous. They are in fact sunk... and daily they live with the guilt that they are not measuring up... that they are not doing what is required of them... and the 100’s of laws that condemned them would allow no wiggle room. They live in fear of both Rome, the taxes, and even God.
And this is the role of the law...
The law kills. It exposes our short comings. It is impossible to fulfill.
Article 4 of the Augsburg confession begins this way “It is taught that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God by our own strength, merits, or works, or satisfactions.”
Now... if you change the law and only hold yourself accountable for the things that you personally value. Or... if you create a system where you can somehow buy your way out of it - give enough money to the church or charity or something... pay the fine as it were... you might consider yourself to be OK. You might even begin to feel comfortable outside the law/ And that is in fact what we have done with our civic laws... we are held loosely accountable to most of them... but we get away with a lot.
But let’s be clear... Jesus does not abolish the law... And today we hold the law, and the gospel together in our hands.
And you should be squirming in your seats now... I’ve only said half the story but... just like Jesus I have just told you that you are dead under the law... that not even the best of the best is good enough... and that you have no hope in your own systems or in becoming something different. Period.
And here is where Christian’s have a language of their own. “You’re dead in the things done and left undone.”
And what does that feel like? How does that jive with Canadian culture in 2011 to have someone tell you that you are “dead in your sins” and “Helpless to free yourself”? We live in a world that has millions of self-help books published every year that basically tell you how far away from being where you should be your are. We live in a world that is obsessed with:
Self-Help
Self-Improvement
Self-Guiding
Self-Discovery
Self-Love
Self-Motivation
And the key word here is “Self”
And the key element of all these things is “your not currently good enough”
And here is a clue... if any philosophy begins with the word “Self” it is going to fall short because it is rooted in what we know to be falling short. Both in civic and God’s law... the reality of being human is to not measure up.
---
But here is a key turning point.
Here is the hinge that links the law and the gospel.
Here is the freedom that the ‘self-righteous’ Pharisee has trouble with.
Here is the Word from God - from the holy other - from the one that is bigger than any one self... a power that originates from outside of ourselves...
God declares:
You are Salt of the earth. You are a light on the hill.
And take note... Jesus is not saying “You could be Salt and Light...”
Jesus does not say “I have a 4 point strategy on how you can live more salty.”
Jesus does not say “Here is how to shine brighter and make money too”
Jesus looks at the disciples and the crowds that are unable to meet the requirements of the law and declares “You are the Salt of the earth. You are a light on the hill”
Jesus declares the law fulfilled in his coming... the penalty of the law is fulfilled in Christs coming and dying and rising. That’s the gospel.
The law still has a purpose... and yet there is nothing that could take away from the declaration that Jesus is making.
You are Salt and Light and are freed from the condemnations of the law so that you can explore what this means - all this saltiness and lightness.
By taking the best rule followers in the world... the Pharisees and Scribes... the most self-righteous people possible... and stating that to enter the Kingdom of God you must be even more righteous... Jesus is proclaiming a new way to think about righteousness - a new way to be right with God.
You are salt... this is the reality that Jesus proclaims... and of all the spices on the rack... salt is the one that does not lose its flavour although it can be mixed poorly. Chalk and salt was the base of the Roman road system. Salt was an essential part of all grain offerings at the temple. Certain types of salt when burned change the colours of the flames. Salt is flavour... Salt preserves. Salt is a valued and useful. And you are salt for the world.
You are light... without which there is darkness... without which there is stumbling around. Even under a basket which no one would do... the light shines through. A single candle gives light to a whole room. You are light for the world.
We are not salty people who light up a room to earn righteousness... we are salty people who light up the world because this is how God is working in us... and with us... and through us...
---
Today God is showing us the reality of who we are... the reality of how the Word of God continues to permeate all people... and all things....
Amen
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