Epiphany 5 A – Promises, Not Commands
Dear Partner in Preaching,
It’s a promise, not a command.
This is, I think, the absolutely crucial element of this passage to keep in mind and allow to shape your sermon. Jesus isn’t saying, “You should be the salt of the earth and light of the world.” Or, “You have to be,…” let alone “You better be,….” Rather, he is saying, you are. As in already are. Even if you don’t know it. Even if you once knew it and forgot. Even if you have a hard time believing it.
Jesus is making to his disciples a promise about their very being, he is not commanding, let alone threatening, them about what they should be doing. And that’s worth tarrying over, as so many in our congregations and world experience God more like a divine law-maker and rule-enforcer than generous gift-giver. And because we experience God that way – always setting expectations that we can rarely live up to, we tend not to find as much inspiration and energy in our worship experience and faith lives as we might hope.
But in this passage, Jesus is making promises and giving out gifts. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. This is, like last week, sheer blessing. And, like the week before, it is about identity, about our very being, which in turn leads to doing. But before getting there, tarry with that promise. That is, invite people to look deeply into their lives over the last couple of weeks and think of the variety of ways God has used them to be salt and light. Their words of encouragement to others. Their faithful work at their places of employment. The volunteering they’ve done. The prayers they’ve offered or protests they’ve been a part of or promises they’ve made and kept.
Yes, any of these things may seem, in and of themselves, small. But please don’t forget: small is what God most often uses to change the world.
Once people begin to believe they are salt and light – not simply becoming or hoping to be but actually are – then you can encourage them to continue to be salt and light, letting their light shine so that people will see their good works and give thanksgiving and glory to God.
And that matters, because if ever there was a time when we needed to be blessed with the gifts of salt and light it’s right now. Check the headlines; listen to the news; glance over the social media pages – there is an unusually pervasive sense of dis-ease in our world and the divisions evident in our country don’t skip all that many of our congregations. Which is why we need to remind our folks that they are salt and light and bless them to let that light shine all the brighter.
But here’s what’s hard: we won’t all agree on what exactly being salt and light looks like. I have pretty strong opinions about that, and perhaps you do too. But my difficulty is that some of the people who feel very differently than I do are people I know well and love. Family members, wonderful colleagues, capable parishioners, and I find it hard to discard their opinions without discarding them.
So where do we go? Is encouragement “in general” all that is available to us? Is a silence that makes room for all to feel welcome that best we can manage?
Two thoughts on this. First, do not underestimate the importance of congregations being a place where folks of all different viewpoints come together. While many of our congregations are fairly homogeneous in terms of cultural, ethnic, and economic diversity, they are more diverse in terms of political views and generationally than most spaces in the country. Perhaps part of our congregational calling is to be places that gather people who may differ on approach to being salt and light but commit to pray for deeper understanding, for wisdom, and for courage to speak and act in line with our faith, and for each other.
Second, there may be value in linking this sermon to last week’s, where we saw Jesus called blessed all kinds of people the world doesn’t always call blessed. What does this say about the God who sends Jesus and the communities called to follow him? Those who mourn and are meek. Those who are poor in spirit and merciful. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. These are the people God blesses and calls us to bless. Much later in Matthew, well after the sermon on the mount and just prior to Jesus’ crucifixion on another mountain, our Lord will also call us to discover his presence among those who are without shelter, without adequate food and clothing, and who are imprisoned and lonely (Mt. 25). These words from Jesus can shape a shared sense of calling and values even if we may continue to wrestle with how best to live those values here and now.
This is a difficult time for many people and for many reasons. We need salt and light in this world. And the crazy thing is that God has already provided it…right in and through the persons who will be seated in front of you this weekend. Tell them they are loved, Dear Partner. Tell them they are blessed. Tell them they are salt and light – already! And tell them that God is not done with them yet, that God will continue to bless the world through their prayers, words, and deeds as Jesus’ faithful disciples. Tell them, that is, that Jesus is making promises today, and we are all about to be changed by them.
And then, please, do just one more thing: count on the promise that Jesus will use your words and life, Dear Partner, to continue to bless this people and world God loves so much. Thank you.
Yours in Christ,
David
David,
Thank you for your words regarding “salt and light.” It is indeed a difficult time for many, but God in Christ is right here in our midst. We have been given that light and salt to enable our sharing and living out the gospel. I am always lifting up how much God loves each and everyone of us. I am reminded of the fourth verse of the hymn: “Have You Seen Jesus My Lord.” It begins with: “Have you seen the face of Christ in each other?” We all need to see the face of God in each other as we interact with one another. Maybe that would begin to change for the better the things we think and say about and to one another. Blessings on your ministry. Thank you for sharing your thoughts each week in your comments on the lectionary.
Love that song. Haven’t heard it in years!
To me, it is a command 🙂 https://livenlove.org/2017/01/30/awesome/
Yes, it seems to be both promise AND command. Promise–we are named and made to be salt and light by the grace of God. We need not worry about that. But then, salt can either give life (and flavor) or kill–just pour some out on the grass and see what happens. And light can either be dispersed or contained. Like our baptism, God gives us our identity. What we do with that is reflected in the promises we make when we affirm our baptism.
Thank you, for this word of promise that I, personally needed to hear.
I particularly like the promise that we are – we are salt and light. Over the years pastors were in the habit of saying we can become. in fact, in my diocese we are being coached in being beacons of Christ’s presence in the community. Perhaps the true questions are – how tasty are we and how brightly are we shining.
Just one question. Why did you say at the end (of this another series of wonderful insights by you) Jesus is making promises today, and we are all ABOUT to be changed by them.” Are we not changed already?
Promises are active, even tensive. I think the change continues. Kind of like Luther’s statement that Christians “are always becoming.” Changed and still changing, I guess. I think that’s what promises do. Thanks for a great question!
I go back to the word… Always being made new, again… I think part of our problem is we think in terms we have made it, reached the finish line, but as long as we are active in this earthly kingdom, the finish line is moved ahead of us, calling us forward, moving us forward, into becoming what God intends us to be, ever growing and changing, so that we may be equipped to be salt and light to a world that is dynamic, and ever changing…
I wonder if the metaphor of salt and light is meant to bring to mind that salt can both preserve and be abrasive depending on where and how much you apply. And light can be experienced as both revealing and blinding. I think of Paul being blinded by the light of Christ and that same light revealing to him the Christ and himself in life-changing ways. I recall someone preaching about salt plates being used in earthen ovens to help the dung burn. In that case salt helps to turn up the heat. When the salt loses its saltiness things cool down…If we are salt and light, we carry in us both sides of the coin and God can use it all! I like the idea that Jesus is promising this is who we are and maybe most especially when we claim the blessedness of being poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting, pure in heart, peacemakers and rejected,
I appreciate so much the inclusive nature with which you write these commentaries. That is, “Dear Partner”. Acknowledging my challenges, the people in the pews in front of me, their struggles and mine, is so affirming. Thanks once again for an inspirational spark and grain of salt to get me started. You are blessed.
Homerun this week David! Thank you so much for your words and the work you do each week. You have no idea how much your reflection sustains a preacher week in and week out. Blessings to you!
I’m late to the game this week, as I only learned I will need to preach on this text a couple of hours ago (sick colleague). But your comments are hand-in-glove with reflections from Richard Swanson (provokingthegospel.wordpress.com) and together, will knit me a sermon. If you get the chance, check out his insights on the much older teaching about salt.
Always grateful for your insights and grace-filled reflections.
It came to me in the middle of last week’s sermon–we tend to read scripture in ways that help us feel good about ourselves. We have favorite parts that we read in difficult times. What if we, instead, began reading scripture as a mirror that reflects God’s love and desire for us, and do the difficult (and redemptive) work of seeing how the image we present reflects what we read? The promises you mention are not just heard by those in the pews. We present ourselves to our communities and to a world who also hears those promises and deeply desires their fulfillment. And when Jesus speaks of fulfillment, then the Kingdom is near, drawing together in completeness.