Scripture/Sermon of the Day.  February 5, 2023

Matthew 5:13-16, 20

Salt and Light

13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14-16 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won’t know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Reflection/Sermon:

I.      Last Thursday I did a funeral for a man I didn’t know but learned some things about him through his family.  He loved rock music from the 1960’s, especially a band called the Dave Clark Five.  We sang their song:You’ve Got What It Takes.
Some of the lyrics are:
“You don’t drive a big fast car; you don’t look like a movie star; and on your money we won’t get far; but baby, you’ve got what it takes. — You don’t live in a beautiful place; you don’t dress in the best of taste; and nature didn’t give you such a beautiful face — but baby — you got what it takes.”

That’s the message of our gospel passage this morning.  God has given us “what it takes” to share the love of Jesus Christ — we’ve got what it takes.  And Jesus says: “Now use it.”

II.     There are different translations of the Bible that I use each week.  There’s a mistake in this morning’s though.  Our translation says we are here to be salt-seasoning.  But most translations say WE ARE THE SALT.  This is more accurate.  We already have the salt of God’s love in us.  Jesus says we have what it takes, right now.

III.    And we are the light of the world — right now.  God’s light is already in us — we have what it takes, right now.   One of the tragedies of life is living and not realizing we carry these gifts of God with us.  They are in us; we’ve got what it takes.

The SALT of truth and God’s light of love are in us now to cast out demons of ignorance, as Jesus did.  We are exorcists.  One of the most terrible demonic afflictions in the world is racism, the evil idea, the lie, that God made human beings differently from one another, and that some races are better than others.  White supremacy is the affliction that comes straight from the devil, the idea that the white race is superior to other races.  But Jesus showed us how to exorcise that evil spirit.  Sprinkle the divine salt of love and truth on it — and that demon will be cast out.  The salt of love is the great healer, stronger than a virus.  The more we use it, the more it spreads. AND WE ALL HAVE IT. “JUST USE IT!”Jesus said.  Cast out the demon of racism with the truth that God’s image is in each of us and our calling is to love every living soul, as Jesus did.

V.      Our greatest problem is not believing Jesus when he says we are the salt of love and the light of truth.  We think they’re outside of us.  We’ve been raised and conditioned in a culture that says we don’t have what it takes.  But we can buy it. 

VI.     I realized this last Friday in CVS — I had a revelation of God in the aisle of hair care products.  I was there picking up Annie and her friend after school. They were going to buy hair color and spend the night coloring each other’s hair.  I looked at all the hair color products in that aisle.

And all the products for men. I imagined myself looking like one of the handsome men on those boxes.   Recently I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in years and he said, “My God, you’re all gray!”  For a moment I thought, “Oh no — I’ve lost something.   I’m losing my salt and light!  Help Jesus!  Maybe if I buy the “Just For Men” Clairol’s “Natural Instincts” I’ll have what it takes again.  They’ll give me back my salt and I can be the light of the world again.

I’ve lost the salt and the light of my true nature — but I can buy it for between five and thirty dollars.

V.      But Jesus said we have what we need right now.  The salt and light of God’s love is already in us.  We just have to use it. “Believe me!” Says Jesus.  “My endless love and mercy flow through you, right now.  YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES.  USE IT!”