Scripture/Sermon of the Day

13 “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.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 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.

The Law and the Prophets

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,[a] not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks[b] 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. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

I. Salt and light. Everything Jesus says and does is about the kingdom of heaven.

Two weeks ago — January 25th — we heard him say: “Repent! Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!”

II. The kingdom of heaven is here. But where? Can we see it? Are we in heaven now? How can we know?

III. Last Thursday there was big story in the news — “BREAKING NEWS!” I’ll to tell you. But maybe what’s more important than the story is what you feel when you hear it. Do you feel angry? Sad? Indifferent? Does the story bring you joy? Or maybe you’ll feel inspired.

WHAT WE FEEL when we hear the news is one way of knowing how close — or how far — we are from the kingdom of heaven.

IV. Here’s the big news. Last Thursday, February 5, for 12 HOURS, on the social media platform, Truth Social, owned by Trump Media & Technology Group, there was a picture of Barak and Michelle Obama as apes, while background music played “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Barak and Michelle’s heads were on the bodies of apes. The outrage from this picture was so intense — from both Democrats and Republicans, that the picture was eventually removed.

When asked about it, the president said he wouldn’t apologize.

He said “It wasn’t a mistake…..I mean I look at a lot of thousands of things. I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine,…Nobody knew that that was in the end. If they would have seen it and probably they would have had the sense to take it down," he said.

But it was up for 12 hours — and people saw it — and it wasn’t taken down until the bipartisan outrage became so strong.

The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the posting, saying: “PLEASE STOP THE FAKE OUTRAGE and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

V. Salt and light, Jesus said. The kingdom of heaven.

What did you feel when you saw that picture, or when you read about it, or heard about it just now?

Does this story bring you closer to — or farther from — the kingdom of heaven? Or no change.

VI. I was inspired when I saw this story — it brought me closer to God’s kingdom of heaven and to Jesus. Because it shows me how desperately I — how urgently we — need Jesus — it made my spiritual resolve even more intense.

WHEN I SEE RACISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY AND HATE LIKE THIS, I AM INSPIRED TO BE EVEN MORE DILIGENT IN DOING MY CENTERING PRAYER EVERY DAY — MORE COMMITTED TO LOVING GOD AND MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF.

“Salt” and “light” are words Jesus uses for “love.”

VII. Jesus taught us to respond to racism and white supremacy and hate with love. When someone hurts us, we respond with goodness, blessing, and love.

We can’t change others. But WE CAN PRAY AND BEG AND PLEAD with God to give us “the mind of Christ,” and know that God will answer that prayer.