Text: Matthew 5:13-16
Focus: Showing the Gospel is Good News
Function: The emphasis is on the showing.
Form: Bible Study
Intro:
There are two components to these illustrations that Jesus uses to tell us who we are and what we should be.
The first is Salt. The second is Light.
There has been this debate around our house and with others this entire week as to the question: Can salt actually lose its flavor?
And the same comes out from the fact that a city on a hill cannot be hid.
I suppose John Hepner already knows the answer to the question about whether or not salt can lose its flavor.
Sodium Chloride, what we commonly refer to as salt is a very strong bond. It doesn’t lose its flavor. If one dissolves it in water, the water takes on a salty taste. But, in that state, it can be broken down to Sodium and Chloride with an electric charge. They didn’t have that technology back then.
So the debate, why did Jesus use as a common illustration, something that cannot happen? He refers to salt that has lost its flavor and is thrown out.
Well, the answer to that is that Dead Sea Salt, or Salt Sea Salt is impure and most of it is not Sodium Chloride, but a mixture of impurities that cause it be affected by weather or other circumstances so that it doesn’t season food any longer.
What they used for salt, did indeed, based on probably unknown circumstances to them become useless.
And I hope you are saying “So what? Pastor Phil. Preach the Word.” Get to what the Bible means about this.
I needed that example to help us see just how Christian Salt loses its flavor.
If you have internet access, punch in the phrase “Can salt lose its flavor” and you will be amazed at how much arguing goes on about this subject, and whether or not the bible is actually true since pure sodium chloride will not lose its flavor and then you will see the words of theologians as they argue all the minute details of what this can possible mean.
And those arguments are exactly what Jesus is talking about here.
When the arguments like this happen, nit-picking over the meaning of words, and the possible ways it can be interpreted, then the salt of Christianity has lost its savor to the world Jesus came to heal.
In 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul commands these young pastors to stay away from minute arguments about the meaning of words, and endless theological debates. He wants them to keep the light shining, keep the salt salty.
In this passage, Jesus talks about flavor, about spice, about waking up taste buds and making things better when He tells us that we are the salt of the earth.
Our spice is here to make the world better. (Tell that to someone)
It is funny, about these endless debates that lead merely to one’s pride about what they know. One time, after preaching this, someone came up to me and said: “Well, Salt is also used to draw out the puss from a wound and it has been used as an irritant in wounds.”
I wanted to say: “I think you are illustrating that very well.” I wanted to say: “He is the creator of the Universe; He knows what salt can do.” But for this illustration, this one specific quality is a symbol of what the Church should be doing in the world around it.
Jesus is speaking about only one quality of salt here, its ability to add spice and flavor. Jesus is saying, with that metaphor, that we are called by Him to be a blessing to the world around us.
Another time, my sermon was titled “sourpusses and lanterns.” The same passage. I was asking the question, if we are to be a blessing to the world, this healing agent, then why do so many of us go around with sour-puss faces and attitudes? (I thought it was clever, how too much salt had puckered the face…) I preached how we need to be fun, happy, intelligent, and successful, then people would come to Christ.
Now listen, when Jesus comes into the life, He restores it. He heals it. He gives it a sense of purpose. The joy of the Lord becomes out strength.
That afternoon, I got a letter from someone, signed with an honest appraisal of my content.
I hear of preachers who get notes all the time. I have only gotten a few. I take signed letters to heart. Unsigned letters come from bad attitudes. But this letter was signed and she said, “pastor, it sounds like you are saying that if we fun enough people, attractive enough people, successful enough people, then others will want to become like us.”
She said: “How is that the gospel of God, changing the brokenhearted? Instead, it sounds like you are preaching is merely an invitation to some sort of country club.”
And you know what, she was dead on right?
When Jesus says: “You are the salt of the earth, did he say that if we are cool enough, fun-loving enough, and attractive enough then people will want to be like us and the church will grow?
Not at all.
This is in context. Look at the two verses before this passage:
Look at 11-13 again:
11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
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.
This is why we are here. We are here to be salt and light.
Who, in their right mind considers it to be a “fun club” when membership in this club brings down upon you the disfavor of those around you?
And how can this seasoning of life, this blessing of life attract people when it brings persecution with it?
Remember, we are in an upside down kingdom and things don’t work the way the world works.
The success behind that is right here in our text.
You are a city on a hill.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Many of you remember the gas rationing crisis of 1978 during OPEC’s oil embargo.
There was this editorial comic in the Newspaper.
A gas station owner, along an Interstate highway, had this great big huge sign that was designed to attract customers from the highway into his station.
He has this long line of cars, and they are only able to get a few gallons a piece. He is speaking to his attendant and said: “I wish there was a way to make that sign less visible from the road.”
Good or bad, there is no real hiding of what we are. What we do, not what we say, will reflect our faith.
We are a city set on a hill.
What we do will reflect who Jesus is.
What we say, will reflect what Jesus thinks.
And that city has this purpose: to be salt, to light the way.
We cannot hide what we are and what we have become.
And He tells us this so that we consider if we are actually salt and light.
What are we known for?
What are you known for?
Remember, the gospel is good news.
The salt for the earth, is good news.
Good news.
When I was in Bible College, it appeared that the political powers in the City of Fort Wayne were pretty corrupt.
And there were two very suspicious murders.
Sadly, there was a church in the city whose sign drew national attention and ridicule.
The sign read: “Sunday’s sermon, 10 people in Fort Wayne Who are Going to Hell.”
Now, I knew someone close to that the pastor. The Pastor, after reading the two verses before this, “you will be persecuted” was pretty proud of himself for his boldness.
As it turned out, no one from the media actually reported on who his 10 sinners were.
His bold signed was ignored.
He certainly wasn’t being salt.
Remember, Jesus calls us to light a candle to show the way to Him instead of merely cursing the darkness.
He read verses 11-12, and then quit reading when he got to verses 13-16.
The word GOSPEL means “Good news.”
If our message of salt and light is not good news, then it was the useless salt in the first place.
If the message is not good news, then it is not Jesus’ message.
The media did the best, or worse thing by that pastor, they ignored that preacher who changed the gospel into bad news.
I am not preaching about the reality of heaven and hell.
I am not saying the concept of good news does not also include the reality of hell.
If God is a God of justice, then hell exists.
The understanding of it, how it is used, the length and suffering in it, are in the hands of a loving God. Not in the hands of a God who delights in punishment.
2 Peter 3:9 states that it is not God’s will that any should suffer in hell.
So, in this passage, what is the good news?
It comes from Jesus’ statements about us.
1) You are the salt of the earth.
2) You are the city set on a hill.
3) You are a candle shining the way.
You are already.
Everyone is an example. Some Good. Some Bad.
So, He says, don’t hide your lantern, don’t hide your candle. Don’t wish that your Interstate Sign were less visible.
It is possible that the candle can be hid under a basket.
But He is pointing out the absurdity of hiding the candle.
We just don’t do it.
So the good news is expressed in Jesus confidence of us:
YOU ARE (you do not have to become)
YOU ALREADY ARE
So many of us are waiting to be bright enough lights, flavorful enough salt, and then we will be His witnesses. But Jesus’ statement is that this is who you already are.
This is the nature that we received from Him when we were born again.
You are the salt of the earth is a positive statement, not one intended to shame us.
I mentioned all the sermons and statements written on the Internet about this phrase, can salt lose its flavor? Many of those theological wanderings on the internet have to do with this idea of impurities.
The premise is this: If your salt is impure, then your salt loses its flavor and God will throw you out onto the manure pile (That is what Luke 8 says about salt that isn’t flavorful.)
And the idea is, that we cannot be a city set on a hill, we cannot be a blessing to others until we get rid of our own impurities.
All of a sudden the good news is turned to bad news in the fact that somehow we don’t measure up.
But listen, every one of us has impurities.
Every one of us needs a Savior. Every one of us needs a Savior –STILL.
Turn to someone and say: I still need Jesus.
Every one of us needs an healing.
And the Lord said this about you:
You are.
There is no hiding what you are.
A city set on a hill is obvious to everyone around it.
Whatever our deeds are, those are the deeds that the city set on a hill will shine.
You will shine a light.
There is no hiding it.
The warning is this: If our light is not good works, then our light is selfish works.
Jesus says, doing good works shines bright. And it may bring persecution, but you will have honor with me.
I think the things that stop us the most are the times when we say: “just a little bit more brightness, just a little bit more flavor, pastor increase our power so our lamps shine brighter, pastor make our salt more pure, and then I will serve.”
Here is why the light doesn’t have positive effect when it shines:
Some people say, “just a couple more of the real inspiring sermons, and then I will do my part in God’s Kingdom.”
Or, and more commonly, some people say, “just a few more years building my own financial security, job security or whatever, and then I will have time to serve by doing these good works.”
And those few moments, become years, become decades and it never happens.
So I love what Jesus does here. This is right at the beginning. This is before His 3 years teaching His disciples. This is Jesus saying with me, all things are possible.
So Let your light shine. Don’t hold back. There will never be a better time.
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