Ryan Atkinson
Isaiah 58:1-9A
Matthew 5:13-20 (Selected Verses)
Our language, as well as all languages of humanity, is made up of dozens upon dozens of sayings that can mean different things to different people and span generations of time. They can be “as clear as a bell” or “as clear as mud.” Some are practical and matter of fact, such as “If it was a snake, it would’ve bit me,” which is often said when you or someone is looking for something and can’t find it, although it’s sitting in plain sight. Other popular phrases are more poetic and metaphorical, like “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” which emphasizes the value of what we already possess over the uncertainty of potential gains. Along with these expressions, there are three other sayings that I’d like for you to indulge me in this morning:
The first is, “May the Force be with you. And also, with you.” Some of you may recognize these parting words often stated by Jedi knights and those who participated in the “religion” of the Star Wars Saga. The phrase is used as a way to remind them that the Force is always with them and in them, and they carry it wherever life takes them. And the same is extended to the giver. It is a reminder for them to exemplify the qualities of the Force and bring those qualities into the galaxy. Similar to what we say every Sunday, “May the peace of Christ be with you. And also, with you.” We carry the peace of Christ in us wherever life takes us, and we are to bring peace out into a world that desperately needs it.
Staying with the sci-fi theme, the second saying is, “Live long and prosper.” This saying, often said by Spock and other Vulcans as they departed serves as a reminder for them to embody the values of prosperity and longevity and spread positivity and abundance wherever they go. This sounds very similar to the giving of the charge and benediction at the end of worship. Just like the Vulcans in Star Trek, we are encouraged to carry this good news in abundance into the world that, let’s be honest, needs a bit of good news. We are encouraged to bring love and strive for growth while promoting peace and harmony in our interactions.
The last saying that I’d like to highlight can be found in verse 13 of our text for today: Jesus says that we—his disciples—are the “salt of the earth.” As I studied this week, I wondered: What did Jesus actually mean by saying this? Now, I’m sure that most of us here today have heard this expression—”salt of the earth.” Some of us may have even used it to describe someone, or someone may have used it to describe ourselves. We may know this phrase to describe someone who is kind, compassionate, selfless, and honest. This is a good start, but I believe that Jesus is calling us to be more than just good people. Jesus is pushing us to go a bit deeper into what he is saying.
If we were to take a few steps back in chapter five, we could begin to discern what Jesus is gettin’ at.
To recap, Jesus goes up on the mountain and offers those gathered perhaps the clearest picture that God will stand with those whom society deems less than. Blessed are the poor in spirit, and we glean from our text that their spirit is poor because of systemic oppression. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek, not the self-absorbed or self-centered. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, not hunger and thirst for false power and wealth. Blessed are the merciful. This is about our attitudes. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the beloved peacemakers. Finally, blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. This is where we will pick up today. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
But let’s be clear, none of this is to be taken as a glorious attempt to enter into the kin-dom of heaven. I’m pretty sure that’s not how this works. This entire pericope is about grace—the sweet, abundant, “we did nothing to deserve this” grace of God and the same grace we should offer our neighbors. Neither can we look at these things as heavy ethical burdens. The only thing we are asked to do comes in at verse 12, where it asks us to what? Rejoice and be glad. I’m pretty sure that we can manage that. Lastly, we should not take this as a checklist for the future. No, this is a both/and. If you read carefully, you will find the present and future tenses used throughout. In other words, God’s kin-dom is now, right here, right now! Jesus speaks to a diversity of listeners and conveys several messages. Verse 11 is a call to action for us. Let’s hear it again. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” We are not called to be like everyone else! Being a Christian is answering the call to be counter cultural. To go against the flow and do things that don’t make sense to the world. Society would have us believe differently, however. So often, we sit in silence or go along to get along, even when we know what we are witnessing is wrong. Since when did our zip codes, denominations, our vocations, or political parties decide what is right in the eyes of God? What is the age-old statement regarding family gatherings? You can talk about anything under the sun, except what? Politics and religion. Today, we’ve made that virtually impossible. A duck is still a duck even if it doesn’t quack.
We must be bold and stand up for righteousness’ sake—not to be confused with being right. We must be Spirit-led and courageous enough to interrupt silence and break the cycle! We must be willing to say that treating people the way God has asked us to treat one another is not a matter of politics but grace. When we do that, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth.
How many cooks do I have in here? Yes, several! Even when you’re making cookies or cakes, you have to add a little salt. What is the problem with hospital food? It’s kinda bland. Why? What does the food need? Yes, Salt! On a much simpler scale, make some grits, scramble an egg, bake some fish, make some bread, and leave out the salt. You may not have anyone ask you to make those items again.
I remember when Kasey and I began dating in college years ago, I would regularly go over to her grandmother’s house for dinner because why not? She only lived about five minutes from campus, so it was an easy trip. Well, the first time I went for dinner, of course, I was nervous, as most would be, and after surviving a stiff interrogation from Kasey’s grandmother and mother, we sat down to dinner. But before we even said the blessing, her grandmother said that she didn’t use a lot of salt in her cooking. Being the person that I am, I began to wonder how much is “not a lot.” I quickly discovered that Grandmother’s “a lot” and my “a lot” didn’t exactly align. That was probably the blandest squash that I had ever tasted in my life, and I felt terrible for thinking that. I was honest and let her know my feelings, and rest assured that all is well today. In fact, she just turned 99 last Thursday, and we will celebrate her birthday today, and we thank God for her saltiness. I’ll say this: you don’t realize the importance of salt until you go without it.
Think about what the world would be like without salt and the “salt of the earth.” You see, Jesus is asking us to embody one of the most useful and needed spices! Salt preserves food. Salt cures food. Salt brings out certain flavors in food. Jesus is asking us to bring out the flavors of creation! Food that is otherwise bland and flavorless is brought to life with salt. You need the right amount of salt for the dish—too much, and it’s not palatable—not enough, and you may have to add a bit more. Better still, use that salt that has been up in the cabinet for a year with no cap. What will you have? Yep, kinda bland. That salt cannot be restored. We cannot be like salt with no taste. Eugene Peterson said it best in verse 13 in his Message translation:
“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.
This is how we can go about fulfilling our prime directive as Christians! To be salty and not bland. To keep things spicy and not bland. This is exactly what the world is subtly pushing us not to be. The world wants us to have cookie-cutter personalities and personas. The world doesn’t want us to get involved in projects and programs that will be life-giving to someone who has struggled their entire life. The world will have us thinking that someone else will do it or take care of them. The world would have us judge and say, “just pull yourself up by your bootstraps as I did.” That attitude is a light hidden under a bushel; this is not what God wants from us. Jesus has a challenge for us today: to see others the way he sees us. He sees us with all of our flaws and shortcomings, yet he still loves us anyway.
Kenyatta Gilbert, the Dean of Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C., and an absolutely phenomenal writer and person who I follow, said in a recent online presentation that, “We fall short, but that doesn’t mean we are worthless. God decides to use human beings such as ourselves to give a faithful and relevant witness.” [1]
We’re not perfect, and we’re gonna make mistakes. I’ve made dozens of them. But it doesn’t have to end that way. God can still use us.
What if we embrace those who don’t look like us, who come from a different side of town, who are products of a bad environment which is not their fault by the way, born of a drug-addicted parent, are underemployed because they are unsure of how to interview, and are undereducated because they didn’t understand the process to get into college because nobody in their entire family ever went to college? What if we advocate for policies that address systemic inequalities and provide equal access to education and job opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their background? What if we allowed our voices to get so loud that they could be heard in the halls of Congress, the General Assembly, and the city council?
What if we made a conscious decision to be salty? To be the spicy Christian refusing to be bland, going against the flow, and letting our lights shine for all to see? Perhaps that’s a better sermon title: “Spicy Christians.” We have a choice, Trinity, which is an awesome and exciting choice! Let’s preserve, enhance, and stay salty by the power of the Spirit. Amen.
[1] Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert shared his thinking on “Prophetic Preaching in a Tone-Deaf Culture” recently during an online presentation for New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.