The Collect
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Psalm 45
Exodus 32:21–34
Gospel: Matthew 5:11–16
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Commentary:
As we continue with our study of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, we find that Jesus has changed the format of his “blessings” from “Blessed are those” to “Blessed are ye” (you) suggesting that Jesus is directing this blessing at the community of faith—the church—rather than the individual follower.
Verses 3-10, each verse addresses a different “blessing” while in verses 11 through 16, Jesus again—as presented by Matthew—appears to be addressing the Christian community at large.
Presumably, Matthew was writing this Gospel for the benefit of the community following him decades after the crucifixion of Christ. “Persecution was no academic matter for the church of Matthew’s day. Here Jesus puts their suffering in context by linking it to the great prophets. The prophets’ faithful proclamation brought them persecution. A recent example was John the Baptist, beheaded for opposing Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife. The penultimate example was Jesus. The church cannot expect to be immune from suffering if it opposes evil, but it can expect to be blessed.” (Donovan)
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (vs. 11-12) While promising Christians who are persecuted simply for being followers of Jesus, he promises them great rewards in heaven. Likewise he consoles them by reminding them that those who God the Father has sent in antiquity were likewise persecuted. The powers and principalities of this world that Paul spoke of, places false ideas and doctrines “darkness” in the minds of men that encourage them to revile and persecute those who carry the “light” of Jesus. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12)
“for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” “Literally, we could translate this phrase to say that the persecuted should “leap for joy.” Why? Because the persecuted will have great reward in heaven, and because the persecuted are in good company: the prophets before them were also persecuted.” (Guzik)
“They were before you in excellency, above what you are yet arrived at; they were before you in time, that they might be examples to you of suffering affliction and of patience, James 5:10. They were in like manner persecuted and abused; and can you expect to go to heaven in a way by yourself? Was not Isaiah mocked for his line upon line? Elisha for his bald head? Were not all the prophets thus treated? Therefore marvel not at it as a strange thing, murmur not at it as a hard thing; it is a comfort to see the way of suffering a beaten road, and an honour to follow such leaders. That grace which was sufficient for them, to carry them through their sufferings, shall not be deficient to you. Those who are your enemies are the seed and successors of them who of old mocked the messengers of the Lord,” 2 Chr. 36:16; ch. 23:31; Acts 7:52.” (Henry)
“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:” “It is not enough to be patient and content under these sufferings as under common afflictions, and not to render railing for railing; but we must rejoice, because the honour and dignity, the pleasure and advantage, of suffering for Christ, are much more considerable than the pain or shame of it. Not that we must take a pride in our sufferings, (that spoils all), but we must take a pleasure in them, as Paul (2 Co. 12:10); as knowing that Christ is herein before-hand with us, and that he will not be behind-hand with us, 1 Pt. 4:12, 13.” (Ibid)
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (v. 13)
“You” sets the listeners apart from other people (scribes, Pharisees, etc.), who are not the salt of the earth. It is plural, and thus describes the church. Christ calls us both individually and collectively to be the salt of the earth. “Note that Jesus doesn’t say,“You will be the salt of the earth” or “You have within you the potential to become the salt of the earth.” He says,“You ARE the salt of the earth”—indicating that, by God’s grace, the miracle of our transformation has already begun.” (Donovan)
While it is possible to live without adding extra sodium (salt) to your meals, it is essential to consume a balanced diet that provides the essential minerals and nutrients. In short, salt, is a necessary commodity, one that—especially in the time of Christ—was a highly valued commodity, used for many things.
“Disciples are like salt because they are precious. In Jesus’ day, salt was a valued commodity. Roman soldiers were sometimes paid with salt, giving rise to the phrase “worth his salt.” (Guzik)
“Salt has little influence while sitting in a salt shaker. However, it is of great value once it is mixed, in the right proportions, in our food. When it is sprinkled on food—or, better yet, cooked into food—it transforms the food. So also, Christians sitting alone in the comfort of their homes are unlikely to make much of a difference to the people outside their door—the people who need Christ. It is as we rub elbows with others, both Christians and non Christians, that we have the opportunity to bring a Christ-like flavor to their lives. However, we must always stay alert so that we impart a Christ-like flavor to them rather than allowing them to impart a secular flavor to our lives.” (Donovan)
In referencing the people of God, Jesus’ use of salt, becomes a fitting metaphor. Just as salt is used to transform, or bring out the flavor of food—even to preserve food—we are called as Christians to transform the environment, the community, wherein we find ourselves.
“but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Salt must keep its “saltiness” to be of any value. When it is no good as salt, it is trampled under foot. In the same way, too many Christians lose their “flavor” and become good for nothing. As Donovan wrote, “Salt has little influence while sitting in a salt shaker. ” A metaphor for those who leave their Christian “saltiness” at home or at church.
Leaving their “saltiness” at home or someplace else where it can do little good, is akin to lighting a candle with which to illuminate the darkness and then placing the candle—not where it will shine and illuminate—but rather placing it under some container to hide it; Jesus uses the analogy in the next 3 verses.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (vs. 14-16) Light of the world means that we are not only light-receivers, but also light-givers. We must have a greater concern than only ourselves, and we cannot live only to ourselves; we must have someone to shine to, and do so with brotherly love.
“This title had been given by the Jews to certain of their eminent Rabbis. With great pomposity they spoke of Rabbi Judah, or Rabbi Jochanan, as the lamps of the universe, the lights of the world. It must have sounded strangely in the ears of the Scribes and Pharisees to hear that same title, in all soberness, applied to a few bronzed-faced and horny-handed peasants and fishermen, who had become disciples of Jesus.” (Spurgeon) Spurgeon refers to the disdain that academics—in the past—had for the working man; those faces tanned, leather-like from years in the sun, and hands with skin hardened from hard work. Such were the disciples of Jesus, hard working fishermen, and others who were not strangers to work.
“Jesus never challenged us to become salt or light. He simply said that we are – and we are either fulfilling or failing that given responsibility.” (Guzik)
One does not have to be constantly preaching, quoting scripture, giving Christian witness; no, sometimes Christ is better served by his followers who lead by precept and example. Some are called to preach and teach, pothers are called to be the cornerstone of the community, the bright and shining light, that “shine before men, that they may see your good works” so as to inspire those who are not permanently blinded by the darkness of Satan.
“Good works are in keeping with the principle of Christian love. If we love one another, our love will be manifested in acts of mercy. Such acts are highly effective ways to give God glory. People who reject the church and its teachings cannot easily dismiss the witness of those who devote themselves to the service of others. Sacrificial service draws people to Christ. Mother Teresa is the classic example, but every community has its saints who devote themselves quietly and powerfully to the service of those in need. They are, indeed, the light of the world.” (Donovan)
“A key thought in both the pictures of salt and light is distinction. Salt is needed because the world is rotting and decaying, and if our Christianity is also rotting and decaying, it won’t be any good. Light is needed because the world is in darkness, and if our Christianity imitates the darkness, we have nothing to show the world. To be effective we must seek and display the Christian distinctive. We can never affect the world for Jesus by becoming like the world.” (Guzik)
Benediction
Jesus called us to be the salt and light of the world, so as to make his kingdom a reality among us and to bring it to those around us by our words and deeds. The way to do this is to live as he lived: for others, in love and service. Almighty God, we ask you to continue to bless us and prepare us for this task. We ask these things in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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