Matthew 5:13-20 

In our Gospel lesson today we find Jesus continuing the Sermon on the Mount.  He has just completed the opening by giving us the Beatitudes and now He makes these profound statements:

“You are the salt of the earth….  You are the light of the world. ”

Today, we’re called to be salt and light of the world as we live our faith. Many years ago when I was in the Army in Korea, our platoon members were not happy to be informed that we were chosen to participate a military drill which was ‘Marching 100 km (about 62 miles) within 24 Hours.’  If we could prove that we were the best platoon, there would be nice rewards, for example, a big party and one week vacation.  The evaluation was based on the time.  Of course, the faster, the better.  What is more important was every member had to finish the line.  While the lieutenant informed this, he told the corporal not to forget to bring some salt.  I was wondering why we needed salt.  I was the least experienced soldier at that time.  Anyway, the day has come and right before we began marching, the corporal checked with the private if he set aside some salt, as he told him to do so.  Yes, he did and everything was ready.

When we began marching, it was a pleasant night.  I don’t remember exactly which month it was, but it was not too cold or not too hot.  We could even enjoy walking together.  But, it had become a different story on the following day.  In the morning, we were tired but we could still managed to be in a good mood.  In the afternoon, however, we were in crisis: a couple of us had cramps; some of us got exhausted.  The lieutenant shouted, “Who has the salt?”  Then, he commanded to the private, “Give a little bit of salt to the exhausted first and then to everyone.”

Those who received salt put it in their mouth.  As soon as they did, all of them spit it out to the ground, saying “What on earth is this?”  It was not salt; it was MSG!  The private made a big mistake.  It looked like salt, but it was not.  Because we had been sweating a lot, we had to drink lots of water, of course.  But, I didn’t know that a little bit of salt was greatly helpful in this situation, because our body lost a lot of salt through sweating.

Well, there was no party, no vacation.  Instead, there was a very upset lieutenant and a profoundly sorry private.  Every time I run into this passage, I remember this happening and I want to share this story with you.

Both salt and MSG are used to flavor foods.  But, there is no sustaining quality in MSG.  It makes your tongue happy, but it does no good to your body.  It is not essential to life, but salt is.  We can live without MSG, but no one can live without salt.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we have life sustaining qualities of salt within us.  We have preserving qualities.  We are called to present the Word of God and give life to our dying world.  We also are called to let our light shine.  The light of God within us brings light in dark places.  We have within us the ability to shed light where there is no light.  We have the ability to shine brightly in a dark world. 

The questions before us this morning are: Are you a preserving influence in your family and community?  Are you bringing light into darkness?

Listen again: “You are the salt of the earth.”  And again, “You are the light of the world.”  This is the beautiful and powerful realty of discipleship.  In fact, it is the most important thing that God asks of us, which is possible through us when we live by our faith.

Robert Fulghum, a minister and one of my favorite authors, was attending a seminar one day in Greece.  On the last day of the conference, the discussion leader walked over to the bright light of an open window and looked out.  Then he asked if there were any questions.  Fulghum laughingly asked him what the meaning of life was.  Everyone in attendance laughed and stirred to leave.  However, the leader held up his hand to ask for silence and then responded “I will answer your question.”

He took his wallet out of his pocket and removed a small round mirror about the size of a quarter.  Then he explained, “When I was a small child during World War II, we were very poor and we lived in a remote village.  One day, on the road, I found the broken pieces of a mirror.  A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.  I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept the largest piece.  This one.  And by scratching it on a stone, I made it round.  I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun could never shine.  It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places that I could find. 

I kept the little mirror, and as I grew up, I would take it out at idle moments and continue the challenge of the game.  As I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game, but a metaphor of what I could do with my life.  I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of the light.  But light – be it truth or understanding or knowledge – is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it. 

I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know.  Nevertheless, with what I have, I can reflect light into the dark places of this world – into the dark places of human hearts – and change some things in some people.  Perhaps others seeing it happen will do likewise.  This is what I am about.  This is the meaning of my life.”

As a conclusion, I want us to listen to the Scripture one more time.  This time, I will read from Eugene Peterson’s 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.   Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bring out the God-colors in the world.”

This is our calling, my brothers and sisters, to bring out the God-flavors and the God-colors in peoples’ flavorless, colorless lives – bringing them fullness of life.   Jesus uses two words to characterize discipleship: Salt and Light.  Let us not forget that we are all his disciples.  Let us pray….

O God who has called each of us to be salt and light in a tasteless, shadowed world, guide us and grant us understanding and spiritual discernment so that others may see your good works through us, 

give you the glory, and be moved to live as your disciples as well. Amen.