"The Purpose of Salt" (Matthew 5:13-20)

Salt has taken a bum rap for quite a while now.  It has been demonized.  It has been called the single most harmful substance in the food supply.  This understanding of salt is so rooted in the minds of many that even my own children have picked up this mantra of salt being bad for you.  Not even a week ago, as we began eating our dinner, my son--Eli, shook his head as I salted my food.  When I asked what the problem was, I was told that all of my children were in awe of the amount of salt I use when eating.  My wife, Dana, said they were concerned about my health.

Well . . . I never . . .

I like salt.  It is a natural reflex for me when I sit down for a meal to reach for the salt.  Yes, I know, I should take a bite of the food before salting, but I already know . . . there is not enough salt on the food.  I’d apologize for this faux de pas except that it is a part of who I am as a person . . . I like salt.  At the same time, I understand the concern of my children.  I keep a close watch of the salt I digest.  I watch the results of my  semi-annual blood checks . . . and, at this point in my life . . . I am safely below the acceptable level of sodium--or, salt--in my diet.  Despite my reassurance to my children that I am fine, they continue to shake their heads each time I reach for the salt shaker.  

Salt has taken a bum rap.  Salt is not that bad . . . in fact it is necessary to our health . . . but, it must be taken in moderation.  

In biblical times, salt was overwhelming viewed as a positive resource.  Salt added flavor to food . . . it enhances flavor; and, at the same time it preserves certain foods like meat of fish from spoiling.  In biblical times, before refrigeration, this is how people preserved things.  Being a lover of salt, I can attest that there is no better way to preserve ham than in salt . . . nothing beats a good country ham.  At the same time, salt also helped to purify or cleanse meat through the removal of blood--a forbidden substance according to the Torah.  

The use of and purpose of salt, in biblical times, was well understood.  Salt was seen as important . . . as vital . . . to life.

After laying the Beatitudes upon the people, Jesus tells those who are gathered that they are the “salt of the earth.”  Jesus calls the people this in light of their relationship with God . . . in their willingness to step into that intimate relationship with God . . . in their commitment to fulfill God’s call to restore the Kingdom of God.  Jesus calls them this in the hope that they will embrace the essence of salt . . . that they will bring flavor to the world in which they live . . . that they will preserve the foundation of their faith . . . and, that through it all, they will purify the world to be closer to the Kingdom of God.  In other words, Jesus sees them as a necessary role in fulfilling God’s desires . . . through Jesus . . . through each of them.  In this, Jesus sees them living their lives in faith as a positive influence.

Jesus see the people as being salt in the world in which they live.  In the way that the people live in honoring their covenant with God . . . to love God completely, to love one another, and to bring God’s kingdom into reality . . . Jesus sees the people as the essence of what is needed in their time and place.  If the people live up to their saltiness . . . to their covenant with God, they will fulfilled the will of God.  God invest God’s self permanently in the world, not through salt alone, but through the breath and life of each one of  God’s children--each created in the image of God.  Because of this, the people become the spice of life . . . the essence of God’s will.

It is the commitment to God’s will that is important when it comes to one’s saltiness as a follower of Jesus.  It is one’s willingness to stand for God’s will in the face of society’s or the world’s will.  It is doing that which brings God’s will into reality when it clashes with the world’s reality.  It is standing up for what God wants.  But what happens when that commitment wanes . . . is forgotten . . . or is ignored?  Well, then, Jesus tells us that the salt has lost its flavor . . . lost its saltiness.

This passage of scripture has bothered me for a long time.  It has bothered me because salt does not lose its saltiness . . . salt is salt no matter how antiquated it might be. Yet, here is Jesus talking about salt losing its saltiness.  Losing its saltiness results in it being “thrown out and trampled by men.”  But, the bottom line is that salt cannot lose its saltiness!  Is Jesus presenting alternative facts?  Not really.  What Jesus is implying is that once a person has lost his or her commitment to his or her faith in God . . . well, that person has lost effectiveness . . . purpose . . . and saltiness.  They are no longer good to the cause of God’s will.

If people who proclaim faith in God through Jesus’ example and life cannot live and fulfill that proclamation, then they are of no use to the will of God.  In such a state they should be thrown out . . . removed.  In such a state they are not fulfilling God’s will . . . they are useless.

Okay, Jesus understood that not everyone understood his metaphors and allusions, thus he sometimes gave a second picture in hopes that his followers would understand.  Thus it is that we have the statement about the “light”.  Not only does he call the people the “salt of the earth”, he also tells them that they are the “light of the world.”  This point that he is attempting to make is so important that he is willing to give more than one example in hopes that the people would understand.

Light shines out to reveal.  Light allows people to see.  As such, light is a perfect metaphor for what Jesus thinks about commitment of the faithful to God’s will.  It is the faithful’s task to reveal and allow people to see God’s desire and will for all of creation . . . for all of humanity.  But, like salt, light is of no use if it is hidden or put out.  The light must shine in order for it to be useful and successful.  

The point that Jesus is attempting to convey is that faith, if it is not used, is of no use to God or to the one proclaiming it.  Faith must be liberally shaken into the fabric of life . . . into the daily mechanism of life . . . into the fray of life with all that it has to offer.  Faith must shine upon the world and reveal to it the will of God.  If it cannot be, then it is of no use to God.  If it is of no use to God, then it must be removed . . . removed for the other faithful to step in.  Jesus warns against faith losing its purpose, desire, and commitment . . . losing its saltiness . . . losing its light.

Those were the words of Jesus for those gathered around him at that point . . . and, they are the words for us gathered here in this sanctuary.  And, with those words, we have been forewarned.  We are to be a people of faith who practice living God’s will, as demonstrated by Jesus, on a daily basis.  We are to hold the world in which we live up against the teaching and word of Jesus . . . the will of God . . . and see whether or not it fits.  If it doesn’t . . . well, are we willing to step out and be that salt, to be that light, that challenges the status quo of the world we are living in.

In these tumultuous times that we live, are we being salty?  Are we being the light?  Are we living up to the commitment we promised when we came into a relationship with God through Jesus?

Whether we like it or not . . . salt has a purpose, especially in Jesus’ understanding of salt.  We are to enhance the flavor and to preserve the will of God.  Anything less . . . well, anything less is useless.  God does not see any of us as useless.  Go forth and be salty . . . go forth and shine the light of your faith in the darkness of the world.  It is our choice . . . may we chose wisely.  Amen.    

“The Foolishness of It All” (I Corinthians 1:18-31)

“For the message of the cross is foolishness . . .”

The ways of God are not the ways of the world.  Nor are the ways of God our ways.  I cannot imagine a single one of us sitting in this sanctuary disagreeing with that assessment--God’s ways are not our ways.  In fact, I would further imagine that for all of us, the truth of the matter is . . . we just don’t get God’s way of doing things.

God’s way seem to contradict the world’s ways . . . in the economical, sociological, political, and religious fields upon which life is waged on a daily basis.  Also, for us as individuals.  God’s ways seem to clash with the world’s and our ways.  History proves this out over and over again.  God’s ways seem foolish in light of the world in which we live.  They don’t seem to make sense.

In the time of Jesus, Jesus did not make sense.  For a people under the burden of a militaristic and brutal empire, searching for a savior to free them from their oppression--Jesus did not fit the mold.  They were looking for a savior to take sword against sword to free them from their oppression.  A mighty warrior king.  This is what they were seeking from God . . . and, God gave them Jesus.

Through Jesus, God set forth the plan of restoring the kingdom.  Through Jesus, God planned on freeing the people from their oppression.  Through Jesus, God gave the people their savior and he wasn’t anything like they were expecting.  He was not a powerful warrior king--shoot, he wasn’t even noble.  He was the son of a carpenter.  He wasn’t wealthy.  He wasn’t important.  He wasn’t powerful.  He wasn’t political.  Yet, through this man, God planned to save the people . . . to save humanity . . . and, to restore the kingdom once and for all.

Sounds foolish, doesn’t it?  Or, as the Apostle Paul states, “For the message of the cross is foolishness . . .”

And, yet, isn’t the faith we proclaim as the church--the body of Christ, and as individuals beliefs based upon this foolishness?

The argument in Paul’s words this morning is about the cross and the apparent foolishness that it represents to the world.  To the world the cross carried the finality of it all--it was done.  Those in power saw the movement of Jesus as being crushed with his crucifixion upon the cross.  The disciples . . . the followers . . . they all scattered.  For all intent purposes, it was done.  Yet, the ways of the world . . . the ways of humans . . . are not God’s ways.  The cross was not the end . . . it was the beginning.  The beginning of a world and way of living that contradicted the ways of the world then and now.

To the world it all seemed to be foolishness.  To those who believe and follow Jesus . . . well, it is the only way.  To the world it makes no sense.  Yet, the apostle tells us, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

And, yet . . . nothing has changed . . . has it?

When we look at the history of humanity, has anything changed?  Have any of our ways brought about the Kingdom of God?  Are we any better than we were in the time of Jesus?  I guess that is something we can think about; in the meantime . . . what are we going to do?

Well, what we are going to do is to do what humans have always attempted to do, and that is to conform God and God’s ways into what works for us and our ways.  Last week in our scripture lesson the Apostle Paul state that there is only one as the church argued the ways of different leaders within the congregation.  Each argued that their way was the best way, the only way.  For Paul this was nonsense as he understood that the only way was Jesus--his words and life.  Jesus was the way.

Just because the apostle said it, it doesn’t mean that people are going to buy it.  They want proof.  In looking at Jesus--his words, actions, and results--the people do not see what the world perceives as important.  No, what they see in Jesus is a contradiction--foolishness; and, yet, this is the way of God.  And, the only way that the world can reconcile this to the world’s ways is to bend, twist, and ignore the ways of Jesus to accomplish the goals it desires.  The end result is that the Kingdom of God is no closer to being realized . . . nothing changes . . . then or now.

The Apostle Paul argues that despite how foolish the ways of God might look to the world, it is the way that God has chosen to accomplish this task of restoring the kingdom.  Also, it is through Jesus that the world--humanity--has been given the pattern, the model, to execute and follow.  Jesus said it in the Gospel of John: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”  Then to emphasize it all, Jesus finished the statement with these words: “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

It is the only way . . . as foolish as it seems or looks--it is the only way.

Because it is the only way that the Kingdom of God will succeed and be established, the ways of the world must be held up to the ways of Jesus.  Where those ways do not fit with Jesus and his ways, they must be let go and replaced . . . replaced with what Jesus would want . . . with what Jesus would do.  If we are going to wear WWJD--What Would Jesus Do--paraphernalia . . . jewelry, shirts, posters, coffee cups--then we better live up to it.  If we are going to use the words that Jesus spoke to explain the faith we proclaim, then we better live up to it.  And, our actions better fit the words we speak . . . after all, they are Jesus’ words.

As foolish as it seems we--the followers of Jesus--must shed the ways of the world to embrace the world as jesus did.  We must love and live as Jesus did. It will not be as the world does, but it will be the way that Jesus does.  It is the only way.  The apostle concludes his argument: “Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’”

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”  Amen.

“The Common Denominator” (I Corinthians 1:10-18)

Diversity . . . “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements . . . the inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization.”  We, as a nation, community, and church speak of diversity as a positive thing . . . as something we want, need, and should embrace . . . after all, we are historically known as a “melting pot” as a nation.  Historically we have open our shores to a huge array of diverse people to make us the great nation we are today.  As I look at those of you sitting in the pews this morning, what I see is a diverse group of individuals . . . each created uniquely, who think and act differently--based on a huge foundation of life experience--culturally, educationally, religiously . . . based on your gender . . . based on the area where you live . . . based on your income level, just to name a few of the conditions that make you a diverse crowd.  The bottom line is that you are a diverse crowd . . . you are all different . . . and, it is that diversity that gets us all into trouble.

That trouble comes when we--or any group--attempts to assert their diversity as the only way.

At the time of the Apostle Paul, Corinth was a great cosmopolitan Greek city.  It was the capital of the Roman province of Achia.  It was noted for its thriving commerce, proud culture, widespread immorality, and variety of religions . . . it was a virtual melting pot of diversity.  You name it and you could have probably found it in Corinth . . . from legal to illegal, politics, commerce, religion, entertainment, education . . . they had it all.  Corinth was filled with diversity . . . and, filled with competition.  It was a competition between diverse groups as to which was the one and only one.

I think that, as individuals, we understand this conflict because we live in it on a daily basis.  For example, take advertisement--whether it is on the radio, television, newspaper, or magazine; advertisements are a competition of diversity proclaiming one product over another.  Think about it.  I like VO5 Shampoo . . . I think that it is the best shampoo out there.  It is the only shampoo I use.  Yet, sitting in the bathroom of my house is a huge variety of other shampoos . . . four or five other bottles of shampoo.  Each one is there because they claim to be the best . . . and, each one is a little different than the other one.

And, you know what?

They all do the same thing.  They clean hair.  So, in my mind, why not buy the dollar brand instead of the five dollar brand?  I haven’t won that argument in the family yet.

This conflict of diversity permeated into the very fabric of the Corinthian community . . . even into its places of worship.  Whenever there is conflict, there is division as people line up on sides.  This was the apostle’s concern with the congregation that he established in Corinth . . . that diversity would divide them and make them impotent in following the call of Jesus.  Paul’s concern was in holding the congregation together in order to be Jesus’ representative in that community and beyond . . . of holding them together to be the body of Christ . . . of fulfilling God’s call upon their lives.  And, it was a valid concern as the congregation was splitting itself up into factions . . . and, those factions were getting a little heated in their debates.

Paul says, “Let me put it this way: each one of you says something different.  One says, ‘I follow Paul’; and another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; and another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Christ has been divided into groups!”

Sounds to me as if there is a problem with diversity.  Each side wants their way.  There is no compromise . . . it is “our way or the highway.”  And, the conflict is reaching the point that the congregation is about to fall apart.  In Paul’s mind, which he delves into later in his letter to the Corinthians, he see the various diverse members of the congregation as parts of a body . . . in this case, the body of Christ.  Each part of the body is necessary to be a “whole” body.  No two parts of the body are the same or perform the same duties, yet together they make the whole body.  Together they present the fullness of Christ to themselves and to the world around them.  In Paul’s mind and heart, he knows that it takes all of them together.  In this conflict he is witnessing the body self-destruct.

Thus it is that Paul realizes that there only one trump card that he can play . . . only one thing that he can do . . . and, that is to point out to those he is addressing, that despite their differences they are all bound to one another with one common denominator.

Now I realize that I have used a “math” term . . . “common denominator”; and, true, the first definition of that term is based in mathematics.  But it is not the mathematical definition I want us to focus on, it is the second definition of the term: “a feature that everyone or everything in a particular group has.”  A “common denominator” is that thing that binds the group together despite their diversity and differences.  In Paul’s mind and heart, that “common denominator” is Jesus.

Paul takes issue with this division within the congregation.  He points out that none of them who are gathered as a congregation got there through different means.  Paul points out that it was not he who was crucified upon a cross, nor any of the others.  It was Jesus.  It was through Jesus that they came into a relationship with God and with one another.  It was through Jesus that they became a representative body of Christ.  It was through Jesus that they were saved and brought into a life of faith. And, the very thread that holds them together as family . . . as the body . . . is Jesus.  No matter what their differences . . . no matter how unique they are as individuals . . . they are all bound together through Jesus.

It is at that point, states Paul, that we begin . . . we begin at Jesus.  We read his words . . . not the words of those who interpret them, but his words . . . the words he said.  We watch his actions . . . watch how he relates to those around him . . . those outside of him . . . those who are forgotten . . . those hidden in the shadows.  And, we pray . . . we pray to the God whose intimacy we gained through Jesus . . . we pray for guidance as to how we can live up to that call by Jesus to live as he lived in our own lives.

Now, I realize, that each and everyone of us has a relationship with God that is unique to who we are.  Because of that we are going to have differences in the way that we see God tugging on our hearts to be like Jesus . . . that we are not all going to do things the same way.  We are going to have differences of opinion, we are going to have disagreements.  And, that is okay.  That is okay as long as we remember to keep connected to that common denominator that makes us one as the family of God--Jesus.  It is through that common denominator that we will accomplish God’s will.  Through Jesus all things are possible in bringing about the Kingdom of God.

Paul is not knocking diversity.  No, Paul acknowledges diversity; yet, at the same time, he points out how the diversity fits together like an intricate puzzle to form the totality of the picture.  In this case, the body of Christ.  The fact is the family of God is a rich and diverse family that stretches from one side of the spectrum to the other.  There is no escaping it . . . after all, God created us, each and everyone, to be unique and in God’s own image . . . and, it takes all of us to make it happen.

Paul’s argument is simple.  Be one in Christ Jesus.  Let that be the foundation from which the words that we speak--no matter how we speak them--and the actions that we take--no matter how we take them.  We may not agree on anything else, and that is okay; but, as the followers of Jesus we can agree on that.  Jesus came to restore us to God’s Kingdom . . . a kingdom in which we are in a loving, intimate relationship with God and one another . . . a kingdom in which all are welcome, received, included, and made to be a part of the family . . . a part of the body.

Jesus is the tie that binds us.  Let us pull tight on that tie and be the body of Christ in this time and place.  Amen.