Matthew 5:13-20(2026)
Holy God, your mysteries surround and astound us each day. Send your Holy Spirit to open the mysteries of Scripture for us so that our understanding is refreshed and courage to follow Christ renewed. Amen.
Last Sunday we read and reflected on the beatitudes
The beatitudes are the opening of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew’s gospel
They are gentle, heart stirring sayings that tell of some of the ways God is present in the life of the believer
They could be considered to be the wisdom sayings of the gospels
The words of inspiration for those who walk with Jesus
This week’s section of the Sermon on the Mount is a nudge to do something with that wisdom and inspiration
Jesus says you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth
Each is an important quality
Light shows the way and so can give confidence
This morning we sang
Arise your light is come! The Spirit’s call obey
Shiw forth the glory of your God who shines on you today.
The theme of light has been well developed in hymns and gospel songs, and after today’s gospel lesson and hymns you are probably expecting to hear how to let your little light shine
Well you are, but with a salty twist
Each of these images is powerful, helpful and cherished
And they do work together
If we are the light of the world, we can not help but be the salt of the earth
In Matthew 5 Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?
It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
Everyday, common salt
What an odd thing to call the disciples!
We put salt in our food
We spread it on icy roads and sidewalks
We use it
But we don’t really give much thought to salt
It is so common, so available
But if salt is common, it certainly is not unimportant
In ancient times, salt was considered so valuable that it was used as currency
That’s where we get the word salary – it originally meaning soldier’s salt-money
Salt was a necessity of life in biblical times.
Used as a condiment and a preservative
It was also part of the sacrificial rituals of the Temple
Salt was used with cereal offerings, burnt offerings and incense in the prayers offered to God
Because salt has always been important to eating
It became a symbol of hospitality
To eat salt, or share the salt, with a person was to enjoy table companionship and to forge an unbreakable bond with that person
This practise gave rise to the expression “a covenant of salt” which is found in two of the books of law in the Bible, namely Numbers and Second Chronicles
We know that salt can make quite a difference.
It has a special ability to permeate and penetrate
It flavours food, and keeps things from going bad
Salt helps clean things
People who exercise vigorously need to make sure when they drink lots of water that they do not deplete the salts in their system.
So when Jesus calls his disciples “salt of the earth”,
he is not giving them a compliment the way we use that phrase, about people who are particularly fine people
He is telling them what a disciple in the kingdom of God is like
First, Jesus’ disciples are to flavour the world with the values of God’s reign: justice, love, peace, compassion
Second, they are to preserve human life and prevent decay in society
Third they are to work quietly, even invisibly, to bring out the best in humanity.
Fourth, they are to embody the companionship and hospitality that salt represents
And finally
Disciples are not to live in isolation from the world.
Salt is never complete in itself
It is an ingredient in a greater whole
Its job is to be mingled with other ingredients
To be lost in a mixture – To affect other things
In calling his disciples salt
Jesus is saying what the prophets said time and time again to Israel
That faith in God is real only when it is lived out in society and in the context of the whole creation
The covenant with God includes our connectedness with our human brothers and sisters
As we hear in Isaiah 58
We cannot worship God and at the same time pursue our own interests, oppress workers, quarrel and fight
Sharing food with the hungry, removing the chains of oppression
These are as important as prayer in the worship of God
This truth was lived out by the late Archbishop Romero of El Salvador
Archbishop Romero of El Salvador came to his position in the 1970s as one comfortable with the ruling class
He was also one who was somewhat conservative in his vision of the church
Still he could not remain blind to the terrible oppression of the poor peasants, teachers, community workers and priests
These people were struggling for basic necessities such as clean water, decent housing, education and health care
Gradually Romero became outspoken,
He came to be a courageous and beloved leader of the people as he tried to convince the government and it military to stop the torturing and killings of farmers, workers and priests
He himself then became a threat to the small but powerful ruling elite
He was assassinated by one of the death squad in March 1980 while celebrating mass
On his death he became an even more powerful symbol for the people working for freedom
Archbishop Romero encouraged Christians in his country, as the church, to be salt in the midst of their great suffering,
giving flavour and remaining deeply committed even while surrounded by the threat of death
Many Salvadoran Christians truly became salt of the earth,
They found themselves to be giving the flavour of faithfulness, compassion and sanity in the midst of insane cruelty of the 1970s and 80s,
As salt of the earth they were trying to prevent the decay of human life into greed and destruction
It is the quality of saltiness that gives salt its identity and purpose
So the quality of faithfulness to Jesus, even under hardship gives disciples identity and purpose
Jesus knew that following him would not be easy
And might well bring suffering and persecution to his followers
It would be tempting to slacken in one’s discipleship and to go along with the ways of the world for safety’s sake
But Jesus likens this to salt losing its saltiness
An impossibility really
So it is impossible for disciples to lose commitment to the way of love and justice and still be disciples
If society’s pressure or persecution cause the salt of the earth to lose saltiness they are of no more use as disciples
On the other hand, through the disciples’ good works, God’s love and goodness are revealed
Then the persecutors or scorners may changes their ways to glorify God
They will be converted
In a little study book written in 1963 called “Salty Christians” we read about conversion to Christ
This book was written by a minister of the Swiss Reformed Church, Hans-Rudi Weber and he said:
It has been said that every Christian needs a double conversion; conversion from the world to Christ, and conversion to service with Christ in the world – to holy worldliness. This understanding of the Christian life can lead us to become the salt of the earth – salty Christians who share in Christ’s ministry to the world, with all the people of God
Conversion from the world to Christ
And conversion to service with Christ in the world.
True Christians are contagiously human, writes Weber
To be contagiously human, to share the truly human life that Christ exemplifies and lifts up
Is to leave behind pride, exclusiveness, jealousy, self-righteousness
It is to give up blandness and boredom and longing for the good old days
It is to take risks, to move forward with excitement following where the Risen Christ leads
It is to see others with compassion and welcome them in love
To share hope
To loose the bonds of injustice
To share bread with the hungry
To be worth our salt
Salty Christians
Salt of the earth
Permeating the world with the love and hope of Christ
To be salt of the earth is sometimes a daunting calling given the breadth and depth of suffering in the world
But the good news is that change for the better is happening by God’s grace.
And we are participants in that transformation in such things as the ongoing work of our church through Presbyterian World Service and Development
We work like salt with global partners to improve the flavour of life for many people in many ways
Through our support, and the faithful work of staff and partners worldwide:
- Communities are learning how to increase crop yields for more nutrition and food
- Woman are being empowered to start small businesses and improve their families livelihoods
- Health care programs ensure children are able to begin life with a better chance for survival
- Vulnerable children are receiving an education
- People living with and affected by HIV and AIDS are being cared for and supported
- Injustices are being combated through a shared commitment to human rights
- Communities are accessing clean water through programs of digging wells and teaching proper sanitation
- Refuges to Canada are rebuilding their lives through support from Canadian congregations
- Emergency relief is provided in times of disaster, such as in Haiti and Chile
Change is happening by the Spirit-led generosity and compassion of Presbyterians in Canada and our sisters and brothers in Christ, both around the world and at home
This week’s Mission Moment reminds us of a “salty” project that the PCC made possible that is close to home:
For the past 112 years, the members of Zion Church in Charlottetown have had to make their way down the stairs to the main reception hall and up the stairs to the Youth Centre and Sunday school classrooms. Thanks to a congregational loan from The Presbyterian Church in Canada, all three floors of this historic church will soon be accessible to anyone with mobility issues. Finding a location that would structurally work for the installation of a three-storey lift wasn’t an easy task. All those who made this badly needed addition a reality are to be commended for their tireless efforts. While fundraising efforts are now underway, it was the financial support of the PCC that allowed this project to come to fruition.
Wherever believers are found, we are the salt of the earth
To be the salt of the earth is to be aware of what is happening in the world, to make the suffering of creation our own and then to rest upon God to show us what to do (“Laudto Si.” Pope Francis, 2015)
As we listen to and watch the news we are reminded of authority that is harsh and greedy
We may be so filled with despair that the invitation to be salt of the earth may seem to be ineffective in the face of such evil
The words of Jesus speak to this
Because
We are not isolated, individual grains of salt
Salty Christians cannot and do not go it alone
We share in Christ’s ministry to the world with all the people of God
From other places, other communions and denominations
We work quietly and steadily to be used by God to bring about the best in humanity
God is able to accomplish within and among us things beyond our imagining
Properly seasoned by God’s loving purpose
We discover gladly the surprising ways in which God is leading us and the world into wholeness and new life
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
God of justice and righteousness,
thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ
who came to live out your love in this world.
Thank you for his words and deeds
that challenge and guide us today.
We pray for those who need your justice, Lord:
For those who sleep on the cold streets,
those who do not have enough to eat,
and those who worry about how to make ends meet for their families.
(Keep silence for ten seconds…)
We pray for all those facing violence,
in their homes or communities,
for nations engulfed in conflict
and for places struggling to recover after flooding, drought, storm or unrest.
(Keep silence for ten seconds…)
We pray for refugees and political prisoners,
for children who must work instead of going to school
and for parents who long to give their children a better life.
(Keep silence for ten seconds…)
Sustain each of these people with your hope
that their needs can be fulfilled and rights restored.
Empower us to use our resources to do what we can for them,
and give strength and courage to advocates and aid workers
who bring hope to birth in many places.
We pray for all who need your healing touch, Lord:
for people who are confused or afraid,
for those in hospitals and nursing homes and those who care for them,
for all who are dealing with long-term disability, mental illness,
long Covid and the many illnesses circulating this winter,
and for those who have encountered loss through the death of a beloved,
change in circumstance or disappointed hopes.
(Keep silence for ten seconds…)
Surround each one with your peace and comfort
so that hope for healing will be renewed each day.
Compassionate God,
make us salt and light for the world, not by presuming we know best how to fix others
but as compassionate and caring neighbours, unafraid to reach out.
Encourage us with your grace and inspire us by your Holy Spirit,
for you are always with us.
We gather all our prayers into one voice, praying in Jesus’ name Amen
Commission and Blessing
Go in faith to be salt of the earth and light for the world in Jesus’ name.
May God’s love restore you.
May Christ’s teaching inspire you.
May the Holy Spirit equip you to serve in a world that is ready to receive you,
blessed by God, holy One and holy Three.
Amen.