How do others see us? – Matthew 5:13-20

Last week we heard the first part of the Sermon on the Mount known as the Beatitudes – a series of blessings.  This week the focus shifts as Jesus begins to address our behaviour as the people of God.

So often the picture that has been painted over the centuries is of Jesus with a crowd of people as he delivers this teaching which is the cornerstone of his ministry. But there is no crowd here. What the gospel writer tells us is that Jesus went up the mountain away from the crowd and his disciples came to him.  This teaching is delivered not to the general public but to those who have decided to follow Jesus. This time together with the disciples is very much what a teacher in the synagogue would have with his pupils for these men who have decided to follow Jesus are now his pupils whom he will teach – reminding them of what they already know about God and the call to be the people of God but also giving them deeper insight into what God intended the people to learn.

I have entitled this message how do others see us because it is how we actually live that speaks most clearly. Any disconnect between who we say we are and the person people actually experience can have a profound effect on whether someone will be open to God and to God’s love for them.  Jesus emphasizes that the law given to Moses and the people in the wilderness is not to be forgotten or set aside and neither are the words of the prophets.  Whatever insight the prophets shared with the people were revelations from God designed to guide the people into being the people of God and living as the people of God.

Not only has Jesus come to fulfil the law, but he has also come as the fulfilment of the prophecies. Now why would he say this? Because he knew that the people still struggled to fulfil the law that had been given and had failed to listen and respond to the words of the prophets.  The messages from God had not been fully listened to or obeyed. All had not been accomplished.

Further to this, the people had not been the light to the nations of the world.  Their life was not attracting others to the light of God. The wisdom of God, the love of God, the mercy of God was hidden and unable to be seen.  That light needed to shine for it to be seen and people to be drawn to the light.

The people were to be the salt of the earth. They were to be the people who would reveal the truth of what it meant to be human and teach people by example how to preserve and sustain true life – not just to exist in a space in time.

What Jesus was asking of the disciples was to be the leaders who would live by the law of God and in obedience to the words of the prophets so that the goodness that was meant to flow through humanity would be seen by all and so people would come to give glory to God.

Jesus then issues a warning.  If we ourselves break or teach someone to break one of the least of the commandments, we will be among the least in the kingdom of heaven. But if we fulfil these commandments and teach others to do the same, we will be among the great ones.  In these words, Jesus is already telling the disciples that there is forgiveness for our shortcomings.  We will not be rejected because of our failings, but we are encouraged not to take his warning lightly.

He then says that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees or we will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  That is a challenge to all of us, for the concern of the scribes and Pharisees to be righteous in all their daily life was well known.  In fact, they believed themselves to be so righteous as to approach perfection.

So how do we achieve a righteousness beyond theirs? We need to remember that Jesus doesn’t reveal everything to the disciples at once. Here he sets before them the challenge: Live as the salt of the earth. Be that person who will live by the law of God, seeking to become the person God created you to be.  Take careful note of the commands of God and exercise them in your daily life. Live as one who does not hide their light under a bushel.  You believe in God so live that faith unashamedly. Do not apologize for what you believe or for the choices you make in life for following the way of God. Let others see what living in the light of God looks like that they may come to want what you have and so come to believe in the way of God and discover what it means to live life as God envisioned and as was guided by the law he gave.

Living that full and authentic life that God called those first disciples to live seems an impossible task.  No doubt each of them experienced both highs and lows as they found themselves living the truth of God and yet still falling short at times.  And the fact that we still struggle to live that full and authentic life may be the very reason why Christ has not returned.  All must be accomplished – he says – before even a stroke of the law shall pass away.

We who have made the decision to live as the people of God have come together in this place to worship, to learn, to pray and to be made ready to live our lives in the world that surrounds us.  We need to ever be mindful that we have accepted a responsibility to be seen as the people of God in this community and wherever our lives may take us. What we say and what we do will leave an impression on others. And it is that impression that has caused so many to either abandon faith in God or resist coming to faith in God. Let us remember that without judging others, we are called to reveal that the light of God’s truth guides our living and that we are to be dedicated to living according to the law and command of our God.

Through his death and resurrection, Christ has set us free from the sin that has bound us and released us to live as light to the world, to share that purpose and meaning that we have found in our lives and so be the blessing God has called us to be.   AMEN