Matthew 5:13-16
What Would Jesus Say About Us?

This past week I had the privilege of making a Nursing Home call. It was a good visit. After I said my goodbyes and had a word of prayer I was walking down the hall to leave. This hall has a series of alcoves so that the nurses can pull their carts out of the way and make notations or enter meds. One alcove was empty of a cart but it was occupied.

There was a couple – an old couple; she was in a wheel chair and if you can judge by looks she was filled with dementia – it did not appear that she was aware of anything, much less her companion. Her companion, I assume her husband, sat deeper in the alcove on a chair. He was leaning over the woman resting his cheek on her head and whispering to her. I don’t know what he said, but his was the language of a love that had spanned the years.

Every part of his body was saying to her, I love you; you are so important to me, you are my reason for being. He did not see the emptiness of her eyes, he did not see the wrinkles or aged bent form; he saw his love and he was determined that she would know. I believe she did.

That’s the message God has given me from our text today:

Jesus bends comfortingly, protectively over his Church; instead of seeing the obvious, Jesus is intent on telling you how much he loves you. Listen to his words:

You are the light of the world.

You are the salt of the earth.

So much is Jesus in love with you that he sees what is beyond your understanding. He looks past the obvious dementia of our acts and sees the bride he has committed too.

You are the light of the world

You are the salt of the earth

How precious the love of Jesus; how great the calling and expectation he has for our relationship with him.

Here he speaks to his disciples and recognizes who they are and their tremendous needs; and in this he recognizes us.

You – you who bear the name of Christ – you are the light of the world.

Until all this current craziness started I looked forward to flying. It began for me on a KC 97 Tanker when I used a mammoth earth moving tires for my seat; no safety harness, just a ride from Thule, Greenland – home. We flew down the coast of Canada, over the New England States and over New York until we finally found our way to the base in Delaware. As we made that long trip, whenever I could, I found a window, knelt on the floor and watched. Most of the trip was desolate wasteland – white and cold; but every once in a while we would pass over a town or a city or even a lone house. And at night they couldn’t be missed. The light of that town, even of that individual house cut through the darkness and shouted, here I am; I stand for life.

Jesus says you are the light of the world; where ever you are; no matter the craziness of the world; you shine through the darkness; you stand for life and as the Bible says, the darkness can not understand why you are not defeated by its power. But you see, when ever there is light, darkness must flee.

You are the light of the world. You are part of the company of Jesus.

In Jesus, you are the ministry of God’s reconciliation. You see with all our failures; with all our attempts to hide under a bushel or camouflage our lamps, God has called us to light up the world with his reconciling love.

It was WW2 and I lived in what was known as the projects. From my bedroom windows I could see all of my home town; I could see Railroads, I could see Westinghouse and I could see the red glow of steel mills. What a great target for enemy bombers. Regularly we had air raid drills. Lights would go out, blankets covered windows and if a light could be seen the warden paid you a visit. When I would hear that siren I would rush to my bedroom and watch the lights blink out; the whole area went dark – except the glow of the steel mill continued to light the sky; and when the drill was over; light from homes and shops reclaimed the night.

Do you see what Jesus is saying? The darkness of evil can not overcome the light of God’s love. Sure there are times when “wrong seems oft so strong.” But God is not dead and as his agents of reconciliation, you who are the light of the world – cause the roar of greed to cease – God’s love has the final say.

You are the light of the world – you are God’s agents of reconciliation; but you are more.

You are the salt of the earth. When Jesus coined that term, salt was one of the most valuable, most common and most regularly used of all the substances known to humanity. We use it for cooking, but then: it was an antiseptic, it was used in the sacrificial offering, it was used as an anti skid, it was used as money, it was used to seal a covenant. As the salt of the world, you are all of those uses and more.

Over and again the OT talks about the fragrance of sacrifice and the prophets make clear that the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart is what pleases God. Jesus describes you as that fragrant offering to God. You are what give this world a pleasing flavor and acceptable odor before the Lord. When you are living the mission of Jesus, God feels, sees, hears, smells and tastes the creation that is good and pleasing to him. But how does such a miracle occur.

Jesus says, “in as much as you have done it to the least of your brothers, you have done it to me.” You see as you engage in ministries of feeding and visiting and healing and reconciling and witnessing you are the salt that makes the world palatable to God. What is it that James says? “True religion is the care of widows and orphans.” These sacrificial gifts; imagining no Malaria, praying for those devastated by earthquakes or the bombs of their own government – your flavoring of salt is pleasing to God.

You are the salt of the earth. Without salt, food is utterly bland; without you and your love for Jesus, the world becomes a place void of God.

You see: You are the light of the world
You are the reconcilers, the agents of God’s love
You are those who drive out the darkness of evil

And you are Friend to Jesus. Jesus “no longer do I call you servants, you are my friend.”

It was 9th grade and I was in love. I made sure I was everywhere she was, I even went to the dance – I’d walk her home and we’d go to the Drug Store for a Cherry Phosphate. I even did dishes at home to make sure I got my allowance to spend being with her. When she asked me to come to the Youth Fellowship I jumped at the chance. She was my friend, in this case, my girl friend. I just hope none of my 9th grade note books are ever found.

Jesus has called you friend. He hasn’t invited you to a 9th grade dance, but he has invited you to walk with him in this life and into life eternal. He knows more than your name; he knows you. He is with you when you are at your best for God and he is with you when your feet get dirty with the mud of life. I once described friendship to you by quoting a friend of mine, Wes said, “a friend is a person who will swing over hell on a rotten rope for you.” That’s Jesus. Not only did he swing over hell on a rotten rope for you, Jesus has endured the crossed and freed the captives. He has opened eternity for you.

As your friend Jesus says,
You are the light of the world
You are the salt of the earth.

And when you are at your end, when you are helpless and all seems hopeless, it is Jesus who presses his cheek against your head and whispers his love, reminding you of who and whose you are.

Amen