Matthew 5:13-20
‘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 under foot.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Reflection
We think of salt today as a flavoring or an additive to bring out the taste in food. But salt is also a preservative. To the rabbi's of Jesus day, salt indicated wisdom. The wise life of a disciple would have an effect on society. In one way, I like to think of it as a disciple that bears fruit or the response to the love of God in Jesus, brings to life loving actions towards other people or society or towards the preservation of God's creation.
The rabbi's of Jesus day would have thought that the light of the world was God, Adam, Israel, the law, the Temple or even perhaps Jerusalem. But in this passage, disciples of Jesus recognize the Light of the world as being Jesus himself. Sometimes the disciples of this world are the light that shines in the darkness and tells of Jesus tho One true Light. We tend to hear these words in baptism when it is said to go and let you light shine so that all may see your good works, or the response of your fruits to the salvation of Jesus, in order that all the people God gives to you may be led to Jesus themselves. We proclaim a risen Jesus to all the world by what we do and say.
From here Jesus moves on to the reason for the law. Jesus came not to toss the law out but to fulfill the law. But what does that mean? As Christians many of us would choose to toss the law. When we read the law in the Old Testament, many of the commands seem far out and far away from what we experience today. But in this passage Jesus uses the word "abolish" the law. This means to break up the law. In the breaking up of the law, Jesus fulfills the law. In other words, Jesus brings full meaning to the law.
Jesus lived a life without sin. Jesus kept the law to the fullest extent of the law. In Jesus life, death and resurrection; we see the perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world. We see that unblemished Lamb of God offered once and for all people. We witness in the life, death and resurrection, God coming into this world and doing what we could never do... fulfill the law to the fullest degree. In Jesus, every iota or dot of the law is made perfect. So, in Jesus, nothing goes away from the law, until Jesus fulfills the law by his death on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for all the sin of this world.
In Jesus' death we are led to a new law. A fulfilled law of sorts. A deeper law than the law of the Old Testament that was designed for the good of a chosen people. We are led to a new law through Jesus that is designed for all people. All people that can now live life in a world of sin, free from the punishment of sin. A people that can live, knowing that Jesus has fulfilled the law... not to return to sin... but to respond to the freedom from sin graciously given to us through God coming to us in this world through Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Father to lead us in everlasting life with God. We now live and respond in love to this new law in a new relationship with God and love God and one another, not in order to free ourselves from sin, but because Jesus has freed us from sin, death and the devil.
So, finally we have come full circle. As Salt, we bear fruit and respond to Jesus' offering of salvation in love. As light we point to the Light of all the world in Jesus' act of love and offering of his life on the cross for our sin. And yes, now we live in response to this great act of God coming to us to save us from sin, death and the devil, through Jesus perfect sacrifice, by loving God with our very lives and loving those God gives to us in the actions of our lives. We act out of response to God's love in freedom from sin, death and the devil.
We accept that wonderful gift of grace from God at our baptism and our lives now belong to God.
"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Prayer
Lord, let your Light shine in and through me, that all those you give to me this day may be lead to see your loving and gracious salvation. For all glory, honor, power and praise are yours... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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