Salt and Light

 This weeks reflection on the Gospel for February 5th.

Matthew 5:13-20

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A13-20&version=ESV

This week I spent a little time each day reflecting on the above passage of scripture in preparation for the hearing of the Word this Sunday.

Once again, Jesus is teaching his disciples, including me and many others in this world. It struck me that Jesus wants me to be me. Sure, I look to Jesus, but I can't make the mistake that I need to be just like Jesus. God created me to be me, not Jesus. I need to realize and understand that I can't be Jesus anyway. That's ridiculous! My study this week showed me how God desires actions for him and my neighbors, but not piety and self righteous acts. Sure, seek to imitate Jesus but, not be Jesus. I'm me and God created me to be unique. Jesus is God, I can't, nor ever will be, God. That's not my place, nor ever will be, my place. Faith rests on the power of God... not me!

So, how am I to act as a disciple of Jesus? I can look to the Law of God, especially as the Law is revealed in the Old Testament. Jesus tells us that the Law remains the Law, He didn't come into this world to change the Law, but rather fulfills the Law. What does that mean?

As I look at the Law, I realize what a simple man I am. I realize that I can't keep all of the Law, I realize that my punishment is death and eternal damnation. I realize that I can't live up to this Law from God. But... as God and as Man... Jesus came into this world to live up to the Law in my place. 

God knows me. God knows my unique qualities and celebrates me being me. God loves me and each one that he has created so much that God took on the task of making each of us righteous in his sight, not by my good works or your good works, but rather by the good works of God himself in Jesus, in order that all of us may live in eternity with God. Jesus fulfills the Law.

So what? So, knowing that it's not about me, God permits me to be me and permits me to be a disciple of Jesus in the unique way that God calls me to action. I don't need to be Jesus. I can't be anyway. But knowing that Jesus fulfills the Law, I'm free from the impossibility of myself fulfilling the Law. I'm free to act out as God would have me act out. I'm free to be what God created me to be... Me!

This being salt and light thing releases me! Salt and Light must be useful and God makes me useful. I don't need to worry about being useful in and of my own action. God releases me to perform good acts from a pure heart for neighbor. Jesus frees me to be me, not because of my works. So, in this respect, when Jesus knocks on my door, he releases me to come out and play in this world in which he places me without worry. I am free to play with Jesus as his disciple in this world, knowing that Jesus has already done all that needs to be done to save his people.... you and me.

As I go into this world with Jesus, I can live today as if I was already living in the Kingdom of God to come. Jesus play, changes things. Acts are no longer about a good act, it's about the motive behind the act. My motive no longer has to be to fulfill the Law myself. My motive changes to be the one that follows Jesus. My motive turns to be the one that let's the Light of Jesus shine through me into the world.  

You see, now, with Jesus fulfillment of the Law, it's not about me, the Lamp, any longer. Rather, now, it's about the Light that shines in and through me. It's about Jesus, not me! How great is that!

Day to day I am free to play and witness. I don't need to be great. Jesus is great. What a burden lifted! So, prayer and discipline in the Word is a joy and a passion. When Jesus shines his Light through me, for me, it's an act of worship. All Light comes from God.

This whole deal of Jesus fulfilling the Law makes discipleship a true joy. It makes the evils of this world and the pain and the sorrow that I surely will still experience pale in comparison to what God has in store for me in his eternal Kingdom. It releases me and it releases you as well.

So, hear the Word in this passage. Feel the freedom to be a disciple of Jesus in this world in which we live, here and now, knowing that Jesus has overcome the evil and the death and the sin in order to bring you to everlasting life with him in eternity.

How great is that! Just be yourself... be salt... be the Lamp that let's God shine through to all the world. Thanks be to God... today... tomorrow... and forever.