Salting the Earth - Matthew 5 - Epiphany 5A

Salting the Earth

Tony E Dillon Hansen

Sermon based upon Matthew 5: 13-20, Isaiah 58: 1-12, Psalm 112

Opening prayer

There was a morning we had our neighbors kid to take to school. I thought breakfast should be in order.

I offered to make a small egg and toast breakfast.  Unfortunately, I accidentally poured a fair amount of salt upon the eggs. Suffice to say, when we all took a bite, there was collection of disgusted looks around the table. No amount of cheese or otherwise was going to fix this.

When I read this lesson for today, I remembered that event because 1) salt by itself does nothing, 2) too little salt does nothing, 3) salt in the right doses can be good and can help to enhance flavors in dishes. Salts can help bland meals turn into wonderful creations to enjoy. 4) Yet, salt In the wrong amounts can easily destroy them. 

I don’t think Jesus was talking about dinner here, but I do think the analogy applies to us here. 

1) Salt by itself does nothing really. It needs something (or someone) to complement. 

2) Are we not enough salt in our world that we are bland and forgetful? I just can’t be bothered right now. I can’t do anything.  We don’t even lift a finger. 

Or,  4) are we so much salt that we are overbearing in our attitudes, judgments, or insistence? Are we the ones that squash others instead of lifting them up? Are we ones that leave no room for others to share in this greatness that God has given to us?

Or, Are we the right amount of salt; that which enhances and brings out the best? Are we those whom raise a toast to imperfection because we are not perfect. Are we ones who extend hands of hospitality? Are we ones that make space for God to forgive and let live rather than imposing our will and wants?

Similarly, Jesus says that lamps are made for giving light for all to see. We don’t light a flame and then put it in a room by itself. Further as Jesus says, we don’t put lights of flame under a basket for two reasons, 1) hard to see and 2) the inevitable accident waiting to happen when that light goes from grace to burning the place down. What good is that?

For what good is a light that no one can see, or, even worse, a light so much that it burns down the house.

What does Jesus mean by these? We can look at these as personal questions, but also as collective community questions.

What does it mean to be a part of a community?  This is who you are; this is what you do. Or is there more. 

Maybe, it is about how we work together, how we need each other and then when we realize and live this… then maybe, we are a light for the world and the salt that the world needs.

What about our leaders or those broadcasting opinions? How do they embody those ideas in our community and remind us that we are all children of God? Do they?

Do those with privilege, status, and bullhorns recognize this or do they impose something upon us that is not God? Do we question these opinions or just “hem and haw” ?

Todays social winds are thick with carefree irony because they say “gimmie gimmie” because “I wants it.” & “don’t hold me accountable.” “Everyone else be damned and get in some invisible line - behind me.”

Give me tax subsides (aka. government payments to rich) but shame those without food or shelter. Which handout is bad again?

From drugs, medicine, guns to education (incidentally, why do I as a Protestant preacher have to pay for someone to go to Catholic school with my tax money?), we put wedges and barriers between each other. Then, we don’t need empathy, love and forgiveness but instead fingers pointing who to blame… or point guns, hold onto stereotypes and prejudices. Fester in your rotten distrust and let turn into hate. People distrust and see hooligans: folks that need to be controlled, instead of neighbors. That is a pessimistic and hostile dystopia.

Some responses to these challenges might be, “Keep your opinions to yourself. Besides aren’t you, Tony, throwing much salt on these yourself? - A valid concern. 

Why would you think too much salt?  What makes these points any less valid than others? 

Why does this salt of truth sting? Why do we choose this dreadful community over the community of God? 

People come to God in many different ways and different “salts:”  Sometimes our salt comes as bit of curry, sometimes sea salt, sometimes soy, and still other ways.

Why can’t people let people have different viewpoints and perspectives? When we position ourselves as the only arbiter of truth, we no longer seek to be in community or to learn from different tastes and ideas. We seek to impose. 

Does what I state rub against latest fallible airwaves? 

Incidentally, When did we forget that we (you and I) can have a voice too? People are letting loud, exuberant claims dominate over the Spirit. These, may somehow feel good but miss important points and actually reject what God has called us to do. 

You may assert that the pulpit should not argue these “political” points. For one, Jesus taught things like these that clashed with political and religious elites. However, these aren’t just political points because God calls us to action despite the rhetoric of the airwaves. 

Yes, Jesus did this and challenges us to go beyond words, traditions and ceremony.  We are challenged with what Isaiah says us here. 

When we crowd our minds with selfishness rather than community, then, there is no room for God’s love and forgiveness to work.

If you think about it, that is people fasting from the wrong things and for the wrong reasons. Perhaps people are fasting from community knowledge to protect privilege or something else.

If you say all the “things,” keeping the rhetoric, but do not follow with action as Isaiah reminds us, what are we seeking but our own ego (or what some media ego claims?)

If you can’t be bothered to question that or to share your food, to help the homeless, to speak against the bonds of injustice, then what good is your fasting and what are you saying about God who has called you to do these things/

On the contrary, people dont have to think like “us” to be good or to have the so-called correct opinions. 

For when you do these things that have been asked of you, 

when you put away the finger-pointing and the negative speaking… 

when you lift up your neighbor, 

when you walk with them and learn their pain, 

when you do what you can to help you community, 

then, as Isaiah 58 reminds, 

then you put the light of Christ on the stand to be seen 

rather than trying to burn down the house.

You don’t have to worry about putting too much salt when you live the love of God and you don’t have to worry about peoples’ disgust over egg breakfast.

As I said, salt by itself does nothing - it needs something/someone.  Let us be the salt together that this world needs, and let us witness God in every person regardless of the talking heads.  That is the community that God calls us to be. 

In those moments, Be what God wants you to be.

Be God’s keeper here on Earth.

Give hope, Lean into faith, 

Lean into the community and help it to be the best of God’s world here on Earth. 

When you share your gifts and not hoard them as selfish desires, 

When you do these things that God calls of you, 

you will find burdens lifted from you and divine paths revealed for you. 

That Beloved is…

Thanks be to God!