Salt and Light

February 5^th, 2017         “Salt and Light”    Rev. Heather Jepsen

Isaiah 58:1-12 and Matthew 5:13-20

          These are interesting days in the United States of America.  One might be tempted to say that we’ve never seen anything like this before.  But of course, over the course of history that have been many periods of time where things look just like this.  In fact, we can even look to the ancient texts of the Bible for inspiration.  Last week we discussed Micah’s call to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God and I encouraged you to consider those as a sacrifice in your life.  This morning’s readings follow much in the same vein.

          Our reading from Isaiah comes from what is commonly thought of as the period of Third Isaiah.  Over time scholars have come to the conclusion that rather than being one unified work, what we now call the Book of Isaiah consists of writings of three different authors occurring at three distinct time periods in the history of Israel.  Our reading from today is from the third contributor to Isaiah and covers the time period from 538-515 BC.  This is the time of the restoration of Israel.  The people have been released from Babylonian captivity and have returned to Israel and Judah and are working to rebuild the temple.

          Of course, just because the people are back home, that doesn’t mean that they are suddenly well behaved.  Isaiah points out that the people are continuing to engage in false worship.  He accuses them of practicing a false piety.  They engage in fasting, and mourning in sack cloth and ashes, making big outward public displays of their faith; but in the meantime they continue to oppress those that work for them. 

          Much like our reading from Micah last week, Isaiah points out that God is not interested in these false shows of worship.  God is not interested in fasting and private piety.  Rather, God’s hunger is that we would do justice.  “Is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?”  I have to admit, some days I want to shout this from the roof tops!

          The implications in the Torah regarding “hiding yourself from your own kin” are profound.  To hide from your own kin is to pretend that some people do not exist.  It is to act as if some people are less than you.  It also implies making the assumption that someone else will care for those that are in need.  If we are all kin to each other in the family of God then we are all responsible for taking care of each other.  I can’t simply assume that it is someone else’s job to take care of these things.  This is my responsibility as much as anything.

          What is really scandalous in this reading from Isaiah is the notion that God’s treatment of us is directly affected by our treatment of each other.  After Isaiah lists all the things that make an acceptable fast, acts of justice, compassion, and care, he states “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.”  Isaiah makes it clear that God will not stand with us in times of trouble if we refuse to stand with each other.

          It seems to me that there are two different Christiantys in this country right now.  One that is rising up under the banner of justice, and one that is aligning itself with the nationalism that is on the rise in our country.  On my Facebook feed this week, one of my conservative friends posted a message saying that Vice President Pence was asking everyone to pray for our country.  “If God’s people would humble themselves and pray, he will heal our land.”  It was all I could do not to start posting quotes from Old Testament prophets in the comments section.  Of course we should pray for our country.  But Isaiah makes it clear, it is not prayer God wants from us, it is actions of justice, actions of compassion, and actions of mercy.  These are the things that will heal our country and these are things that everyone on every side of every issue can do.  

          In Matthew we are looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  We are all familiar with Jesus’ call to his followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  The thing that salt and light have in common is that they make a difference in every situation where they are present.  As the salt and light of the world, we are called to make a difference, in the tradition of the law and the prophets.  The prophet Isaiah has made it clear what kind of difference we are called to make, but that doesn’t necessarily make it any easier.

          Jill Duffield, editor of The Presbyterian Outlook, has some great insight into this when she writes:

“The temptation to hide under a bushel or in the basement or with our close, comfortable circles is intense when the world seems very, very dark. That's what we do when we get scared. We hunker down, do what we know, hide. When we see the vulnerable being trampled, our tendency is not to run out into the street and stand between them and the onslaught, rather it is to go into our homes and lock the door. This little light of mine, I am going to snuff it out so no one knows I am home.”

          I think our natural inclination is to take care of ourselves first.  As long as I am not personally affected by any of the strangeness going on in our country right now, than I am ok.  I can just sit back and watch from the sidelines.  “I don’t need to get involved,” we think “this really isn’t about me anyway.”  But of course, Isaiah would see that as a great example of “hiding oneself from our own kin.”  And it is certainly no way to be salt or light in our world.

          As the people of God we are called to do more.  To simply pray for God to change our lives and to change our country is not enough.  Rather, we are called to do acts of justice, we are called to work with God to implement change, and we are called to make a difference in the world around us.  Again Jill Duffield inspires when she writes,

“The word of Jesus from on high is in service for those being trampled underfoot. Jesus doesn't tell us to tend to our own, keep our heads down, keep our noses clean and our hides safe. We are told in Isaiah to shout out the rebellion, the apostasy, the injustice and exploitation of the vulnerable we see. We are to be as aggravating and irritating as salt in the wound of those who seek to hurt and destroy on God's holy mountain. We are to shine a flood light on evil, cruelty and meanness.  You are that salt: of the earth. You are that light: of the world. Shout. Irritate. Burn so brightly it hurts the eyes of those who proudly fast and worship but fail to feed and house.”

Isn’t that an interesting way to frame the call?  As those who follow Jesus we are called to irritate, we are called to burn brightly, we are called to make a difference in our world in such a dramatic way that we can’t be ignored.  It is a scary business in a dangerous world, but as those who would follow the one crucified and risen, we too are called to lift our own crosses and follow.

          This week I want to encourage you to go out into our world and make a difference.  You don’t have to stand on a street corner and protest, but you could.  You don’t have to call your representative in the legislature, but you could.  You don’t have to do anything big and loud and obnoxious in the name of God, unless you want to.  Being the salt of the earth can be something as simple as offering a smile and a helping hand to someone having a difficult day.  Being the light of the world can be as simple as donating a coat you don’t wear anymore to someone who might need a jacket this winter.  The only thing you can’t do, is to do nothing.  “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 underfoot.” 

          Over and over again, from the Old Testament to the New, God makes it clear what is expected of the people of God.  We cannot hide out.  We cannot just pray.  We cannot hide ourselves from our own kin and assume that this world is someone else’s problem.  “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice?”  May we go forth this day and get started, in some small way, loosening the bonds that tie our neighbors down.  Amen.