Salt and Light

And what about Paul? He was determined on one path of action on that road to Damascus when the Lord said “NO, I have something quite different for you to do.”

And Mary, minding her own business and planning her wedding, had all of her plans overwhelmed by the angel's announcement “The Lord is with thee.”

And disciples fishing or counting money, or curiously listening while up a tree, until Jesus calls them forth for action.

And Augustine dabbling in the latest philosophies, and also dallying with a girl and fathering a son outside of marriage, until he was instructed to take up the book of Romans and read about justification by grace as a free gift from God...

And John Newton, making money in the slave trade until he was turned around and at length came to write “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me....”

It would be easy for us to claim that we are here because we chose to be here.

We might say that it is a good habit to come together on Sundays.

We might say that we thought we might be strengthened for living.

But more than that, we're here because God put us here.

The work that we do together here is not just for ourselves.

The life we live is not our own.

We discover that we who are looking for enlightenment are instead commissioned by Jesus to be light of the world, whether we think we're ready for it, able to do it, or even interested in doing it.

Bishop Willimon tells this story of himself:

“When I was in high school I had my first male Sunday School teacher.

And what a teacher he turned out to be. He was a businessman.

He shared with us that he was not the very best of Christians.

He asked for help, since he knew that he was not well-versed in Scriptures.

He would sometimes tell us about a tough business decision which he had to make on Monday morning, laying out the dilemma and asking us to help him figure out what, as a Christian, he should do.

We had never been around an adult who was so honest about his limitations and so eager to hear what we had to say.

Many years later, Dr. Willimon said, I went back to my home congregation and found that teacher.

“I'll always remember your Sunday School class,” I told him.

“Yes, I'll never be able to forget that either,” was his reply.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I hated those two years.

I told the preacher that I had zero skills in teaching kids, and that I wasn't good with the Bible.

But he insisted that I continue.

And you kids!

All you wanted to do was giggle and carry on, and it was awful.”

Now those are two completely different memories of exactly the same events.

But it taught Dr. Willimon that sometimes the best things we do for God are not those we want to do but the ones it seems that God wants us to do, as unlikely as we might regard them at the time.

So many in the Bible could be regarded as worthless, as losers.

--Moses, who was a murderer

--Paul, who participated in a lynching

--Peter, the denier, and all the disciples who ran away, and so on.

God seems to call the wrong sorts of people!

And yet these are the ones who go on to do important things for the kingdom of God.

It is not because of their great moral qualities or superior intelligence.

They were able to do what they do because they are not their own; they have been commissioned and equipped, forgiven and re-directed, and sent.

Salt, light.

We are the salt of the earth; we are light of the world.

In all the problems that we are hearing Paul discuss with the Corinthian church in these six weeks in January and February, we will hear him exhibit little patience with the things that are tearing at the fabric of the church.

As we listen to these passages as a whole, Paul seems to be saying that we should keep the focus where it should be, on the mission of the church; and the inevitable frictions and controversies will be worked out in relationship to that mission.

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified, Paul said.

That points to the standard against which everyone's words and works are to be judged.

Let us join in prayer with that in mind.

Let us join in scripture study and meditation with that in mind.

Let us join in Christ's holy meal and celebration with that in mind.

Let us join in sharing the good news of Jesus' resurrection and promise with that in mind.

Let us join in the care of hurt people and a damaged creation with that in mind.

We are the salt of the earth; we are light of the world.

Salt, light. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.