[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 5A

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:
Dear Friends,
omorrow’s sermon is entitled “You Are the Salt of the Earth- WHAT?”
r “Live What You Believe” and deals with the epistle (Matthew 5:
3-20).  Here it is:
Did you notice when Jesus said “You are the salt of the earth” and
You are the light of the world” in today’s Gospel?  We’ve talked a
ot about us and light, but what’s this business about salt?  Listen
p!  I’m going to start with two stories.  This first story shows how
e hope Jesus does NOT feel every night about us:  A pastor had
reached about the importance of family prayer, and now he was
reeting his congregation at the door as they left.  Up came a family
ith a bright, rambunctious six-year-old boy.  “So,” said the pastor
o the child, “does your mother pray for you each night?”  “Yes, sir!”
aid the boy.  Every night when I am in my room, I hear her say-
Thank God he’s in bed!”  When Jesus sees you quit for the day, is he
leased about what you’ve done or glad you can’t do any more damage to
is Kingdom that day?  Next story, and this one could actually be me-
ut it’s not: a lady went to the doctor for her yearly physical exam.
ad news- her blood pressure was high, her cholesterol was high, she’d
ained a few pounds, and she wasn’t feeling so great.  Her doctor
sked her about lifestyle choices and pointed out that her eating
abits were terrible.  “You need more fruits and vegetables,” the
octor said.  “Healthful foods tend to be colorful.  Fill your plate
ith yellows (bananas), greens (beans), and reds (tomatoes)”  She
igured she’d better follow her doctor’s advice, so she went home and
ad a huge bowl of yellow, green, and red food, and sure felt better!
ny guesses what she ate?  (M & M’s!)  When the doctor found out, he
aid- “She sure doesn’t get it!”  That’s what Jesus must have been
hinking- “They sure don’t get it!”, because he used two common
ubstances to explain his expectations- salt and light.  We’ve
iscussed light many times; this morning, let’s look at salt.  What do
ou think he meant?
FIRST- salt is used for seasoning.  Have you ever tried to cut back or
one on a low-salt diet?  If so, you can testify that even a little
alt goes a long way in making food taste better.  A few Christians in
o a long way making life better for all they touch.
SECOND- salt is used for preserving food, especially meat.  Have you
ver tasted salt-cured ham?  In hot areas like the Middle-East, meat
ouldn’t be preserved by ice, so they used salt.  As salt goes a long
ay to prevent rot and decay, so a few good Christians can go a long
ay offering salvation to a lost world.
THIRD- salt is a disinfectant.  In Jesus’ time, they obviously didn’t
ave antibiotics, so how did they treat an infected finger?  Soak it
n salt water.  We use salt the same way when we have a sore throat.
ow do we frequently treat it?  Sure, by gargling with salt water.  As
alt heals sick bodies, we Christians are called to offer physical,
ental, emotional, and spiritual healing.
FOURTH- as salt melts ice, Christians offer Jesus to melt hardened
earts.  You know those salt trucks that spread salt far and wide?
hat they do with salt, we should do with Jesus, so he can melt frozen
earts.
FIFTH- this use sounds gross to me, but it’s probably one of the most
ignificant in our salt/Christian comparison.  Salt was used as a
atalyst for baking bread.  Let me explain.  In Jesus’ time, each
illage had one or more communal ovens to be used by the citizens for
aking bread.  The ovens were made of clay and had a slab of salt at
he bottom.  The fuel used was (this is the gross part) camel or
onkey dung (i.e. poop), since wood was scarce in that area, and
herefore expensive.  Salt was used, because- in its presence- dung
urns hotter and therefore is a better fuel.  After the salt has been
n the oven for a while, it stops working well.  It’s essential
omponents are destroyed by the extreme heat, and that’s probably what
esus is referring to when he mentions that when salt has lost its
altness, it is useless.  In its presence, the seemingly-useless,
ilthy (as considered by people) dung is transformed into the means
or baking life-sustaining bread.  We Christians are the salt of the
arth when our presence and influence offers hope and love to the
opeless.
May God bless us this week as we work to become the salt of the
arth,.  Amen.
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
isdom statements are posted on our NEW PARISH WEB SITE. The address
s: http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .
Blessed preaching.
udy Boli
t. Paul's Episcopal Church
aginaw, Michigan
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