"The Faithful Courage of Salt and Light"          2011

Joshua 24:15-18                   Matthew 5:11-16

Joshua 24:15-18

15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

 

Matthew 5:11-16

11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.   13“You are the salt of the earth; but 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 under foot. 14“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

 

In 1937, Martin Niemoller,

            the pastor of a little church just outside of Berlin.

                        preached a sermon on this same Matthew 5 passage,

                                    and was arrested two weeks later by the Gestapo.

            He spent the next eight years in a Nazi concentration camp

                        surviving until he was liberated from Dachau in 1945…

  … talk about preaching a politically incorrect sermon.

 

Martin Niemoller preached that sermon fully aware of the danger,

            and in fact, he even mentioned in his message that day,

                        that Hitler Youth and members of the Secret Police

                            were there to spy and report on church members and clergy.

 

Earlier that same year, the Nazi regime had declared and decreed

            that German nationalism, militarism and patriotism were

                entirely consistent with Christian truth & biblical teaching.

 

Therefore pastors were pressured and required by law

            to preach in support of the Nazi anti-Jewish nationalism.

                        Hitler's thugs would beat and imprisoned and who objected,

                            and replace them with other pastors more willing to submit.

 

Under those conditions of threats, violence and coercion,

            and knowing that he might be arrested and viciously imprisoned

                  for placing loyalty to Christ above loyalty to the state;à

    Martin Niemoller

            preached a most remarkable and courageous sermon that day,

                        about salt and light   in contrast to world and culture,

                                    and standing against the prevailing winds of society.

 

He began his sermon that day

            by reading a long list of names of those already arrested,

                        and promising, that even more would be taken away soon.

Then he called on his congregation to stand apart as Christ's Church,

            to stand against domination and control by the Nazi war-regime,

                    & declare God's truth   despite the risk, the danger & threat.

 

Listen to these words,  that courageous pastor preached that day:

 

            "You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world.

                        When I read these words today, they became really new to me, and I had to go back and reread them.  I had a feeling of inward relief when I found the words which proceeded them:  Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me… for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.   

 

            You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world!  as though there were no gap between the persecution of the community of Jesus Christ.  It says, You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world, as though they were directly connected.

 

            I must say that in this passage -- which I have known since I was a boy -- I today realized for the first time that the Lord Jesus Christ is telling his disciples: You will be reviled and persecuted, you will be falsely slandered, and immediately He adds: You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world!

            … The Christian community at this moment is in danger of being thrown into the same pot as the world; that is to say; it must keep itself distinct from the rest of the world by virtue of its saltiness. 

 

                How does Christ's community differ from the world?

                        … We had come through a time of peril -- and we are not finished yet … and we must not -- for Heaven's sake -- make a German Gospel out of the Gospel; we must not -- for Heaven's sake -- make a German Church out of Christ's Church.

 

He goes on in the next section:

            And the other picture which the Lord Jesus Christ holds up to us:  you are the light of the world  We hear these words and yet we worry …  What are we worrying about?           

 

                When I read the names, a little while ago, did we not think, 'Alas, will this wind, this storm, that is going through the world just now, not blow out the Gospel candle?  We must therefore take the message in, out of the storm, and put it in a safe nook.'

 

            It's only during these days, that I have understood what the Lord Jesus Christ means when he says: Don't cover up the light!  I have not lit the candle for you to put it under a bowl, in order to protect it from the wind. … It is not your business to worry about whether the candle is extinguished or not by the storm.  We are not to worry about that.  It is His concern. 

            We are only to see that the light is not hidden away -- hidden away perhaps with a noble intent, that we may bring it back out in calmer times ---

                NO!    Let your light shine before men!      …  and may God help us all …

 

It's been more than 50 years, yet this is still one of

            the most powerful and challenging sermons I have ever read.

                        I am filled with respect for his courage in preaching it.

 

Can you imagine, if we clung to our faith

            to our Christian distinctiveness with such tenacious vigor,

                        if such courage and commitment characterized our church?

 

As salt in the open wounds of Nazi atrocities and aggression,

    as God's light exposing the depravity of Hitler's intentions,

            standing tall as salt & light against the forces of Nazi evil

    so too, we are challenged to consider our own commitment to Jesus,

            and our willingness to accept risk & cost in standing for Christ.

 

What does it mean for us to stand and live as salt and light

            in the context and perspective of our culture and society?

                       

The Joshua 24 text is about making such commitments and choices.

            The Israelites are making their homes in the Promised Land,

                        and Joshua is pressing them to decide between options.

            They could worship the ancient gods of beyond the river,

                        or they could stick with the familiar Egyptian gods,

                             or then again they could adopt the local Amorite gods.

   But as for Joshua, it will be the God of Israel and no other.

 

In our world and in our lives,

            there are many other voices that seek our attention and loyalty,

                        but we cannot serve the Lord God and compromise with them…

                            for we are challenged to live distinctly into God's grace…

            …and there are real consequences in what we choose;

                        for either God is the priority of our lives, or God is not.

                       

Briefly, it means that we are on guard --

            always conscious of the danger of being seduced,

               of buying or being sold into culture, unaware of its influence.

 

It means that we try to recognize

            the danger and subtleties of cultural encroachment,

                        and of accepting

                            seemingly harmless compromises for our comfort and ease .

 

When I ran office supply stores,

    beige was the most popular best selling color for desk accessories

        because it always fit in with whatever colors were already there;

                it was safe, because it goes with anything and never clashes.

 

While that's OK for a file cabinet, a desk tray or a pencil cup,

            Christians and churches ought not be    non-offensive beige,

                        for Jesus has blessed us, and commissioned us   to stand out,

                                    You are the salt of the earth;   You are the light of the world.

 

So how do we do salt?,  and how do we do light?

 

            I've always found that salty food makes me thirsty.

                        Ask yourself, are the influences and effects of your living

                                    causing in those who are around you,

                                                to thirst for the living water of Jesus Christ?

                                       That is a part of being God's salt to the earth.

 

Before the days of electricity,  each evening a lamp-lighter

            went from street light to street light lighting the wicks.

Looking at that from a distance, you would see a lit trek,

            a glowing line of streetlights marking where he had been.

 

            What sort of route have we been marking for others?

                        What can they see and follow

                                    by our expressions and our demonstrations of faith?

                                                            Does that path we've lit, lead to Christ?

 

Can our fellow students, coworkers, associates, neighbors & family,

      recognize God's grace in us, in our relationships and how we live,

            and the possibility of God in their lives  by what they see in us?

 

Under the pressure of culture    and our desire to get along;

            our need to be liked    and our hope to avoid hassle,

                        it's certainly easier and safer to turn down the light,

                                    to filter, shade and cover its offensive brightness.

 

In contrast to that, Jesus said;   Matthew 5:16

            … let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

   Our task as the people of God, as the redeemed followers of Christ,

            is for God's grace in us to stand out faithfully as salt and light

                        in distinct contrast to the world, its culture and values  à

            in such a way,           that our lives demonstrate before others,

                        Christian courage, joy, integrity, peace and character,

                                          as signs of hope & promise pointing beyond ourselves

                                                       toward the steadfastly-faithful  grace of God.

 

            Somehow in us,  in what we do, in what we say and our attitudes,

                        people ought to see something that says that God is real.

 

Clearly our call is to be different in meaningful ways;

            to make a difference in the world,

                        restraining evil and promoting God's truth…

                                    … for that is what it means to be

                                                the salt of the earth;  the light of the world.

 

As we come to the Lord's Table today;

            the message is not,    be saltier or shine more brightly.

                        Jesus did not say, do this and you'll become salt and light,

                                    He said, you are salt and light, --- we already are,à

                                          we have been, ever since we decided to follow Jesus.

 

Our task   is not to let our salt be diluted or contaminated,

            nor allow   our light to be filtered or blocked by this world.

                        As our lives are shaped and reshaped by God's gracious love,

                                    let us not compromise that truth

                                                by trying to fit in with the world by going beige…

 

    … but, as Jesus commanded those of us who follow in grace:  vs. 16

               let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.