Sermon 

Rev. Judith Perry

This reading comes right after the beatitudes that we heard last Sunday. So, Jesus is sitting outside, perhaps on a rock, and is speaking to his followers.  

He is not speaking to the politicians. He is speaking the to the people gathered around him. He is speaking to each of us.  

It sort of goes like this: 

“This is how you folks fit into the big picture. Salt is a preservative. You are the salt. Without this salt the world would go putrid.  

But if salt is left sitting around instead of being put to use, it soon dissolves away or gets contaminated.  

Then what can you do with it? It is completely useless, so it just gets chucked out. 

Or again, you are the light.  Without your light the world would be left in the dark. Your light should be as obvious as a the citadel built on the hill.  

No one turns on a lamp and then hides it under the bed. They put it out in the open, front and centre, so that it can light up the whole room. That is what you should be like.  

Live your lives openly, reflecting God brightly, so that everyone can bask in the light of your integrity and generous love, and give due credit to God who conceived you in heaven.” 

So, we each of us, just have to be these salty Christians. 

But we are people, social animals, and we get together in groups: bridge clubs, service groups, pickle ball players, motorcycle gangs, Raging Grannies, and here today we are gathered in a church. We are a congregation. 

We are called to be an active salty congregation.  

So now, use your imagination. Perhaps close your eyes. Think about walking out through the doors of this church. Cross the road. Well, go down to the traffic lights and cross there, that’s safer. 

 Then walk until you are standing with the Old Burial Ground behind you and in front is the church on the other side of the road. Now look over at the church building.  

Do you see it in your minds eye: tall with a steeple reaching to the sky? Now watch as it morphs, changes, and there in front of you is a giant salt cellar, shaker. See it? The building is salt, a huge salt cellar stretching to the sky. 

This church is central to the city, along with the Cathedral, it stands in the prime location for mission to the people on the city streets. You are the salt that seasons Halifax. Got that? 

You have a divine calling to serve the people who pass by.  This is your mission. You are the salt for the city. You are the spotlight on the hill. 

Perhaps then you could stand and see the church change and become a lighthouse, a lighthouse central to the city around it. 

You are all the light of the world.  

Not physical light, but personal and together this group light, a church light; the light of faith, hope and love: the light of truth and compassion, justice and courage, sensitivity, mercy and forgiveness.  

The very light of God within you and radiating from you, individually and together gathered in this community of faith.  

You are the light of the world and the light in the city! It’s a big deal. There are a multitude of bewildered souls walking down our sidewalk looking for some light. 

That is where we are supposed to come in. The love of God in Christ Jesus, the very Light of Light, is intended to shine in and through our daily affairs and the times that we gather together.  

We are supposed to have, we have, this illuminated and illuminating quality. 

Now you can come back, just remember to cross at the traffic light. 

Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good deeds, and give glory to God in heaven. 

Does it? Does the light shine? Of course it does. 

There’s always room for improvement, and the temptation to just close down and move on.   

Hear again what Jesus actually said to his followers: You are the light of the world.  You are. 

You are now.  Not you could be or should be. Not tidy up your act, stiffen your will power, and commence trying.  Not maybe in ten years time, nor if you work very hard perhaps by the end of the year. 

Jesus did not say to those folks gathered around him “Now go off, learn these creeds, sign this mission statement, undertake these spiritual exercises, pray for two hours each day, read two chapters of the Bible each day, fast and mediate; then you will start to become the light of the world. 

 What our Lord said was more immediate, more a surprise. “By trusting the unexpected, unearnable, grace of God as it flows to you through My words and deeds, you are now the light of the world.” 

 It is not our light but his light; not by our strenuous efforts but by pure grace. 

 This Jesus must have been like pepper in the noses of the religious authorities in Israel.  

They taught: IF you keep all the laws and regulations of the Old Testament, and observe the additional by-laws that our rabbis have added for your own good, if you ritually wash and purify yourself each day,  

if you make the requisite sacrifices at the temple and avoid any contact or fellowship with the despicable non-Jews, then.... must maybe, you may begin to be a little light in the darkness of the world.  

Not so Jesus. His only requirement was to accept the free gift of love that God offers. Simply to come as you are. Just open your windows to the light and allow it to touch even the dusty corners of your heart and soul.   

Then without any question, you will be the light of the world. 

The light of God is a gift: a gift to be lovingly accepted, celebrated, cherished and freely shared. 

So being a little salty and filled with light, we offer this mind-blowing grace to the street outside our door, to the city, to all we encounter. That’s just how the grace-filled light is shed. 

Think about it. Those first followers were filled with light and passed it on, and on, and on, until it reached us here today. It is an unbroken line of succession. 

 Dare we really believe it? Dare you and I believe what Jesus says? 

It is really too simple. We are flawed, sometimes despicable little characters. It sees to be too good to be true. But, by faith, here we are together and with God’s unimaginable grace we are the light and salt in the centre of our city. 

Some of you may be a bit dubious, doubtful, feeling inept, or maybe just set on closing up the shop. But today we are here, together, and Jesus always speaks in the present tense. 

We are together, now, the salt that flavours the city. Each of us may have a small light, just a flame, but together we have a conflagration.  Congregation/conflagration.  

Dare we believe, even for one sentimental moment, that we are the light of the world?  

The tiny bits of faith, hope and love that the grace of God has sown in your mind and heart qualify you to be a bearer of the light of Christ Jesus.  

By the generous grace of Christ, his followers long ago were the light of the world, and they passed the light through the generations to us here today 

There is only one thing that can prevent the light of Christ from shining through us. That is if we choose to hide it.  

To be a secret Christian, or a secret congregation, is not a valid option. Share it or lose it. God does not withdraw the light, but we can cover it up. We have free will. 

You know what happens if you put a bucket over a candle, the starved light will decline to a flicker, then degenerate to acrid smoke, smoulder a while and then grow cold 

 We must choose.  

You are the light of the world.....A person does not light a lamp then cover it with a bucket. They place it on a lamp stand, where it can provide light to all in that house.  

Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good deeds, and give glory to God in heaven.