Our readings today are very much a call to look at ourselves, a kind of pre-lent preparation, and whenever we might identify a fault in ourselves we hope that both we and others will deal with it gently!
But it was a concept that people such as St Paul, and even Jesus himself would not have understood well. When they saw an issue that needed dealing with they went straight in and did something about it. And the readings today from Isaiah (58:1-9), Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians (2:1-12) and the gospel of Matthew (5:13-20) contain some pretty straight talking.
In the gospel Jesus said to the crowds, ‘You are the light of the world…’ (Matthew 5 : 13-20) And he went on just a little bit later, ‘let your lights shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’
This theme of light and darkness is one to which the Bible often returns and it’s one which is fairly easy for us to understand – the idea of light representing good and darkness bad is a familiar picture, but the idea of us shining as lights in the world is one that, whilst easy to understand, often seems much more difficult to do…
There was a story about a class in school who were being taught about the incredible rate at which light travels – the teacher explained, ‘Isn’t it wonderful? To think of light coming to us from the sun at the speed of all those miles per second ?’ to which one boy replied, ‘Not really Sir, it is downhill all the way !’
If only showing light to others were so easy ! But the fact that something is difficult to do doesn’t exempt us from trying to do it, and Jesus spent a lot of his ministry pointing out to his followers the responsibility they had to share his light and his love with others – but this was no passing the buck situation because he always did it with the understanding that he was there to help…
And today we live in the same situation – empowered by the Holy Spirit, with the knowledge of the never-ending love of God for each one of us, we are to be lights shining in what is all too often a pretty dark world…
And this battle to be lights in the world is one that has gone on throughout history in many ways – in the reading from Isaiah (58:1-9) the Prophet recognises that people are doing all the right things in religious terms – they are fasting as prescribed yet what they’re doing is not actually good, because they are doing it for the wrong reasons. Their hearts are not in it at all. They are doing it to show that they can, they are doing it to show that they are somehow more holy than the next person.
For us the message could perhaps be rewritten as we’re challenged not to be just church goers but disciples – people who are known not just by our attendance in church on a Sunday particularly but much more importantly by the fact that we’re an influence in the church and outside in community for openness and honesty, and for acceptance and love. We are called not to retreat from life into our church buildings but to live as witnesses to the world.
So what does being a light for Christ really mean – I guess it must begin with a genuine concern for others, spiritually, physically and materially… Genuine concern for others is at the heart of our Christian gospel, and when we work together caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, then we are following the example of Jesus himself. We are letting people see the good works we do as signs of God’s glory, not ours !
The way we live every day is vitally important as God sees all the details – the good and the bad. But we don’t try to live right just because God is watching, but because we have the ‘right motivation’. Looking good on the outside is pointless if our motivation is not right. I read a quote this week where a person had said, ‘I have never killed a man, but I have certainly read many obituaries with great pleasure !’
Living in the right way is pointless if our hearts are not in the right place. Turning up for church on a Sunday and then moaning about our neighbours or even about things in our church after hurts other people, hurts the church and hurts God.
One of the great problems in churches everywhere is the issue of gossip or people talking behind the backs of others – there’s a story about Mildred the church gossip and self-appointed arbiter of the church's morals (hopefully nobody here is called Mildred and if they are then this is a different Mildred !!).
She kept interfering in the other members' lives and whilst people didn’t like it they feared her enough to say nothing. She made a mistake, however, when she accused George, a new member, of having a drink problem after she saw his van parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She commented to George and others that everyone seeing it there would know what he was doing.
George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He didn't explain, defend, or deny; he said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his van in front of Mildred's house... and left it there all night!
What we do and what we say inside and outside of church is important – being seen in the right places is not as important as being seen to do the right things.
Right motivation is as important as right living. ‘Let the same mind be in you, as was in Christ Jesus…’ wrote St. Paul. That is no false showing, no selfish pride, but a life of service and dedication to Christ and to others. That is right living with the right motivation.
But even those whose heart is in the right place must never stop there – Jesus urges us to ‘be active’. The heart that’s in the right place but does nothing is ineffective – there is the famous saying probably by the 18th century politician, Edmund Burke, that ‘All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.’
To be lights shining in the darkness of the world there has to be some activity – a candle is lit by a match or a taper and continues to burn, a light is switched on and continues to shine… our lives are transformed by Jesus, and inspired and motivated by Him we must continue to shine through all the different kinds of situations in which we find ourselves.
It’s important to notice that this passage about being salt of the earth and light of the world comes after the sermon on the mount in Matthew’s gospel – the sermon on the mount is really counter cultural. It takes what people expect to be right or good and so often says the opposite – people may strive for riches of all kinds, but true riches are only found in knowing God. People may mourn but in their weakness and grief they can experience something of the compassion and love of God.
Those who are meek may sometimes be the downtrodden in our society, but they are the ones who God is seeing as people humble enough to have entrusted to them the world… They will not seek self-glory or worldly wealth, but they will know where true strength is found.
And the merciful will be shown mercy – the principle of doing to others what we hope they will do to us is one that resonates throughout this reading.
Those who are pure in heart will be those who have allowed themselves or perhaps pushed themselves to be nearer to God in their lives…. The peacemakers will have taken chances because seeking peace means facing up to conflict, but peace is the way…
And those who are persecuted because of righteousness have taken the risk of standing up for what is right – theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The sermon on the mount wasn’t written as an historical document for us to enjoy but as living teaching for us to follow. The examples Jesus gives are examples he hopes we will follow in our own lives. Paul wrote and spoke strongly to churches where there were problems, where people didn’t look like they were doing the right things for God - I wonder who he’d be writing to today?
When people see us may we pray that they will see lights shining for God, lights transformed by his power and his love, lights pointing people to Him.
It’s a tall order, but he is a wonderful Saviour, and one who will walk with us on our journey of life, if we let him.
In walking with us he calls us to be the saints of today… Living saints ministering to a broken world.
What a wonderful privilege that really is… AMEN
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