First Mennonite Church
September 14, 2025
The Sermon on the Mount IV
Text: Matthew 5:13-20
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
In the Beatitudes, the disciples learned who they are through their association with Jesus. They are blessed, to them belongs the kingdom of heaven, they are children of God, they are in the line of the great prophets who spoke on behalf of God, and they will receive mercy from God and will see God.
The Beatitudes invest the disciples with divine honor and great privileges in exchange for following the Messiah. The disciples’ marginal existence, low social status, and being members of the poverty stricken part of society are completely transformed. From emptiness the disciples bubbled with divine favor. But Jesus did not stop with the Beatitudes. What follows describes the immense responsibilities the disciples are given along with the high privileges conferred to them. As Jesus would later remind them: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded (from them) (Luke 12:48).
Through the Beatitudes Jesus made clear the identity of his followers. This is very important. We should know who we are. We should know who we are through relation with Jesus Christ. But knowledge of who we are would be insufficient and or inefficient if we do not act according to our identity. So, Jesus tells us: You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world. What salt is to our sense of taste, light is to our sense of sight. If either of these is missing, health and life would be in danger. If any of these is missing from our identity, something is drastically wrong or we are afraid of someone or something.
You are the salt of the world, Jesus tells us. If you go to Soda Lake in the summer, out by Carrizo Plains, you will notice a white substance along the edge of the lake. I would not dare tasting it. It might be salty, who knows. There in the Dead Sea is also a white substance coating the edge of the lake. It looks like salt, but it is gypsum. Although it can be used to coagulate tofu, it is mostly used as a construction material and it is not salty. Gypsum looks like unrefined salt, but it is not. And interestingly, when Jesus talks about salt losing its taste, he uses a verb that—when not talking about salt—means “to make or show to be foolish.” In Romans 1.22, Paul writes: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools… by exchanging the true God for idols.” Salt obviously never loses its saltiness. The problem, however, is claiming to be salt, while being gypsum is foolishness. So, we understand that losing our saltiness is a matter of becoming foolish towards God. God will trample on what does not belong to him at the final judgement.
The other day, Lilian was talking with a lady who said she was talking with some people who are church goers. “However,” this lady said, “By the way they talk, it is hard to believe they are Christians.” Is it a case of gypsum pretending to be salt?
When it comes to being like light, Jesus speaks the obvious to emphasize the expected outcome from those who he declares blessed. A city built on a hill cannot hide. Every lighthouse has a purpose. It is to be seen from a distance and to communicate an important message. To lit a lamp and put it under a box is just foolish. Lights are there to illumine, to assist in dark places. Lights have clear purposes, not only to be seen, but to provide reassurance in dark places, to help people discern safe pathways, and in Jesus’ perspective, to lead others to give glory to God.
In Jesus’ perspective and will, everything he means to you and me, everything he says we are makes you and me as distinctive and essential in this world. For just as when you put in something into your mouth and can taste the salt in it, right away, is how you and I should be in the world. The moment we show up among our friends, the moment we open our mouths in conversation or online, the moment act or react, the world should see something completely distinct about us.
People are watching for beauty, for guidance, for something fresh other than the ugliness, confusion, and rotted ways that are typical out there in the world. By being salt and light, we have a God-given power and opportunity to reflect glimpses of God’s presence and work through common and ordinary people as we are, just the same way Jesus’ disciples were.
The Lord is reminding us once again: You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world. If either of these is missing, health and life would be in danger. Corruption, decay, and death will continue wreaking havoc. Darkness will continue to drape over our friends, neighborhoods, and the land.
So, let us hear what the Lord says we are. He says to us, “You are the salt of the world. You are the light of the world, therefore, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Let us allow his words to sink in our hearts. Let us believe what he says we are. Let us act upon what he says we are. It is not enough to just hear his word and to believe them. That is why at the end of his teaching session, Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27).
My dear brothers and sisters, in this world where death reigns and where darkness blinds hearts and minds, speak wisely, act kindly, and keep silent at times. In this world where confusion reigns, be a beacon of hope, speak truth, and act justly. For through every word that comes through your mouth, you reflect the light that is in you. For through the ways you act, you reveal the presence and work of God in the world. Our way of being should reflect something more than religiosity like that of the Pharisees and the Scribes. So, let us be distinctive like salt. Let us be powerful and yet gentle like the light that shines. You are the light of the world that can lead others to see God’s goodness, which will lead them to glorify God. Amen!
Pastor Romero