pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

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Complete Love

Reading: Matthew 5

Matthew 5:48 – “Just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.”

Chapter 5 begins with nine statements known as the Beatitudes. In these phrases Jesus describes those who are happy or blessed. The hopeless become happy because they find hope in God’s kingdom. The humble become happy because they know God’s presence. The disciples who are insulted or harassed because of their faith become happy when they realize their “great reward” in heaven. All nine statements frame a happy or blessed life in the context of faith and trust in God and in God’s plans for one’s life.

Jesus then reminds his disciples that they are to be salt and light. These things are no good if hidden or lost. They are to be lived out, to be shared with the world. In doing so, others will see the good we do and will praise God.

The balance of chapter 5 deals with the Law. Jesus begins in verse 17 by stating that he came not to do away with the Law but to fulfill it. To keep and teach these commands, Jesus says, will lead to being called great in the kingdom of heaven. Each teaching is framed in “You have heard it said… But I say to you…” language. In each case Jesus goes deeper or beyond the minimal following of the letter of the Law. He is getting at the matters of our hearts.

Don’t murder, they say. Jesus says don’t get angry and don’t use harsh words. Don’t commit adultery, they say. Jesus says don’t even look lustfully at another. An eye for an eye, they say. Jesus says, no, give them what they want or demand plus give some more. Love your neighbor, they say. Jesus says, yes, but love your enemies too. And pray for them! Verse 48 serves as a summary verse: “Just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.” May it ever be so.

Prayer: Lord God, with you we are truly happy and blessed – not because all things are rosy and good but because you are with us in all things. This too is our model. You call us to flavor the world with love, mercy, kindness. You call us to bring light into dark valleys and shadowy places. You call us to an exemplary walk, one that causes others to take notice of our unconditional love for all people. Lead and guide us to live completely and fully, just as you love us. Amen.


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Salt and Light

Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

Verse 16: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

After casting a vision for what the community of faith should look and act like in the Beatitudes, Jesus continues in this week’s text, exploring what this looks like when lived out. He uses two analogies today to describe the Christian life lived out in the world: salt and light. By practicing or living out the nine “blessed are” statements of verses 1-12, a follower of Christ will be salt and light to others.

Jesus’ first encourages us today to be salt. Salt served two primary functions in Jesus’ day. One was to preserve food. With this idea, Jesus is encouraging us to preserve our faith and to help others to persevere in their faith. Jesus asks the question of what happens when we lose our faith. We become useless to the kingdom of God. Salt was also used to enhance flavor. Without faith our lives become bland. With faith we are to live in ways that enhance other people’s lives. Reflecting for a moment, one can see how living out many of the Beatitudes would enhance the lives of those we encounter.

Jesus then encourages us to be light. He’s not talking about being a little nightlight over in the corner. No, Jesus says to place our light up on a stand so that all can see it. This is a call to stand out from the world, to be a light that shines into the darkness of this world. Jesus encourages us, saying, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” We note that this is not a light that we shine upon ourselves. It is the light of Christ radiating out from within us, revealing his love and grace, his care and provision, through the acts of our hands and feet, through the ministry of our words and prayers.

As we seek to live as salt and light in the world, may all we meet encounter God’s love, growing to praise God almighty.

Prayer: Lord God, lead me today Lord, guiding me to live and be in the world in a way that enhances other people’s lives. Show me the way, Lord, to illuminate people’s paths, easing their burdens and sharing the joy of knowing you as Lord and Savior. Amen.


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Salt and Light

Reading: Matthew 5: 13-16

Verses 13 and 14: “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world”.

In today’s reading we are called to affect our world. Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth… you are the light of the world”. To understand what he means by this, let us look at each term as it applies to faith in the world.

Salt had two main functions in Jesus’ day. The first was to preserve. Salt was liberally applied to meat and fish to extend its useful life. It keep the food safe, preventing it from spoiling. When our faith is sprinkled throughout our life, it helps us to persevere and it keeps our walk ‘good’ – living in a way that is pleasing to God. Salt also flavors that which it touches. It brings out the flavor in foods. Our faith should flavor all we do and say as well as flavoring everyone we encounter. Our good should act to bring out the good in others, making their lives better.

Jesus also calls us to be light. Light illuminates things. Doing so it chases away darkness. Jesus encourages us to allow our faith to be light in the world, not just in our own private way. He says to treat it like a lamp, putting it “on a stand” – up high so that all can be affected by our faith. Faith as a light functions in at least three ways. First, it can be a light that reveals darkness (sin) in our own lives as well as in the lives of others. Second, our faith can be a light that guides our path as we as the path of others. And, third, our faith reveals God in us and can reveal God to others, working so that “they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven”. When our faith is something good that others can see, it draws them in and makes them curious about what we have.

Each day we all have opportunities to be salt and light to the world. Sometimes these opportunities feel minor and sometimes we are challenged by the opportunity that God gives us. We are called to be salt and light. God promises to be with us, to go before us, to be present to us in all things. Accordingly, may we trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, using each of us to do God’s will as salt and light in the world.

Prayer: Father God, may all I do and say flavor and illuminate my walk and the walk of those I meet. Use me to connect others to you. Thank you too God for all who have been salt and light to me on my walk of faith. Praise God that they took the opportunity to walk with me! Amen.


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Salt

Reading: Mark 9: 42-50

Verse 50: “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another”.

Our passage today open with Jesus warning us about sin. It begins with a warning against causing ‘little ones’ or children to sin. This could be about literal children or about believers new to the faith. In either case, the consequence is dire – the equivalent of the old ‘cement shoes’ quip that we joked that people who crossed the mafia would receive.

Jesus continues to say that we are better off without a hand, foot, or eye if these cause us to sin. On the practical side, if I were missing a hand due to sin, for example, I would be a little less likely to commit that sin. Yet if I were to be honest, I’d sooner be without both hands than to be free from a particular sin. While this is our reality, in the text Jesus is not being literal. He is using hyerbole to make His point: all of our sin has a cost. Whether it is a broken or damaged relationship with another or if it just affects our relationship with God, there is always a cost.

Jesus shifts to salt in verse 49. Continuing His topic from the previous verses, Jesus reminds us that one day we will all be “salted with fire”. One day we will all stand before the throne of judgment. Then, in verse 50, Jesus connects this fact to the our daily lives with a different salt illustration. He says, “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another”. Live with the fire of God in you. Live with the power of God at work in our lives. Allow our faith to ‘flavor’ all aspects of our lives as we live out an eternal life faith in this present world. In doing so, we will be at peace with one another. Living a life of faith counters our selfish tendencies, allowing us to be content and to live in peace with each other. May our faith flavor all we do and say each day!

Lord of light, pour our your Spirit upon me this day, that I may be both salt and light to the world. May my faith flavor all of my relationships this day – with you, with my family, with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and with those I meet today. Make it so, Lord. Amen.


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Salt and Light

Reading: Matthew 5: 13-20

As follower of Christ, we are called to be both salt and light. Both are essential roles in our Christian witness.  If we fail to be either, we are only partly carrying out our role.

Traditionally, salt served two purposes – salt preserved and salt flavored.  In a world without refrigeration, preserving food was an essential practice.  Food is crucial to life and is a prescious commodity, so preserving what you did not eat when you killed an animal would later sustain life.  In much the same way, our faith preserves us.  Through prayer, study, and worhsip we coat our hearts and minds with the things of God.  Then both in the day to day and in the trials, our faith preserves who we are at our core, keeping us grounded in Christ.

Sal is also a flavoring.  Many foods are bland or dull without salt.  Our faith is the salt that flavors our life.  It is also our faith that flavors the lives of those around us.  Who we are, what we do, the words we choose, how we treat others – all are flavored by our faith.  The ‘flavors’ our faith adds to all these things is love, truth, compassion, honesty, understanding…

Traditionally, light was held up to illuminate or show the way to things around the source of the light.  For example, a city was built upon a hilltop or a lamp was placed upon a stand.  The analogies of lighting the way or of casting aside the darkness are what Jesus refers to as He calls on us to be light.  Our faith should shine out from us, into the world.  Our faith should radiate out from within, bringing hope and promise and vision to a world living in darkness.  Our faith must not be private – hidden under a bowl – but public and out there for all to see.  It is through seeing our faith lived out that others see the true light and are guided towards a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are called to be salt and light.  We each have opportunities each day to be these things to a world in need.  May we make the most of what God sends out way, seeking to bear witness to the faith we hold dear.


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God’s Wisdom

We as Christians have the opportunity each day to take the wisdom that God offers and to share it with the world.  God’s wisdom is pure and holy, gentle and peaceful, accepting, willing to serve, and is sincere.  When we look at and live out our lives in this manner, not only is our life better, so are the lives of all around us.

When we allow God’s wisdom to be our guide, we build bonds of true community.  Here we grow seeds that will become the fruits of love and harmony and unity.  Living in God’s wisdom allows us to begin to build His kingdom here on earth.

In contrast to and opposing this is the world’s wisdom.  Characteristics like envy, greed, lust, mistrust, and selfishness tear down community and destroy relationships.  They give rise to anger, conflict, disputes, and separation.

As individuals and as communities of faith, we have opportunities to be bearers of God’s ways and wisdom.  We can choose to live lives of mercy, grace, love, compassion, and service.  If this is the ‘flavor’ of our lives, then we in turn will flavor those around us.

In the world there is plenty of negative, plenty of the world’s wisdom.  God’s wisdom can counter this and be a light to all we are in relationship with.  When we allow patience and goodness and righteousness to saturate our entire beings, then these things seep out in to those around us.  May God’s wisdom and love be our guide as we seek to build His kingdom here on earth.

Scripture reference: James 3: 13-18