Salt and Light
Scripture: Matthew 5:13-20 (NRSVue)
Jesus says to us in this gospel reading, “truly I tell you,” or more literally, “Amen I tell you.” We end our prayers with Amen, but Jesus curiously began his words with Amen. And anytime he says, “Amen I tell you,” we’d better listen to what follows. He then shares that he came for the purpose of fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, not abolishing them. Jesus was affirming the authority of not only Scripture, but his authority. The Hebrew prophets would speak on behalf of God in the third person: Thus says the Lord. The apostles in the New Testament would say: It is written.
But Jesus says: I say unto you. How did Jesus fulfill the Scriptures? First, by his complete obedience to them. Second, by teaching us deeper meanings of what the Scriptures teach. By God’s grace, when we follow Jesus and his interpretations of Scripture, we find ourselves standing out and making a difference in our world, where with Christ in us, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, helping others to taste and see that the Lord is good.
February 5, 2023
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Sermon Art: “Jesus on the Mount of Olives,” Apolinare Nuovo, Ravenna, 6th century
Other Sermons In This Series
An Eye Opening Miracle
March 19, 2023
Never Abandoned
May 14, 2023
Persistence is a Virtue
October 16, 2022