February 6, 2011: Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 112:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Matthew 5:13-20
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Comment: “You are…” Whatever descriptive word that follows this declaration can affect the immediate or eternal destiny of the person who hears it. “You are loved; you are hated.” You are successful; you are a failure.
Jesus tells his hearers, “You are salt; you are light.” We know that the properties of salt and light bring about something good. How wonderful it is to know that Jesus sees us this way. As citizens of the kingdom of heaven we have the capacity to bring about good.
Jesus also says, if salt looses its taste and light is hidden, both are worthless. I understand a light bulb breaking or a light cord pulled from an outlet, but I can’t phantom ‘un-salty’ salt. However, I get some sense of it when I look at the current crises in Egypt. The unsavory dealings of Egyptian leadership have left people too poor to buy food to season it at all. There is a dark cloud of crime that continues to linger over Haiti. The earthquake destroyed the prison that housed over 4000 criminals. They are still roaming the streets causing havoc.
Is it possible to regain ‘saltiness’ or be re-illuminated? By implication, Jesus teaches that as we ‘are’ salt and light, we fulfill the tenants of the law of the proclamations of the prophets. So what does the prophet say? “…loose the bonds of injustice, undo the thongs of the yoke, let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke…share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, cover them and not to hide yourself from your own kin…Then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring up quickly;”
Oh God we pray that you will connect us daily with one person whose life we can season for good and one to shine the light of your love on their path. We pray also that you will show us as citizens of this world how to elect responsible leaders to end poverty and suffering in our world. We pray this in the name of Jesus, the One who is the Light of the world. Amen
Epiphany Blessings,
Rev. Julia
© February 2, 2011