Loving God, in your kingdom the lowly are lifted up and the proud are brought low.  Help us to remember that we are both forgiven sinners and precious children in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    The Mount of Beatitudes is a beautiful place, overlooking the Sea of Galilee and filled with greenery and flowers.  However, as you approach, you are greeted by a sign that tells you what is not allowed there.  It uses pictures so that it doesn’t matter what language you speak and tells visitors the following: No dogs.  No shorts or bare knees.  Be quiet.  No food and drink.  No guns.  And no smoking.  When I took the picture of it, I found the sign quite funny.  However, now it strikes me that this is the exact opposite of Jesus’ approach in the Beatitudes.

    The Beatitudes, for those who may not know, refers to the statements of blessing that began today’s gospel (Mt. 5:3-12). You might recall from a few weeks ago that the gospel of Matthew draws a number of parallels between Jesus and Moses.  And so, some have observed that when Jesus goes up the mountain in Matthew 5 and teaches his disciples there, it is kind of like a new Moses giving a new Ten Commandments.  However, in the portion that we heard in today’s gospel, it is not so much commandments, but statements.

    Rather than beginning with all of the things not to do, Jesus begins with statements of blessing and statements of value.  In fact, he begins by addressing all those who would be considered the weakest members of society.  The poor, the grieving, the meek; those who are being persecuted; the pure in heart, the innocent, the humble – these are the ones who are blessed in the kingdom of God.

    Those who were listening to Jesus - and perhaps us as well - would have thought the opposite.  They would have thought that those who were rich and powerful and pious and living in peace are the ones who are blessed by God.  However, in God’s kingdom there is hope for the hopeless and fulfilment for those who honestly and truly seek God and seek the righteousness that is part of God’s reign.  Jesus is all about lifting up those who are bowed down, and so he begins by taking our worldly values and turning them on their head.

    He then speaks to all those who follow him and who come to him, affirming that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  Both of these things are statements of value - which are also addressed to us, by the way!  They are not conditional statements.  It is not, “If you do this, you are the salt of the earth,” or, “If you do this, you are the light of the world.”  It is simply, “You are the salt of the earth.... You are the light of the world.”

    While much has been written about what is actually meant in the verse about salt losing its taste, there is no doubt that in the ancient world salt was quite valuable.  The salt of the earth is usually thought of as that which keeps the world from spoiling or from being tasteless.  This is certainly part of the function of those who follow Jesus.

    In the same way, the light of the world is that which keeps the world from plunging into darkness or that which illuminates the truth.  Just as Jesus is referred to as the light of the world, so his followers will also be the light of the world.  The light of Christ continues to shine through us.

    It is only after these statements of blessing and statements of value that Jesus gets to the law that was given through Moses, and the prophets.  He also specifically mentions the scribes and the Pharisees, who were thought to be the most righteous among God’s people.  However, Jesus makes it clear that you would have to be a lot better than the scribes and the Pharisees if you were ever to enter the kingdom of heaven.  In other words – it is impossible to do so on your own merit.

    When we hear Jesus talking about the law and about how not one letter of it will pass away until all is accomplished (Mt. 5:18), he is referring to what we think of as the Old Testament – and specifically the first five books of the Old Testament.  There has long been debate among Christians as to how this law applies to us and which of these commandments we are to follow.  While some seem to pick out the laws that they like and ignore the rest, others emphasize those commands which Jesus either repeats or adds to in the New Testament.

    “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is one of the more popular Old Testament commands, even though Jesus taught to turn the other cheek and go the second mile (Mt. 5:38-42; cf. Deut. 19:21).  A man not lying with a man (Lev. 18:22) is also a popular command, even though as far as we know Jesus had nothing to say on the subject.  

    On the other hand, the Ten Commandments are often mentioned by Jesus, and he adds to them in order to make it even harder to keep them.  One example comes right after today’s gospel in Matthew 5.

You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council (5:21-22).

It is almost like Jesus is saying, “You think you’re perfect and righteous in God’s sight?  Simply refraining from murder isn’t enough.  You sin all the time and don’t even know it.”

    While we could say that Jesus was especially addressing those who thought they were righteous, ultimately he is addressing all those who believe in him and who want to be citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  It has been said that a good sermon is supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  In Jesus’ case, the sermon on the mount certainly does this.  In fact, it is a good thing to read whenever you are becoming enamored with what a good person you are.

    However, it is also a good thing to read when you are feeling low and down-trodden and frustrated.  For it is the poor in spirit and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and the peacemakers who will inherit the kingdom of heaven.  You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world.  Jesus says these things to us first and then talks about how children of God are to live.

    There is not one person here today who is either perfect or righteous in God’s sight.  In fact, that is why Jesus came.  However, we most certainly can be forgiven and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live to the glory of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Epiphany 3 (NL 1)                                Matthew 5:1-20
January 25, 2015
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2015 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved