Barry Metz 02/18/18

Blessed for InfluenceMatthew 5:13–16 (ESV)

Over the past few weeks Joey has walked us through the beatitudes, sometimes called the ‘Beautiful Attitudes’1. The beatitudes describe the man or woman in whom God has begun to work.2 They describe the ‘values’ of the kingdom of heaven.3 I suppose we could say they are the character qualities that will one day make heaven heaven.

As a church body we’ve committed to put the beatitudes to memory. I hope you’ve been working on that. We’ve worked on them two weeks now. We’ll work on them this week and next. Here is the visual that we have used to help in the memorization.

There are 8 beatitudes. And using the first letter of the particular character quality or value, I’ve organized them to emphasize a bit of symmetry in the way Jesus gives them to us--3 beatitudes- 2 beatitudes- 3 beatitudes….Using the memory helps on the screen, P in S (that’s poor in Spirit), M, M (mourn, meek)……..then there’s what I call a middle section… H and T, M (that’s hunger and thirst and merciful)…. and then there are the final three… P in H, P, P (pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted). Can you see the symmetry I’m talking about? From the top that’s Poor in Spirit, mourn, meek……and the middle two, Hunger and thirst, merciful…..Pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted.

Let’s try to say them together…. pausing after the first three…. and then pausing again before the last three.

And again the beatitudes represent “the inner character of those who are members of the kingdom of God.”4 The beatitudes describe the man or woman in whom God has begun to

1 Hughes2 Dick Lucas, sermon “What on Earth is the Use of Salt?”3 Wilkins, page 2234 MacArthur

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work.5 Dallas Willard in his book, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, recounts how a woman told him that her son had given up identifying as a Christian and left the church because of the beatitudes.

“As often happens, he had been told that the Beatitudes--with its list of the poor and the sad, the weak and the mild--were a picture of the ideal Christian. Being a strong, intelligent, military type person, he explained to his mother very simply, “That’s not me. I can never be like that.”6 And he left the faith. Perhaps you’ve looked at the list of beatitudes and thought “I could never be that.”

Well, be encouraged, none of us could ever be like the beatitudes in our own power and strength. It’s God who forms these new values in us. It’s God who begins to form this new inner character in us.

And why does God begin to change us on the inside? (Religion in Jesus’s day was all outward focused so there is a real beauty in starting on the inside) So why does God begin to change us on the inside? Well he intends that our new inner character would manifest itself in the world in which we live. Martin Lloyd Jones says it this way, “Having seen what the Christian is, we now come (in verses 13-16) to consider how the Christian will manifest this. Or, if you prefer it, having realized what we are, we must now go on to consider what we must be.”7 So we’re poor in spirit, and merciful, and meek, and we hunger and thirst after righteousness… again those are some of the character qualities in the beatitudes, right? …we’re all of that in order that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

The great blessings emphasized in Matthew 5: 3–12 lead to the great responsibilities of verses 13–16. The blessings of heaven, comfort, inheriting the earth, being filled with righteousness, being given mercy, being called God’s children, and being given heavenly reward bring the responsibility of being His salt and light in the world.8

With that introduction, follow with me as I read Matthew 5:13-16….Matthew 5:13-16….

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

In these verses, Jesus speaking to his disciples (we learned that in Matthew 5:1)…Jesus speaking to his disciples introduces two metaphors that are all about influence, two metaphors that are

5 Dick Lucas, sermon “What on Earth is the Use of Salt?”6 As quoted in Wilkins, page 2217 Jones, Studies on the Sermon on the Mount, page 1298 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 241). Chicago: Moody Press.

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“powerfully social”9 and outwardly focused. There really is no room for you and me to retreat into a separated life of our own making. As disciples of Christ, we were meant for influence. And the verses before us tell us “how disciples of Christ will impact this world with the kingdom life they possess.”10

Recalling what we learned in English about figures of speech, if Jesus had said, “You are like the salt of the earth….or you are like the light of the world” ….he would have been using the figure of speech called a simile. But these are metaphors….You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world. And Jesus’ words are emphatic, “You and you alone are the salt of the earth…. You and you alone are the light of the world.”11

By way of overview Jesus’ words are really outrageous12 when you think about who he is talking to and the scope of influence he imagines.

Four of those sitting in front of him were plain Galilean fishermen. Salt of the whole earth? Light of the entire world? One of those fisherman was Simon Peter who suffered from ‘foot in mouth’ disease. Two of the other fishermen were James and John who were called Sons of Thunder I suppose because they would fly off the handle in a moment’s notice. Salt of the whole earth? Light of the entire world? And then there was Thomas who had his doubts. And Judas…well he was just play acting the discipleship thing. Think about some of the stories in the gospels. Jesus’ disciples were the men who were often slow to understand Jesus’ teaching. They were the men who rebuked parents for bringing their children to Jesus. They were the men who at the last supper were brokering to see who was the greatest-- Jesus was talking about suffering and death and they were contemplating which throne they would get. They were the men who fled when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. And finally, they were the men who went AWOL on Good Friday. Salt of the earth and the light of the world?

Maybe you’re intimidated by your responsibility to be salt and light? Jesus is able to work miracles in us.

And along those lines we should note that in less than two centuries after the death of Christ, the Christian writer Tertullian was able to taunt the Roman Empire about the growth of Christianity13, “We are but of yesterday, and yet we have filled every place among you—cities, islands, fortresses, towns, market places, the very camps, tribes, companies (and the) palace, senate, and forum. We have left nothing to you but the temples of your gods.”14 Jesus’ words--these “powerfully social”15 and outwardly focused metaphors were gloriously true… 9 MacArthur10 Wilkins, page 212. 11 MacArthur12 Sinclair Ferguson made this statement13 Sinclair Ferguson used this quote14 www.scrollpublishing.com, “The Rise of Christianity”15 MacArthur

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Now here’s how we’ll walk through these verses. First we’ll look at each metaphor. Then we’ll unpack the implications of the metaphor. And then we’ll look at our responsibilities as disciples of Christ in view of the metaphor.

Again we’ll look at each metaphor. We’ll unpack the implications of the metaphor. And then we’ll look at our responsibilities as disciples of Christ in view of the metaphor.

Well the first metaphor shows up in verse 13…You are the salt of the earth. Notice Jesus doesn’t say “You will be”….or “You ought to be, should be, or could be” the salt of the earth. No you and you alone, I said the Greek is emphatic, are the salt of the earth. You are the salt of the earth.

Now what are the implications of this metaphor? Well to go there, we’ve got to figure out what salt was used for in the first century.

In a general overview kind of way, salt was very important; it was a vital necessity16 in the first century. One author listed no less than eleven uses of salt in the first century.17 So salt was a valuable commodity. So valuable was it, that it was sometimes used as a currency.18 Roman soldiers were paid partly in salt rations, “salarium argentums.” Can’t you hear the word ‘salary’ in the word ‘salarium’? So Roman soldiers and others were paid in salt.

That’s where we got the phrase, “he’s not worth his salt.” So salt was very important, very valuable. It was a vital necessity. Our world needs Christian disciples. We are valuable to the world.

Salt was used a fertilizer when applied to certain types of soil.19 It was also a purifying and cleansing agent.20 And it was also used as seasoning.21 Today that use of salt predominates, doesn’t it? We primarily think of salt as a seasoning. But of the numerous things to which salt could refer in antiquity its use as a preservative was probably its most basic function in the time of Christ.22 Because there was no refrigeration, salt could be rubbed into meat and fish to slow decay. And that’s been done through the centuries until refrigeration was invented.

I read that it was salt’s ability to preserve that made it possible to ship the body of the famous missionary David Livingstone back to England from Africa. Listen to this. Livingstone died in what is called Zambia today. His servant removed his great missionary heart and buried it in

16 Wilkins, page 21317 Allison and Davies, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew as quoted by Blomberg, page 10218 Wilkins, page 21219 Gundry as quoted in Wilkins, page 21320 Nolland21 Wilkins, page 21322 Blomberg, page 102

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Zambia, then salted down his body and shipped it home for an honored burial.23 Salt made that possible. Our world is like a decaying human body and we Christians need to be rubbed into it to preserve it.

So what are the implications of this metaphor: You are the salt of the earth?

Well, as disciples we are vitally important to the earth. We are valuable to the earth. But why? Well, we bring flavor to an otherwise insipid existence. Isn’t our world given over to entertainment? Why? Because life has no meaning for so many. But I really think Jesus is calling his disciples, he’s calling us to ‘arrest corruption and prevent moral decay’24 in the world.

What’s the point? Well, our world tends toward decay and corruption. Doesn’t the Bible’s story line tell us that? Think back to Genesis 6 and the time of Noah--the wickedness of man was great and every intention of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil all the time.25 And then think of Sodom and Gomorrah. Men had given up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for each other. That phrase which I’m using to describe Sodom and Gomorrah is from Romans 1 by the way. You see the story line throughout history continues. The earth left to itself--apart from the savory and preserving work of Jesus’ disciples--decays and unravels. “We go from war to greater war, from crime to greater crime, from immorality to greater immorality, from perversion to greater perversion. The spiral is downward not upward.”26

What does the phrase “You are the salt of the earth” imply? Martyn Lloyd Jones says this: “It clearly implies rottenness in the earth; it implies a tendency to pollution and to becoming foul and offensive. That is what the Bible says about the world. It is fallen, sinful and bad. Its tendency is to evil and to wars. It is like meat which has a tendency to putrefy and to become polluted. It is like something which can only be kept wholesome by a preservative or antiseptic. As the result of sin and the fall, life in the world in general tends to get into a putrid state….the world left to itself tends to fester.”27

Clearly the world needs Jesus’ salty disciples!

But there have been many through the centuries who would argue with the Bible’s story line. “The world’s getting better”, they would argue. Of course Charles Darwin and his followers around 1870 led the way here: “Man is evolving, advancing, reorienting, reorganizing, conquering, and purifying….Man is going to build a great society.”28

23 Hughes, 24 Blomberg, page 10225 Genesis 6:526 MacArthur27 Jones, page 13128 This quote from sermon by Dick Lucas, What on Earth is Use of Salt?..don’t know if this is Lucas’ summary of Darwinianism or what

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I was interested in a recent, January 15, 2018 issue of Time Magazine, entitled “The Optimists.” The issue was filled with optimism about our world. In Bill Gate’s opening editorial--and Bill and Melinda Gates are spending their billions on healthcare to make the world a better place--In Bill Gate’s opening editorial he says this, “On the whole the world is getting better.”29 He goes on to back his claim with data. Listen to his data….

■Since 1990, the number of children who die before their 5th birthday has been cut in half--Child mortality has gone down considerably!

■In 1990 more than a third of the global population lived in extreme poverty; today, 28 years later, only a tenth do. Poverty levels have gone down considerably!

■A century ago, it was legal to be gay in about 20 countries; today it’s legal in over 100 countries. For the Gates, the world is getting better because alternative lifestyles are accepted!

■Women now make up more than a fifth of members of national parliaments. More women are in places of leadership!

■Today, more than 90% of all children in the world attend primary school. More kids are in school! That is good isn’t it?

■In the US, you are far less likely to die on the job or in a car than your grandparents were. Workplaces and travel are safer!

It’s wonderful that kids are living longer. It’s wonderful that more women are in places of leadership. It’s wonderful that work places and travel are safer. If one just considers healthcare, education, workplace safety, plummeting child mortality rates, the number of kids in school, there is reason for optimism. BUT… the human heart, Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, is deceitful above all things and desperately sick…what about the news this week from Florida? Is the world really getting better?

Paul’s words in Romans 3 continue to be relevant….

None is righteous, no not oneNo one understands, no one seeks GodAll have turned aside; together they have become worthlessNo one does good, not even one.30

29 Time Magazine, January 15, page 230 Romans 3:10-12

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So the implication of Jesus’ metaphor is that the world tends toward decay and corruption and that disciples of Christ play an import preserving role, they bring God-honoring flavor to life and they make people thirsty for the things of God.

But what is our responsibility specifically?

Look at the rest of verse 13… but if salt has lost its taste (literally is made foolish) how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. `

Well it’s clear that disciples of Christ need to stay salty, distinct from a corrupting world.

But what is Jesus getting at here when he says but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

Well, Jesus’s words at first glance are a bit confusing. Why? Technically salt can’t lose its taste; salt (NaCl) is a very stable compound. But students of scripture have come up with ways to explain Jesus’ words. The explanations typically have to do with mixtures of salt with other things that dilute the salt. For example one explanation addresses the salt around the Dead Sea which has many impurities. So you’re holding this ‘rock’ and you’re calling it “salt” but it’s got lots of impurities in it--gypsum and carnallite for example. Well what would happen if water leached out the salt in this rock, but the gypsum and carnallite, the impurities, remained? The rock, so called ‘salt,’ would seem to have lost its taste. And what would it be good for? It would be good for nothing…except to be thrown out in the street.

But what if Jesus is using this phrase if salt has lost its taste to get the attention of his audience?31 He knows full well that salt can’t lose its taste but he’s out to make a point… “Hey guys let me tell you about some salt that lost its saltiness!”….What? What are you saying? How could that be? ….And Jesus makes the point indirectly, salt can’t lose its saltiness but disciples can.

It goes without saying, that for salt to be influential, it must be unlike that which it is to influence. So we Christians must be different from the world we are called to influence. We can’t influence the world for God when we are worldly.

Both metaphors of salt and light raise important questions about Christian involvement in society. How involved are we to be?

31 Nolland, “The rhetorical force of the image come from normal human discomfort with things not being or behaving in accord with what is understood to be their intrinsic nature.”

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Do we separate completely and remain in the saltshaker? Clearly we can’t influence the world by doing that. How much involvement is the right involvement? We should wrestle with that question. We should be uncomfortable if we are not in some place where we can influence others with our Christian faith. Because God blessed us to be influential.

How do we remain salty? How are we the salt of the world? What is our responsibility as disciples of Christ?

In the Spirit’s power…

■ We need to live out the beatitudes. As we are changed from the inside out our lives naturally become more salty.

■We need to live lives surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. The point here is that surrendered lives are salty lives.

Helen Ewing was saved as a young girl in Scotland and gave her life completely to the lordship of Christ. When she died at the age of 22 it is said that all Scotland wept. She had expected to serve God as a missionary in Europe and had become fluent in the Russian language. But she was not able to fulfill that dream. She had no obvious gifts such as speaking or writing, and she had never traveled far from home. Yet by the time she died she had won hundreds of people to Jesus Christ. Countless missionaries mourned her death because they knew that a great channel of their spiritual strength was gone. She had risen every morning at five in order to study God’s Word and to pray. Her diary revealed that she regularly prayed for over three hundred missionaries by name. Everywhere she went the atmosphere was changed. If someone was telling a dirty story, he would stop if he saw her coming. If people were complaining, they would become ashamed of it in her presence. An acquaintance reported that while she was at Glasgow University she left the fragrance of Christ wherever she went. In everything she said and did she was God’s salt.32

32 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, pp. 243–244). Chicago: Moody Press.

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Now don’t be thrown off as I hold up this spiritual superwoman and kind of indirectly say we need to be like her….praying for tons of missionaries. Instead of going there and ending up discouraged, let’s just admit that we want our lives to give off the fragrance of Christ wherever we go.

■ We need to live godly lives as parents…The point here is that the children we raise can be used by God to arrest the decay and spoilage in our culture. And again the point is not, “Let’s be super parents!” But let’s realize that our kids can impact the world as salt. Andrew Murray lived an exceptionally holy life. Among those on whom his influence was the greatest were his children and grandchildren. Five of his six sons became ministers of the gospel and four of his daughters became minister’s wives. Ten grandsons became ministers and thirteen grandchildren became missionaries.33

■We need to always choose the moral high ground. The point here is that our choices need to be good choices. We need to choose the moral high ground.

1 Peter 4:3–4 (ESV) 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you…

We surprise those in the world that we rub shoulders with, by choosing to live righteously.

■We need to stand for and fight for righteous, God-honoring values. I think William Wilberforce is an example of salt in his time. He fought for the end of slavery for almost 50 years. Closer to home, Bridey’s work in the pro-life club at LETU is a great example of fighting for righteous, God-honoring values.

■We need to involve ourselves in government through voting and maybe running for office, Josh de Graffenried.

Finally…

■We need to seek to make people thirsty for Christ by the way we live and love.

We make them thirsty when we are kind in unexpected places, or respectful, or civil. “When we are respectful, courteous, considerate, and service-oriented, the world around us will see that Jesus really makes a difference.”34

_____________

33 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 236). Chicago: Moody Press.34 Wilkins, page 226

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Well the second metaphor, verse 14 is You are the light of the world. You and you alone are the light of the world.

{And whereas being salt may involve a silent witness, or a somewhat indirect influence by the way we live, being light involves verbalizing the truth.35 }

Well what are the implications of this metaphor?

Well the primary implication is that our world is a very dark place. Our world is so dark that most people don’t know how dark it is.

But this is a biblical theme also. After Genesis 3, a spiritual darkness descended on all people of the world. Men preferred the darkness rather than the light. And God began to work through Israel and Israel was called to be a light for the nations (Is. 42:6; Is. 51:4-5). The nation of Israel failed in that role and the responsibility of being light passed to Jesus. Isaiah, looking toward Jesus’ birth, predicted that on the people of Galilee one day, a light would dawn.36 And Jesus was that light that dawned. John the gospel writer tells us that in Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men.37 So the life that Jesus brought to earth became the light of men. But again John the gospel writer tells us, John 3:19 that people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Here in our text, it seems that Jesus is transferring that role to his disciples…You and you alone are the light of the world. I came to earth to bring the light. Now I go away and you are now the light of the world.

We find this idea elsewhere.

The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:8-9, affirms that disciples who have put their trust in Christ have become light…this is Ephesians 5:8-9, 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

And Paul tells the Philippians that as regenerated disciples, they shine as lights in the world (Phil 2:15)

“We not only carry the light of the gospel of the kingdom of God, but we are that light.” Because of the work of the Spirit in our lives, our transformation has produced kingdom light in us, affecting every aspect of our being.”38

35 MacArthur36 Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:14-1637 John 1:438 Wilkins, page 224

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So what’s our responsibility as lights of the world?

■First we need to understand how dark our world is. If we don’t see how dark our world is, we won’t see how important our role as lights is.

The spiritual darkness in our world seems to show up in three primary forms.

First there is religious darkness--it’s a spiritual darkness with a religious face. Nicodemus, the most religious of men in the gospel of John illustrates this.

You remember in John 3 he happened to come to Jesus at night. When Jesus began to speak to him about his need to enter into the kingdom of God-- unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, Nicodemus basically responded, “I don’t see that….I don’t understand that.” When Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit,” Nicodemus questioned, “How can it be?” He, the premier teacher of the Law in Israel, was engulfed in a religious darkness. And you and I will meet many like that. They are religious and their religiousness is darkness.

Secondly, there is a self-righteous darkness, people who are convinced that they are good enough for God. They are convinced that they’re better than their neighbor, that they’re better than the average person…. The rich young ruler would be an example of this. He asked Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life… Jesus listed some commandments and the rich young ruler said, “Done that.”….He felt pretty good about himself….but it was clear in the end that he loved his riches more than God. And he went away sad. You and I are surrounded by people in self-righteous darkness, people who think they’re good enough for God.

Finally there’s the darkness that we are probably most familiar with, the darkness that we see in the culture around us--moral darkness. Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh--the actions flowing out of our fallen human nature--are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealously, fits of anger, rivalries….drunkenness, orgies and things like these….

We’re surrounded by moral darkness. We swim in a sea of moral darkness. The spiritual darkness around is deep and real. It’s dangerous. And it’s a forerunner of the outer spiritual darkness that’s promised to sinners at the end of time.39

So our first responsibility is understanding how dark our world is.

■ We need to live out the beatitudes (again acknowledging the connection between verses 3-12 and verses 13-16.) 39 Sinclair Ferguson sermon

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The next one goes without saying probably….

■ We need to live out our faith in front of others.

Woodrow Wilson told an interesting story of being in a barbershop one time. “I was sitting in a barber chair when I became aware that a powerful personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself to have his hair cut and sat in the chair next to me. Every word the man uttered... showed a personal interest in the man who was serving him. And before I got through with what was being done to me I was aware I had attended an evangelistic service, because Mr. D. L. Moody was in that chair. I purposely lingered in the room after he had left and noted the singular affect that his visit had brought upon the barber shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew something had elevated their thoughts, and I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.”40

Don’t you want to have a life like that?

■ We need to let our light shine through beautiful, attractive works that bring God glory. Look at the rest of verse 14 and verse 15….

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus’ point in verses 14 and 15 is that a disciple should expect to be a city on a hill! A disciple should expect that his light should be seen! It’s absurd to think that a city on a hill could be hidden! In a similar way, a disciple should expect to be a lamp that lights a one room Palestinian home. It would be absurd for the owner of a one room Palestinian home to light a lamp and then to cover it with a basket!

The very purpose of being a disciple of Jesus is to give light. Giving light comes with being a true disciple of Jesus. “It is the nature of light to shine, and when people have received the light of the gospel they will shine in a dark world.”41

Disciples “let their light shine” by modeling the values and priorities of the kingdom. In contrast to those who do good works “to be seen by others,” to call attention to themselves (Jesus will address that repeatedly in chapter 6),42 Jesus’ disciples see their “good works” as a means to

40 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 236). Chicago: Moody Press.

41 Morris42 Matthew 6:1,16,18

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glorify God as Father. In this way they become a witness to God’s transforming presence in the world.43

Finally…

■We need to talk about Jesus!

You’ve already heard about our 2018 emphasis: ‘Talk about Jesus!’ We urge you to get one of the books out in the atrium. Our board is convinced we need this book. As a congregation we desire to move beyond just helping people, and doing good things, and even speaking about God. We want to talk about Jesus.

Let me share a failure with you. I went to my favorite car mechanic. I walked in the office and there he was and his wife (who helps with some of the administrative stuff was there also). And then there was a customer.

The topic turned to the weather and how nice it was that morning. And the customer said, “Yeah, it makes me want to put some lions in”….(And I’m wondering what he’s talking about …’put some lions in?’)

Well the mechanic cleared it up for me.. “Barry, there…likes to fish…(oh, put some lines in…duh!)

And then he said it again….Barry likes to fish….and then he added … for souls…

It was a beautiful pitch….I should have knocked it out of the park…..but I said……………

”Yep.”

“Yep?”

Let us pray.

43 Chouinard, L. (1997). Matthew (Mt 5:15–16). Joplin, MO: College Press.

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