For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven

 
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:13–20 

 

This week, we read through the Sermon on the Mount, in preparation for Lent.  Yesterday we read that,  seeing the multitudes, Jesus went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  My study Bible comments here that salt and light illustrate the role of disciples in society.  Due to its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its capacity for giving flavor, salt had both religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant that people were bound together in loyalty.  To this day salt remains used in chemical processes for its fixative properties.  As the salt of the earth, my study Bible explains, Christians are preserver's of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  In terms of light, we know first of all that God is the true and uncreated Light.  In the Old Testament, my study Bible comments, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9; 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  Light is needed for clear vision, and even for life itself in this world.  Faith relies on the divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) shining in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  In many Eastern Orthodox parishes, the Pascha (or Easter) Liturgy starts with a candle being presented as the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."  My study Bible adds of this last verse here that Christian virtues have both a personal and a public function, for our virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.  

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."  My study Bible explains that Jesus fulfills the Law in Himself, in His words, and in His actions.  He does so in the following ways:  He performs God's will in all its fullness (Matthew 3:15); He transgresses no precepts of the Law (John 8:46; 14:30); He declares the perfect fulfillment of the Law, which in this Sermon He is about to deliver to the people; and He grants righteousness -- the goal of the Law -- to us (Romans 3:31; 8:3-4; 10:4).  He fulfills the Prophets both by being and by carrying out what they foretold.

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled."  The word translated as assuredly is literally "Amen."  It means "truly," or "confirmed," or "so be it," my study Bible explains.  Here Jesus is using it as a solemn affirmation, which is a form of oath.  His use of this word at the beginning of certain proclamations -- as opposed to the end -- is unique and authoritative, my study Bible tells us.  He declares His words affirmed even before they are spoken.  A jot (Greek ιωτα/iota) is the smallest letter in the Greek alphabet.  A tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  So, therefore, the whole of the Law is here affirmed as the foundation of Christ's new teaching.  All is fulfilled refers to Christ's Passion and Resurrection.

 

"Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible comments that righteousness according to the Law is a unified whole.  It says that the observance of all the least commandments is to observe the whole Law, while the violation of the least commandment is considered a violation of the whole Law.  

"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."  Righteousness that leads to salvation must exceed that of the Pharisees, my study Bible explains, because theirs was an outward, works-based righteousness.  The righteousness of salvation is the communion of the heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ.  True righteousness is to live in a state of continual communion with God.  By faith in Christ, we receive God's righteousness.  

If true righteousness is an ongoing communion with God, how do we achieve that?  We first need to understand that Christ came into the world as a human being in order to achieve this level of communion, this righteousness, so that we may be justified by faith.  That is, we live, and may receive an eternal life, a more abundant life, through this communion made possible through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We partake of His life through the Eucharist, seeking to live our faith and to grow in that faith, deepening a communion that extends through all things, as my study Bible indicates when it speaks of the communion of heart, soul, mind, and body in Jesus Christ.  Jesus' teachings in today's reading give us clues about how this works through our lives in the comments that we believers are both salt and light.  As salt, we bear His covenant into the world, giving the real "flavor" of this righteousness, holding firm in faith to His teachings and living them as fully as we can, in all these ways named.  As light, we seek to reflect His light back into the world, to carry it within ourselves and share it with others, to add such "illumination" to all the things in which we might participate as part of our life's experience and the living of our faith.  In this way, Jesus says, we glorify our Father in heaven -- and so, in that sense also, we become "like Him," we imitate Christ in the living of our faith.  But Christ's righteousness also includes the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets; there is nothing left out.  My study Bible calls the Law a cohesive whole; it says that to violate the least Law is to violate the whole of it, and to uphold one Law is to uphold the whole.  In other words, the Law itself can be thought of as something representing communion in its wholeness.  If we recall that Christ's gospel is the gospel of the Kingdom, then we must consider what it means to be a part of a communion -- this communion of the Kingdom -- to step into it through faith, and for it to grow within us (like the parable of the leaven).   So we consider Christ's teachings and begin to understand that there is a depth of communion we're invited into, and the life's journey that our faith is meant to be for us is one of deepening communion.  In a comment on Romans 3:26, my study Bible notes that righteousness by faith is not a one-time declaration or "not guilty" verdict.  We are to understand it as Christ living in us, and we in Him (Galatians 2:20).  So, to be justified by righteousness is to be in communion with Christ in an ongoing, dynamic, and growing life with Him -- developing a deeper reliance upon Christ through our own struggles with faith, insights, a prayerful life, and the practices of our faith.  This is a dynamic that reaches down into the heart and soul and should be lived (as a goal) with every breath.  Let us simply begin with His images here of salt and light, and imagine what it means to live as both, in such a way as to glorify our Father in heaven, becoming a "child of light" through our Shepherd, Christ. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:11-16 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, seeing the multitudes, went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."   Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible tells us.  To be exceedingly glad as written in the original Greek literally means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)  Clearly the rejoicing and delight is meant to be proportional to the suffering endured for the love of Christ.

 

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  My study Bible tells us that salt and light illustrate the role of disciples in society.  Salt was an extremely important and precious commodity in the ancient world.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had both a religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone, my study Bible explains, meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are the preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  Regarding light, it first comments that the true and uncreated Light is God.  In the Old Testament, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  Light is necessary for clear vision so that we see correctly, and also for life itself.  My study Bible declares that faith relies on this divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36, 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  In many parishes, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle presented and the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

What does it mean to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"?  How do we let our light shine?  This has become a common expression in the modern West, thanks likely to a popular song or two of recent decades.  Often, in a pop context, to let one's light shine reflects not a spiritual context, but some sort of context of talent or star quality.  It might even take on moral tones for many as well, with "good deeds" done before others as a way of expressing good character.  Mostly it seems used to reflect a sense of self which might otherwise be lost in the crowd, a way of being noticed for the fruits of one's abilities or perhaps even a stellar persona.  Of course, the songs themselves were meant to have a spiritual and Christian character, reflective of today's Gospel passage.  But in today's media-saturated world of self-generated selfies and stories, and following the popular culture of Hollywood "stars" and generated publicity and PR, the whole sense of the phrase has -- like so much else -- taken on the tone of popular myth and self-fulfillment, a particular understanding of destiny.  But if we think of Christ's phrase as simply encouraging us to gather praise or applause from peers or the world around us, then we've quite obviously missed the first part of this sermon, which exalted the blessedness of the virtues of the Kingdom, hidden from and even persecuted by the world.  In light of the rest of Christ's sermon (which will include later remarks which are extremely critical of those who do even good religious deeds in order to be seen by others) then we have to carefully consider what it means to let one's light so shine that others may see our good works and glorify God.  Jesus puts these remarks in the context of what He says earlier about being persecuted for righteousness' sake, or being denigrated by the world because of our love of Christ.  Clearly, what He telling us is that we should be fearless nevertheless in doing the things that are pleasing to Him, and this becomes the context of the salt together with the light.  The salt indicates covenant, loyalty, a life which is lived out of dedication to God the Holy Trinity, and particularly to Christ, the Incarnate Son.  There are times when we will "do good" -- that is, we will do the things we believe Christ asks of us -- and we will not receive approval from all for doing so.  Even an act of kindness or charity can sometimes, strange as it seems, be met with some sort of critical reception, a cost to be paid by those who reject such acts.  It is within this context that we are to let our light shine -- a light reflective of the light of Christ, of God -- and be unafraid and unashamed to do so nevertheless.  A kind word here for one that others might rather abuse, a protective action for someone who would otherwise be victimized, standing up to bullying or even a conspiracy to harm or defraud in some way:  all of these are examples of actions of doing good which might not be met with approval by those around ourselves, friends or even family who won't like that we are letting that light shine in the darkness they'd prefer.  We might even find ourselves seeking to help in ways others will insist are meant with evil ulterior motive, hence Jesus' warning about being "reviled."  There are times, in my experience, when even our acts of charity may be disparaged.  We're not meant to think that we live in a world that is pure light; that's not the picture the Gospels paint for us.  Indeed, we're told that the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it (comprehend meaning both to "take in" and to "understand"); see John 1:5, which in the original Greek has the same double meaning for "comprehend."  But nonetheless, we're given light so that we shine it; it is the gospel message and mission, and we need to understand that it is at once powerful, and also might spark powerful consequences.  This is why Christ also counsels prudence to His disciples when they're sent out on their first mission, and He tells them they are to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  To let one's light so shine is not a declaration of some sort of explosive self-expression in the sense of personal fame or glory, but rather an invitation to courage, prudence, strength, endurance, and especially a kind of integrity in fidelity to Him.  It may ask of us caution and wisdom, yet nevertheless be treated as a city on a hill, and is nevertheless the light of the world, and a lamp that gives light to all in the house.  Near the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ will caution His disciples not to cast our pearls before swine, indicating that letting one's light shine also demands discernment.  Jesus is encouraging His followers to be courageous and strong, and to endure in following His commandments, even exalting their times of persecution for His sake, telling the they should be "exceedingly glad."  Let us consider the power in that light, and the strength, joy, and character that is forged by carrying it into the world -- as well as the discernment it demands of us.  Our goal is not to glorify ourselves, but our Father in heaven.