Salt and Light

 

 "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 began reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapter 5 - 7).  St. Matthew writes:  And seeing the multitudes, He 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."  My study Bible tells us that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek for be exceedingly glad means to "leap exceedingly with joy" (see Acts 5:40-41).  

 

 "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."  Salt and light illustrate the role of disciples in society, says my study Bible.  It notes that because of the preservative powers of salt, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, it had both religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, it says, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  Regarding light, God is the true and uncreated Light.  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, it continues, is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself.  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 Orthodox parishes, the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle being presented and the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."  Finally, we come to understand that Christian virtues have both a personal and a public function; for, as my study Bible says, our virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.

 

What does it mean to be salt and light?   Jesus is speaking of believers in two ways here, as my study Bible explains.  There is first of all the integrity of salt, if you will.  That is, salt as a symbol of fidelity and steadfastness, not being wishy-washing, but firm in belief and values.  In that sense, salt binds a relationship, a relationship of community to Creator in this instance.  It is a symbol of loyalty -- of adherence to covenant.  This very steadfastness and loyalty to Christ is spoken of as "flavor," a sense in which this ingredient, liberally sprinkled adds powerful enhancement to the good things of the community, the society, and the world.  It is like the magic crystals that make everything better, turning life from just okay to delicious and appetizing, even good for you.  Having recently bought some sea salt crystals, there is this experience of something bursting with flavor on top of whatever food one has made or is eating, and this is the way that Christ sees faithful living among the society, as that which gives bursts of delight and brings out what is there in ways that magnify and give beauty to culture, the same way that a tradition of good cooking does, to make life appetizing and gracious.  Light goes without saying -- there is nothing that can be seen without light.  Light reflects upon all things, and by it and that action we can see what is what.  In this sense, light gives us the advantage of truth, of knowing where we are, how to navigate life, and to negotiate its curves.  Light in this sense is truth, and it allows us to discern the nature of things, even the details we might not see otherwise, or blur to ourselves without really looking in the dark corners.  Jesus says, "Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35).  He speaks of Himself as light in that case, and His life in the world.  But here in the Sermon on the Mount, He is asking us to bear His light into the world, to become His light, to share His light and His truth by allowing it to shine in us and in our lives.  This is only possible through faith, and through faithful living, hence the indispensable quality of salt to be matched with our light.  Light shines through things, it reflects off of things,it clarifies things, and teaches us discernment, separating good from bad, distinguishing the differences and the nuances as well.  In Christ's light we distinguish false from true, and are taught to recognize heresy so that we don't go down that path.   It's part of the measure of all things.  And, lest we forget, light in Christ's time came from lamps that burned fire, not light bulbs, and the fire one reads about in the Scriptures is so often derivative or descriptive of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's action in the world.  When Jesus speaks of believers as light, it's as well that we think of carrying lamps illumined by flames, or torches, because we carry that fire of faith and belief that can test out gold from dross, an energy that burns and consumes but also purifies and enlightens, a flame shared with us from the fire of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ.  John the Baptist came preaching that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire, and here is the fire of that Holy Baptism, given to us, and what we are expected by Christ to do with it (see Matthew 3:11).  The image may be old fashioned to our ears and eyes, but nevertheless it remains the same, stunning in its message all this time later just as it was 2,000 years ago, in the timeless quality of Jesus' words.  For His word is also that flame in our hearts, as we must bear that into the world, too.  Let us remember what He asks of us today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'  

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another." 

 

- Mark 9:42–50 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.   And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."   But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.   Let us begin today's reading also by understanding that it is connected to the things we read in Saturday's reading, above, in which Jesus spoke of receiving "little ones" (compared to and illustrated by a little child) and also strangers in His name, as if we are receiving Him -- and not only Him but the One who sent Him also.  

 

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.' And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where  'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"   This strong warning, with its stark images of mutilation, is so important that this language appears twice in St. Matthew's Gospel, once in the Sermon on the Mount, and again in private teaching to the disciples, as here reported by St. Mark (see Matthew 5:29-30; 18:8-14).  Here also we note that this warning is so strong that Jesus brings to it language of images of hell (see Isaiah 66:24) and eternal suffering from fire.  

 

 "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  My study Bible comments that to be seasoned with fire means being tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  This is similar to testing the purity of gold, for example, by fire, for impurities will burn away.  We should keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is also understood through images of fire.  In saying that every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He is quoting from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, my study Bible says, salt had both religious and sacrificial significance.  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world (see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  

 

Jesus' reminder about salt in His final words in today's passage reminds us that His teachings to His disciples (including all the faithful) are given to us in the context of covenant.  All of His teachings are included in that covenant with us, our own loyalty to our Lord.  For He is the One through whom salvation comes, and so it is within our following of Him that we are bound to His teachings.   In today's reading, Jesus has extremely harsh words of warning for the disciples.  These follow immediately upon His teachings about power and authority and "greatness" in His Church and Kingdom.  In those teachings, we were given the basis for the expression of love that permeates authority in God's Kingdom, and should be always present in the Church.  Even the "least of these," even the little children received in His name, must be received as if we receive Christ Himself -- and by extension, even the Father who sent Him.  It is the same for strangers who act in His name, and even those who do the least action in His name, and for any who show the smallest act of mercy to one who is "in His name" (who belongs to Him).   In this sense, authority and grace are connected, and service is the watchword for greatness, as is humility.  But all of these gracious teachings permeated with a generous love, are not without their harsh and strict warnings that are coupled with them in today's reading.  For those who violate this law of service and humility and love - who commit offense which causes one of these little ones who believe in Him to stumble, the consequences are as dire and as grave as He states in His warning.  Moreover, to take swift action to deal with our own abusive behavior -- our indulgences or tendencies which lead to any violation of His teaching about service and humility -- is the only course of action.  Jesus uses physical amputation of diseased limbs or an eye to save one's entire body as an image of what it is to save one's life in the spiritual sense.  An eye may look with covetousness, fastening improperly on what is inappropriate or what does not belong to us.  A hand can stray either in a rebuke or a physical altercation, or to reach out to take or grab where it should not.  A foot may stray or trespass over boundaries that need to be respected.  Our own impulses to abuse or offense -- especially to the least powerful and most humble -- are those things which Jesus warns against most starkly here in the context of what it is to be great, to become a leader and teacher among those in His flock, to be given His authority.   The abuse of this station of authority conferred by Christ is treated most seriously by Him, indicating to us how important it is that authority in the Church -- and our understanding of what greatness is -- be understood in the way that Christ teaches.  For in His name so much and so many become an icon of Christ, teaching us what it means to respect holiness and the preciousness of a soul. Most particularly, it teaches us about salvation and the important status that confers:  a priceless assignment, and the most worthy of efforts.  For the solemnity of such a task cannot be overestimated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.' 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:42–50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."  

 

  "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  This dialogue is a continuation from yesterday's reading, in which Christ spoke to the disciples about what it means to be great (see above).  In yesterday's reading, He took a little child, and taught, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."  Here, He continues His discussion of what it means to be a leader in His Church, and the treatment of the "little ones."  My study Bible comments that "little ones" include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.  These are the faithful who will come into the Church, and need their guidance, protection, teaching, and care.  Here He begins His warnings to those who would commit abuse or harm, violating their positions of trust and power, causing the little ones who believe in Him to stumble.

 

 

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where  'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  Here Jesus quotes three times from Isaiah 66:24.  Here Jesus warns strictly of the importance of avoiding sin, and doing whatever we can to do so.  My study Bible comments that the reference to mutilation is an illustration of decisive action to avoid sin -- this also refers to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus speaks symbolically but vividly, to make the strongest point He can regarding what sin does to us.  Let us consider that a foot can trespass over boundaries where it should not go; a hand can reach out to hit or to grab in covetousness; an eye may look with greed or envy or lust where it should not.  Let us keep in mind these warnings are the strongest for those in positions of authority and stewardship in His Church, and their treatment of the "little ones" who come to them in trust.  See also Matthew 5:29 in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."   Jesus draws these images from various forms of sacrifice.  To be seasoned with fire, my study Bible comments, means to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine (see 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).  In saying every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, my study Bible says, Jesus quotes from Leviticus 2:13, in which salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Jesus also uses these words about salt losing its flavor in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13).  Salt had a meaning of binding people together in loyalty; it's also a symbol of our binding in covenant with God.  Therefore in loyalty to  Christ's teachings and covenant, we may have peace with one another. 

In our loyalty to God we are to adhere to Christ's teachings.  In particular, these teachings in today's reading on how we treat one another, and in particular about the use of power -- and the virtues of service -- become core values of how we are supposed to live our lives as faithful, and in community.  Christ's deepest, gravest warnings come to His disciples who will be leaders in His Church, and they are all about how power is used, and in particular the treatment of the "little ones," those without power or clout, with little social status.  As representatives of God's Kingdom, they must take these words to heart, and so must we.  This is a part of our covenant with Christ, the salt He asks us so vividly to retain as the flavor of His Church, His people in the world.  This strong sense of consideration is a powerful incentive for mindful care.  If, as Jesus taught in the reading from yesterday (see above), we're to see Christ in even the little ones we receive in the Church, then we must consider what kind of careful behavior that alerts us to bring to our relationships and community.  How is it we receive the people who are seemingly the least important?  As my study Bible commented in today's reading, the "little ones" aren't simply children.  This term indicates all those of lesser stature or status, the ones who come to Christ in faith and need teaching, leadership, community -- for all of these things contribute to our formation as followers of Christ and faithful.  So let us take Jesus' dire warnings -- thrice repeated for emphasis -- to heart, and learn what it means to be a part of this living kingdom of God He asks us to bear into the world, and among ourselves.  For we are the salt He asks us to be, and that is the flavor of life abundantly.

 

 

 

Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple

 

 Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  

 

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. 

"Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Luke 14:25–35 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus was invited to dine in the home of a ruler of the Pharisees, teaching about humility, and addressing the guests in a parable.  Yesterday, we read that He continued to teach him who invited Him, addressing hosts.  He said, "When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid.  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."  Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!"  Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'  But they all with one accord began to make excuses.  The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it.  I ask you to have me excused.'  And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them.  I ask you to have me excused.'  Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'  So that servant came and reported these things to his master.  Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'  And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'  Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.  For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'"

 

  Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."  My study Bible comments that this command to hate one's kindred and one's own life also isn't to be taken literally.  Instead, we are to hate the way our relationships with others can hinder our total dedication to the Kingdom of God -- which takes precedence even over family ties. 

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."  This is a repetition of a similar teaching found at Luke 9:23.  Perhaps, now that great multitudes went with Him, the teaching is a bit more emphatic:  one must bear one's cross and come after Christ -- or one cannot be His disciple.  My study Bible comments on the earlier passage that each person must take up one's own cross.  It notes that the burden in this world is different for each person, and each has been chosen by God to bear certain struggles for one's own salvation and the salvation of those around oneself.  In that earlier passage, Jesus emphasizes that this must be done daily.  In other words, commitment to Christ isn't simply a one-time event or proclamation.  It is the continual practice of faith and obedience, even to the point of being shamed and persecuted by the world. 

 

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."  With reference to this parable of building a tower, my study Bible cites St. Paul's letter at 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, in which St. Paul speaks of himself as a master builder who lays a foundation which another builds upon.  In that passage, St. Paul speaks about his fellow workers, and how they will build upon that foundation appropriately   This passage in today's reading shows us that St. Paul follows Christ in so teaching, for Christ's teaching here once again enforces the kind of loyalty He commands as required for discipleship.  Jesus Himself forsakes all he has, and so he asks of us as well.  As God's fellow workers, my study Bible notes of St. Paul's passage, we cooperate with the Lord to do His will.  As He so often tells parables of discipleship using the illustration of servants, we consider that He is the Lord, and we are His servants who are called to participate obediently in His work.  

 

 "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Here is another emphatic teaching on the requirement for discipleship.  This saying is also found in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus couples this teaching on the image of disciples as salt, and also as light (see Matthew 5:13-16).  My study Bible comments that because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give 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 to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), my study Bible says, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  

So Jesus emphasizes covenant with His comparison of disciples to salt.  This is made clear by my study Bible's exposition on salt in the commentary on the reference in the Sermon on the Mount, as referenced above.  This "fixative" and preserving power of salt was ubiquitous in the ancient world, before refrigeration was possible; many foods were treated with salt to prevent the growth of bacteria so they would remain fit for consumption and nourishment.   This preserving power is referenced as a kind of binding, like taking an oath, with a long history in Israel, as my study Bible says, of association with covenant and friendship.  So Christ is emphasizing the nature of discipleship, not simply as something which is good and helpful, but which is necessary for life, for the thriving of the world.  If we wonder how salt can lose its flavor, the ancient world's salt crystals indeed could leach sodium chloride through exposure to water and thus lose its saltiness.  But to really get the "flavor" of today's reading and Jesus' words, we have to take it as a whole, and to recognize that what He's calling for is a rigorous determination on the part of His disciples, to be ready -- like good soldiers or a king going out to meet an enemy, or a man preparing to build a tower -- to commit to seeing the project all the way through, no matter what it may ask of them.  It is in this spirit that Jesus teaches us what it might mean to carry a cross.  In this season of elections here in the United States of America, many comment here and around the world regarding the phenomenon of both friendships and family relations being broken and severed over political affiliation or opinion.  In a modern democracy we are ostensibly aware of many opinions, and also conditioned to accept such differences as a matter of norm in our societies.  But if these common differences are now causing such disruption in relationships, one only need to consider for a moment what something as momentous and deep as one's commitment of the soul to Christ can carry in terms of our own loyalty, and others' response to that commitment.  A deep and dedicated devotion to Christ may ask of us to make commitments that offend others whom we love, differing on matters of conscience, or even opinions about Christ Himself.  As we know, Jesus sets the pattern that He will voluntarily go to the Cross, to His Crucifixion, in obedience to the Father's will for Him.  This voluntary sacrifice remains a scandal for some, perplexing for many, and a point of contention in terms of its effects and power among different denominations and theological perspectives.  But one thing is clear, if Christ Himself was asked to undertake this Cross and this sacrifice for all of us, then none of us can refuse a cross of our own.  In our modern affluent societies, it might be offensive in and of itself to some to suggest that sacrifice is something we will all encounter as disciples of Christ, but nonetheless it remains truth and a part of Scripture.  We might separate from a friend (or even relatives) because we don't like the practices of gossip or scapegoating we consistently find.  Perhaps our criticism of such habits alone is enough to create rage in others.  What we perceive as unjust or unfair is another possible point of difference that can spark separation, and the Cross that Christ undertook has everything to do with injustice, in which the innocent suffer.  We ourselves may undertake that role, as did Christ, and suffer for telling the truth when others would prefer convenient and less disruptive lies instead.  Whatever way our cross comes to us, we can't ignore Jesus' emphatic and repeated teachings here.  In Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus sends out the apostles on their first mission, He speaks about this division in families, adding, "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake."  He reminds them that "a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!" (see Matthew 10:16-25).  If disciples remain today as "sheep among wolves" then how are we to avoid conflict?  Jesus' call for believers to be like salt that does not lose its flavor is a call to steadfastness even in the face of what we might lose that we hold precious for the sake of the gospel.  Let us consider how this mission today might include our own cross, and what we put first in life. 

 

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 

 

In the reading from Saturday, we read of the explosive growth of Christ's ministry, across the territories of Israel and the Jewish communities that surround them, even in Gentile areas.  So already "great multitudes" are following Jesus.  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."  My study Bible tells us that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek word translated as be exceedingly glad means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)

 

 "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."  Salt and light are used here by Jesus to illustrate the role of disciples in the society.  My study Bible explains that because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; See also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone, it notes, meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, therefore, faithful Christians are preservers of God's covenant and they give true flavor to the world.   Regarding these images of light, God is the true and uncreated Light.  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 the other nations.  In the New Testament, moreover, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  My study Bible says that light is necessary both for clear vision and also for life itself.  So, 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 Orthodox parishes, the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle being presented, and the faithful are invited to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Of this verse, my study Bible notes that Christian virtues have both a personal and public function, for our virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.  

Salt and light seem to serve several important functions.  As Jesus has given us both of them, we may assume that both are necessary for us to understand and to follow in our own lives as disciples of Christ.  Salt speaks of covenant, loyalty, a kind of steadfastness to a pledge and a relationship.  It asks us for our firm bond to Christ, through thick and thin, through good times and bad.  Jesus also emphasizes its flavoring qualities, which are essential everywhere in cuisine.  Salt has that flavor property that universally adds to whatever it is one uses it on.  (If there is any doubt that this is also true of sweet foods, let it be known that many salt watermelon and also apples.   In some sweet foods, it is a kind of balancing agent, again enhancing flavor.)  In the ancient world, salt was necessary -- as my study Bible points out -- for preservative power before refrigeration was available.  Believers, therefore, in this context, are valuable to God as those who are loyal and steadfast, and also as those who "flavor" the earth with its enhancing power.  Light, of course, has long been an image of God.  From the pillar of fire that illumined the way for the Israelites following Moses in the night, to the halos of the saints and angels, and manifest in the light of the Transfiguration, light is an unshakable image of God and God's energies at work in the world.  Beyond that, the light of the Lord is said to illuminate our path through a difficult world, beset with paradoxical choices and dilemmas and temptations, half-truths and heresies.  Jesus spoke of Himself as Lord to the people, just prior to the events of Holy Week, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:35-36).  So God is Light (John 1:5), the grace of God (God's energies in the world) is light, and yet another property of that light is that it is shared with us, and we also may bear it into the world (Acts 2:3).  Jesus speaks of a lampstand because in the ancient world, light was given through fire, through torches and lamps which burned oil, so we must understand all instances of fire to be also giving us images of this light.  In fact, the verb "to shine" in the Greek of the Gospel is λάμπω/lampo.  Not only may we be gifted by the bearing of this light ourselves, but through our own faithfulness, Christ asks us to participate in the work of grace:  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."   What are these "good works?"  Well, they are undoubtedly related to the fruit of the Spirit, which St. Paul teaches is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control," and for which he adds, "Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  In living these qualities, and bearing this fruit, we let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.  

 

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea

 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

'Their worm does not die,

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 

 'Their worm does not die,

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 

 'Their worm does not die, 

 And the fire is not quenched.'

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

 

- Mark 9:42-50 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples departed from the region of Caesarea Philippi and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it.  For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day."  But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.  Then He came to Capernaum.  And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"  But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.  And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."  Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us."  But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward." 

 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  My study Bible comments that little ones include all who have childlike humility and simplicity, all who are poor in spirit.

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  My study Bible comments that Christ's references to mutilation in today's passage (cut it off, pluck it out) are illustrations of decisive action to avoid sin.  They are not advocacy for literal amputation.  These images also apply to harmful relationships that must be severed for the salvation of all parties (see Luke 14:26; 1 Corinthians 5:5).  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 66:24.  Here we may consider the transgressions and selfish actions which a hand may commit against little ones; it reaches out to strike, or to grab something that does not belong to oneself.  A hand may point an accusing finger against the innocent.

"And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  A foot may trespass over boundaries not meant to be crossed, into territory where we don't belong.  It may be used to kick another, especially harmful to a "little one."  Let us note that such abusive actions may also be figurative, illustrative of actions that take place on a social or personal level of harm, insult, or injury in a psychological sense.

"And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- where 'Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"  An eye covets what does not belong to oneself, or it looks with envy and malevolence.  Our eye may also be "bad" or "evil" in the sense that we don't properly see the person we behold, but cast them in a false negative light. 

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.  Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."  To be seasoned with fire is to be tested to see if one's faith and works are genuine, my study Bible teaches.  See 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.   As Jesus says every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, He quotes Leviticus 2:13.  There, my study Bible explains, salt stands for the remembrance of God's covenant with God's people.  Because salt had preservative powers, was necessary for life, and has the ability to give flavor, it takes on religious and sacrificial significance.  To eat salt with someone, my study Bible adds, meant to be bound together in loyalty.  See also Matthew 5:13 in the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus calls believers "the salt of the earth."

Jesus seems to take great care here to caution the disciples against abuses of power -- especially abuses of the "little ones" in the Church.  These little ones can be thought of as all those who are humble, as my study Bible says, and those without clout or power, who come to faith within that framework of the poor in spirit who need and depend upon God and their faith.  As we know all too well thanks to popular notions of psychology, abuse (especially to the powerless, "little," or humble) often leads to great harm to a person -- making it that much more likely they will sin and pass on that harm and abuse to others.  We would do well to remind ourselves over and over again that the whole point of Christ's teaching is here, when He says, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  To cause one of these little ones to stumble could mean to place a stumbling block or snare before them, such as false or misleading teachings that include abuses of power by those who would be hierarchs or authorities in the Church.  Such stumbling blocks and temptations may also include various forms of abuse itself, of which we have become all too aware in the Church, or practices that scandalize the little ones and help to drive them away or to reject the faith.  Recovery from such stumbling blocks and scandals can be long and hard, and one must overcome one's own bad experiences in order to return to the road of faith, especially within the Church.  When we look at scandals, abuses, and bad practices, particularly within the purview of the Church -- or even by believers who are, after all, representatives to the world of our faith -- then we should think of these verses.  They are strong (indeed, the strongest possible) advocacy by Jesus to look to our own behaviors and take all measures to correct them.  This is the case even if changing one's own habits feels as difficult as cutting off a cherished body part (a hand, a foot, an eye).  Christ's thrice-repeated reminder of an eternal torment (Isaiah 66:24) is the strongest possible warning against offenses that cause the little ones who believe in Him to stumble.  Equally stunning is His remark that it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."  Since we know that Jesus does not choose words flippantly or lightly, we'd better pay close attention to that word, "better," for this is again a dire and stark warning.  In Luke 12:48, Jesus says in reply to a question by Peter, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."  Therefore we must consider that the greater the responsibility, and the more understanding we have of our faith, the more incumbent Christ's warnings become for us.  For it is yet another temptation to let greater authority persuade us that we may relax our own diligence and self-awareness.  In truth, the need we have for vigilance in this respect only grows in such circumstances.  Perhaps that's why it is wisdom to consider that whoever desires to be first shall be last of all and servant of all.  As we are each ambassadors for our faith in some sense, as we may each represent our faith to others, Christ's words remain essential to our awareness.  Let us consider as well another teaching from yesterday's reading, that when we behold one of the little ones who belong to Him (in His name), we not only behold Christ, but also the Father who sent Him.  Once again, as we remind ourselves that we are in Lent, let us receive Christ's words with all the seriousness with which He gives them to us.

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 who now follow Him, 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."  My study Bible comments that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek for be exceedingly glad means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)

"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."  Salt and light are illustrations of the role of disciples in society.  My study Bible explains that because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with another meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are therefore preservers of God's covenant, and they thereby give true flavor to the world.   As for light, we know that God is the true and uncreated Light.  My study Bible says that in the Old Testament light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalms 119:105), and Israel in contrast to 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 also necessary for clear vision and also for life itself.  Faith is reliant upon 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 Eastern Orthodox parishes, the Easter Liturgy begins with a candle presented together with the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  My study Bible says that Christian virtues have both a personal and a public function, as our virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.  

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?  This could be a confusing question as my study Bible explains it, because in our present time various "virtuous acts" mean different things to different people.  What is popularly called "virtue signaling" is precisely such seeming activity, and yet it is not at all universally seen as a light which leads people to glorify God.  What that might be telling us is that we have the wrong end of the stick, and our usual way of thinking will not really suffice to answer the question.  What would lead people to glorify our Father in heaven in our own good works?  What leads people to God?  If we look at the question this way, it's not just a matter of persuasion or the appearance of good acts that please people.  This is something different.  This is Jesus calling upon us for truly positive acts of living our faith, and that will cause people to glorify God.  How do we let God's light shine through us?  There are surprising ways to look at this question, because in our modern age, we approach such a question, and such a statement by Christ, as if it were merely directed to individuals and individual behavior.  But what if it's not?  What if, as would be much more commonly perceived and understood in Christ's time, Jesus is speaking not to address people as individuals, but as a community?  If we look at Christians as whole communities from the time of the earliest Church, we see a number of social innovations we could really call letting God's light shine through this community.  Following out of Christ's teachings of the kingdom of God, Christian communities built institutions like hospitals.  Following out of the need for literacy to spread the gospel message in the Scriptures, educational institutions evolved out of monasteries, places where literacy could be learned and books copied.  The social changes that came about in societies that became overwhelmingly, and eventually officially, Christian meant that human life was considered to be far more sacred than it was in pagan societies, which did not formerly frown on infanticide, for example.  The widespread practice of baptism in and of itself taught whole peoples the importance of the soul, the salvation of the human person, and over the centuries such teachings made a great deal of difference indeed in the evolution of structures of justice, medical care, and whole fields of science for human welfare.  If we look at such an evolution over time, and what happens when the light of God shines through whole peoples, we begin to focus on the beauty and truth and goodness that is possible to develop as a cultural history and inheritance.  In Churches we find architecture and art that speaks to a whole history of the beauty of that light, even the seeing the truth and goodness of Creator through the goodness and beauty of creation itself.  The art of mosaic and icon depict creation and creatures as windows through which Creator shines, vehicles of God's mercy and light.  These are not things we take lightly, but they may often -- in a modern world -- be things which we take entirely too much for granted.  In the beauty of music and poetry and hymnody we find the light of God shining through human creativity in honor of Creator, and the astonishing creativity that adds beauty to the lives of all who may participate and hear -- not reserved only for elites or the elect but found in Churches and services that were meant to include even the "least of these" in the society.  Taken on such a scale and over such a perspective, we might find that the light of God shining through a faithful community takes on a transfiguring role in the world and in the society, until we take it all for granted and forget where it came from and how it started.  Let us consider how the light of God shining through human communities has contributed to the world, and how it may yet move us forward into new "light" for a future age.  For these aspects of beauty and goodness can only be understood if we remember that we glorify God through them, that to see the beauty of creation is to illumine the glory of the Creator.  When such perception dies, so does the care of society and community, and so plummets the value of human life and the things that make for our real social good.  Have you a way to glorify Creator by strengthening community?  Can you contribute to beauty for the love of the world?  How does the light of Christ lead you to give to others, to community, to do works of great beauty, of compassion?  For in the One who brought us the light, we find the image of One who saves for the sake of all, and who glorifies God. 

 

Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?

 

 Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.  

"Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

- Luke 14:25-35 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus was casting out a demon, and it was mute.  So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."  Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.  But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them:  "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.  If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?  Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out?  Therefore they will be your judges.  But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.  But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.  He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."  

 

  Now great multitudes went with Him.  And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."  The lectionary jumps ahead from where we left off on Saturday, skipping over Luke 11:24-14:24.  We know that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, and here we're told that great multitudes went with Him.  Just as in Monday's reading of last week Jesus spoke of the rigors of discipleship, here the question has come up once again.  My study Bible comments that the command to hate one's kindred and his own life also is not to be taken literally. Instead, we are to hate the way our relationships with others can hinder our total dedication to the Kingdom of God, which takes precedence even over family ties (as can also be read in last Monday's reading).  Moreover, this is put in the context of bearing one's own cross.  Once again, we review that each person must take up one's own cross.  My study Bible says that one's particular burden in this world is different for each person, and that each has been chosen by God to bear certain struggles for one's own salvation and the salvation of those around oneself.  In Luke 9:23, Jesus tells us we must take up our particular cross daily.  The commitment to discipleship is not a one-time event.  It is a continual practice of what has been called "faithfulness."  That is faith and obedience to Christ's commands, even to the point of being shamed and persecuted by the world.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it -- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'  Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.  Again, Jesus makes bold claims about the cost of discipleship.  My study Bible refers us to the sense in which disciples work together with God in carrying out ministry.  Jesus gives us a metaphor, to build a tower, and thus we think of ourselves as God's fellow workers, who cooperate with God's will.  By cooperation -- or what is called synergy (from the Greek word for "fellow workers") -- with God, we do not  work together as equals or in a kind of half-and-half arrangement.  Instead God is the Lord, and we are God's servants who are called to participate obediently in God's work.  Here, Jesus implies, our lives are in the hands of God, we in our commitment to discipleship, we should count that cost and be prepared for it.

 

 "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses salt as metaphor, with a similar statement, calling His disciples the "salt of the earth" (see Matthew 5:13).   My study Bible comments that salt illustrates the role of disciples in society.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give 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, my study Bible further explains, meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  Here Jesus speaks of the value of salt, affirming His earlier words about the rigors and cost of discipleship.  A lack of adherence to discipleship is here compared to salt which has lost its flavor.

What sacrifices have you made for your faithfulness, for your choices to follow Christ?  Here Jesus says that discipleship will ask of us the entirety of what we have:  "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." What this seems to suggest is not that God demands of us extraordinary or inordinate sacrifices in some sense of payment or requirement, but rather that the love which God asks from us is a love that will take in all.  As we grow in discipleship, we will find a love that asks of us a whole heart, and as such, our whole lives as dedication to Christ's way ("I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6).  In other words, the cost of discipleship is a type of love that may ask us to change the very foundation of what it is we think we know about ourselves and our goals in life.  Where once one may have cherished a family as one's greatest possession or goal in life, the foundation of faith shifts us to the perception that family life -- and all relationships -- should be based within the framework of the love of God, who teaches us what it is to be in right-relationship.  It is from God we learn righteousness.  God, who is love, teaches us what it is to love.  Where once we might have considered possessions to be our greatest values, the love of God asks us to shift that perception instead to the values we carry with us, within us, and practice among us, in following Christ's commands and learning from Him ("Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" - Matthew 11:29-30).  Where once we pursued goals we're taught are good -- such as a successful career, or a good name among our peers, or even a particular social standing that would make parents proud -- we might instead pursue goals that please God.  Such goals might flip our own priorities upside down, because they would include care of "the least of these" (Matthew 25:45), and our time devoted to practices of prayer, spiritual disciplines, or our wealth to help those who are in need.  None of these "sacrifices" of time, energy, devotion, money, and so forth, preclude good goals in life or a healthy life of well-being.  But we place our judgment for priorities in God's hands, and as Christ says, we will no doubt be called upon to carry our own crosses, and like Him, say, "Not my will, but Yours, be done" (see Luke 22:42).  For discipleship will call us from places we thought were sacrosanct, to places we never thought we'd go, while nonetheless giving us prizes to cherish, even love we didn't think was possible, all given through grace.  To find ourselves as disciples is to find God's love for us as well as that love in the others to whom we're brought by God.  Let us count the cost and cherish the gifts we're given, including the elation true service can bring us.

 

 

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake

 

 "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 a light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Now 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 began reading the Sermon on the Mount, which starts with the Beatitudes, or blessings of the Kingdom.  Seeing the multitudes who now follow Him, 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."  My study Bible comments that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek for be exceedingly glad means literally to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)

 

 "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 a light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Now 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."  Salt and light are important illustrations give by Jesus of the role of disciples in society.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its capacity for giving flavor, salt had religious and sacrificial significance for the Jews and in the practices of the temple (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty, my study Bible explains.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant, and give true flavor to the world.    God is the true and uncreated Light, my study Bible adds, 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).  My study Bible adds that light is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself.  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 the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle being presented and the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."  When Jesus teaches, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven," He is expressing a truth that Christian virtues and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) have both a personal and a public function, for such virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.  

Recently I listened to a distraught phone call to a radio psychologist from a mother who was very upset over the problems her daughter was having with "mean girls" in high school.  Although her daughter seemed to be the very responsible and mature one of the crowd (which included even her former best friend's mother), she was the one excluded by the others.  And although this young woman had gone on to make new friends, her former friend (and the friend's parents) continued to spread bad rumors about her in order to hurt her.  It wasn't ever clear to her why this friend had a problem with her in the first place.  Although to many of us the problems of high school age are far behind us, this kind of behavior is not unknown in all kinds of places -- and, as the radio psychologist pointed out, is always about power and how one views the use of power.  This would apply in particular to those who believe that by hurting another, they exercise power.  Into this seemingly trite scenario one might encounter in a TV movie come the words Jesus give us today:  "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."  The young woman in the story might not be a follower of Christ (it wasn't the subject of the telephone call), but it was clear that she was a righteous young woman; she had done the right thing and tried to clear the air, being very honest, and seeking dialogue with the people who had hurt her.  She was also clearly forgiving.  But Jesus teaches us about righteousness, and about the virtuous life -- and also that when we live our lives this way, and when we are victimized by those who use power to hurt the nominally "meek" and virtuous, we should consider ourselves blessed, even when we encounter slander and falsehoods told about ourselves, because "so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  We might not all be prophets, but in following the teachings of Christ, we do enter into a kind of lineage of righteousness, and it is when we lose sight of the evil and cruelties of the world -- even that there are those who might despise us for our virtue -- that we lose track of the reality of the world and our place in it.  The Church, the Body of Christ, is meant to be a community of those who share such values and support one another in the practice of those virtues.  It is not simply a place where people gather because they agree on a belief statement or an abstract of certain truths.  It is meant to be a place for righteous relationships, in which we are supported in a particular way of life, and grow within that life and our participation -- through ritual and faith practices such as prayer and worship -- in the life of Christ, from whom we are meant to understand that God is love, and through whom that love has been revealed to us and lived in the life of the human Jesus.  There are many ways in which the world will present to us a cruel and merciless life as one that is advantageous, but abuse of power in all its forms is nothing new in this world.  What is "new" is that Christ calls us to the righteous life, despite persecution, and He assures us that such a life is, indeed, "blessed," because we are reviled and even hurt for His sake.  He calls us to be salt and to be light, and this is our never-ending mission, the "way" of Christ for life through this world and all that it offers, so that we are set apart for that which is truly blessed.   In so doing, He calls us "the light of the world."