5th Sunday after the Epiphany – Byron Tindall
All three of the lessons appointed to be read on this Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany either directly or indirectly discuss, among other things, the duties of God’s messengers.
Generally speaking, the prophets were sent to the house of Israel with the directions to point out the short comings of the Jews and their political and religious leaders.
Isaiah isn’t at all subtle when he wrote what he heard, “Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.” Remember, the prophets were not always welcomed with open arms due to their messages.
In his first letter to the church at Corinth, St. Paul said he brought his message to the Corinthians in simple words and terms they could easily understand rather than “lofty words or wisdom.” Don’t forget that Saul of Tarsus was a well-educated Jew and could have brought Greek philosophers into his conversations with the various congregations.
Most Biblical scholars are in agreement that the Gospel of Matthew was written primarily for a Jewish audience. Jesus used well-known, everyday items and situations to get his message across to those who were listening to him.
Today’s reading from Matthew is no exception. Let’s look at the examples a little closer.
Cities, even back in Jesus’ day, were built on a hill for defensive purposes. It was, and still is, easier to hold the high ground against an aggressor.
Obviously, Georgia Power or Amicalola EMC were not available so every house had to have some way to illuminate it after sundown or before sunup, hence the reference to the lampstand.
And then there is salt mentioned in today’s gospel lesson.
Salt was an important commodity in ancient Palestine. It was used as a preservative. It added flavor to foods. Salt even had some medicinal applications.
Now it’s been a very long time, somewhere between half and three-quarters of a century, since I had a chemistry class. I do remember that sodium chloride, also known as salt, is a very stable compound. It takes a lot to break the bond between the sodium and the chloride atoms. So how does salt loose it’s taste? It doesn’t happen very often.
This is, for me, the first clue that Jesus is talking about his followers, rather than actual commodities, household items or building practices. It becomes more obvious when Jesus said, after mentioning the lampstand, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Jesus goes on to tell his listeners, and us too, that he didn’t come to abolish Judaism. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” In my way of thinking, it was not his intention to start a new religion. Rather, Jesus the Christ wanted to reform what was already there and make it universal for all people, even those hated gentiles.
Today, we honor The Rev. Dr. Charles D. Hackett, Jr. and his wife, Debbie Freudenthal, as they prepare to leave us.
We will certainly miss Debbie’s culinary skills any time we have a reception or meal.
I’ve heard countless preachers throughout my 84 plus years. I can’t hazard a guess as to how many sermons I’ve heard or given. It doesn’t matter. Without question, the best preacher I’ve ever heard is Ted, as he is affectionately known.
Ted told me he gave his first sermon in 1963, before some of you were even born. He continued to preach until a short time ago when his health began to fail.
His ability to take a complicated theological concept and explain it in terms understandable to everyone is truly a gift very few preachers have.
To me, Ted exemplifies exactly what Jesus was talking about in this morning’s gospel lesson. He has not lost “his saltiness” or his subtle sense of humor for that matter. His love of God and Christ have affected countless seminary students, and his knowledge of history has benefited all who have heard him preach while he was a parish priest and a priest associate.
It has truly been and honor and privilege to worship beside and with him. The only regret I have is that I never had him as a seminary professor.
Back to the scripture lessons for today.
I dare say the vast majority of us here today consider ourselves to be a follower of Jesus in some way, shape or form. Otherwise, why would we be here?
If we believe what Jesus said as reported in Matthew’s Gospel, we need to make sure that the light of Christ reflects off of us in our daily lives. And just like Isaiah, we too are called to proclaim God’s message.
We must stand up to injustice, hatred, violence whenever and wherever we encounter it. We must respect the dignity of every human being. With compassion, we are to feed the hungry, shelter and house the homeless, care for the orphan and widow. We are to follow Jesus when he leads us to the outcasts of society and compassionately care for the weak and sick. You don’t need me to stand up here and enumerate everything we’re supposed to do in our relationships with our fellow children of God. You know it in your heart and from what you read in your Bible.
In short, we must “…let our light shine before others,” rather than hiding it under a basket. Amen