"Overcoming Satan for Us" (Matthew 4:1-11)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1).

 

Immediately after Jesus’ baptism to fulfill all righteousness for us, Jesus faced the temptation of the devil – just as we face being baptized into Christ. It was for this purpose that Jesus had come into the world: to overcome Satan for us. And this was the first thing Jesus did at the start of His public ministry. Again, He confronted Satan for us.

 

Every temptation we face is a test. Each second of our lives, we are being tested. And this test is only a pass or fail. There is no “C” grade for passing. It’s either A+ or F.

 

Temptation comes from every angle. As long as we live in this fallen world, we will be attacked, hunted, and harassed on all sides. From the flesh: we want what we want now, things like filling the belly and riches. From the world: we want to be honored as we are tempted by ambition and worldly glory for power and dominion. From Satan: Did God really say?

 

Temptations come in many different forms. Temptations come when we face unpleasant experiences, such as pain, suffering, illness, disappointment and bereavement. Such experiences may cause us to question God’s wisdom and His love. But temptations can also come when life appears to be going well. Sometimes when we experience success or good health, we may think that we can handle temptations when they come.

 

The temptations Jesus faced were indeed serious efforts by the devil to rob the world of its Redeemer. And Satan had been very successful in the past as he led the first Adam into sin so that a Redeemer would be necessary. Now, Satan attacks the second Adam, Jesus Christ, in an effort to frustrate His work of redemption.

 

At one time, Satan had been created as one of God’s holy angels, but now he was a fallen angel. He had rebelled against God and had been cast out of heaven together with many other fallen angels who followed him in his rebellion against God.

But as smart as Satan thinks he is, God is still much wiser and more powerful than Satan could ever be. And Satan cannot overpower us as long as we place our trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

The Greek word used for devil is diabolos (from which we get the English word diabolical). The meaning of this word is slanderer or liar. You see, the devil is not just a clever liar, or a habitual liar; he is a constant liar. He is the father of lies. Satan invented the very idea of lying and told the very first lie. Yes, he makes wonderful promises, as he did to Eve (“You will not surely die” [Genesis 3:4]), but he has never kept a single one of them, and he never will. And if Satan does occasionally speak a few words of truth – as he does with Jesus, he distorts them or misapplies them or takes them out of context or immediately proceeds to contradict them.

 

We know all of these things about the devil, yet, what do we so often do? We so often keep falling for his lies. He tells us that life will be so much more enjoyable if we only disobey God’s Commandments. So, he persuades us to lie, cheat, and steal as he says there is nothing wrong with that. He persuades us into taking the easy way out. His lies always lead to all kinds of trouble, sorrow, grief, and regret. Yet, each time, he convinces us that in this particular case, it will end up different. But in every single case, the devil’s promises are never intended for our good or for our benefit. His only goal is to keep us separated from God.

 

So, what are we to learn from Satan’s temptation of Jesus? Well, for one, it would be a mistake to read this text from Matthew 4 as a “do it yourself” strategy on how to resist temptation.

 

So often, we read this text that way. If we only followed Jesus’ example, then we can handle Satan’s temptations. But how well are we at doing just that? Not very good. I’d say, with pretty good certainty, that we would all receive a failing grade.

 

So, clearly this text isn’t a “do it yourself” guide on how to resist temptation.

 

So, why did the Holy Spirit bring Jesus into direct confrontation with Satan? Well, He’s there, because Jesus is Israel reduced to One. Jesus is the embodiment of Israel.

 

In the past, the nation of Israel had failed every time its people faced even the smallest of temptations. The people of God were weak. They always gave in. They murmured. 

 

Jesus is out there because the nation of Israel needed someone to represent them. Jesus is out there because the nation of Israel needed someone to take their place. Jesus is out there, because, frankly, the nation of Israel blew their chance.

 

For the nation of Israel, it was often all too convenient for them to serve some other false “god.”

 

So, Jesus isn’t out there to serve as an example for Jews and Christians. Because that is too hard for us to follow. We are sinners and we all too often get persuaded by lies in hopes of an easier life. This battle is too hard. This conflict is too difficult.

 

Jesus is there doing battle with God’s great enemy, Satan, the accuser. And nobody can fight that battle except for Jesus. 

 

And this is the battle: will you fall for Satan’s lies to make your life easier? Will you choose the bread that perishes?

 

You all know what you have chosen. So often, we choose the easier option, just as the nation of Israel did before us. But Jesus never chooses the path of least resistance. Not once. He depends upon “every Word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

 

The battle also consists of this: will you wonder whether God’s ways are right? Will you wonder whether God can be trusted? Will you put God to the test? You can’t win this battle. You have lost this battle many times before, but Jesus never doubts. Jesus never doubts the will of God the Father. Not once.

 

The battle also consists of this: who are you with? Whom do you serve? To whom do you belong? This is the greatest battle of all.

 

As Christians, we confess that Jesus is Lord. We confess that we worship the one true God. But how many times have you taken that first step, or second or third step toward repudiating the God to whom you belong? This battle is just too hard.

 

But Jesus never does anything or says anything or thinks anything apart from God the Father. So, there in the desert, He joins the battle against Satan and He wins. Jesus turns failure into faithfulness.

 

You see, those temptations and those sufferings that Jesus endured throughout His earthly ministry are actually greatly magnified versions of the trials that we endure daily. Yet, Jesus never faltered. All we do is keep falling into sin. So, what does Jesus do about our faltering? 

 

Jesus willingly suffers the punishment that we all deserve because of our sin and failures, and on top of that, Jesus gives us all the credit for the blessings of all of His success simply by faith in Him. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. With His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53). Jesus died, so that we may live!

 

There in the desert, all we can do is watch. We are watching not that we can be like Jesus, but that so we can belong to Him, and to be with Him to this very day.

 

Jesus’ temptation by Satan is not a “do it yourself” playbook on how to resist temptation, but this temptation is to show us the faithfulness of Jesus. And being baptized into Christ, we can say, “I am with Him.”

 

But is there anything we can do? I guess there is something. Knowing that Jesus has overcome all temptation, we can say, no thanks, “I am with Jesus.” When the temptation comes to run after something that you shouldn’t have, some thing, someone, some feeling, some whatever, you face that temptation and say, “No thanks, I am with Jesus.” When temptation comes, and it will come, fix your eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God – for you! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"You are Salt and Light" (Matthew 5:13-20)

Listen to today's Sounding the Scriptures POPcast here!

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth. … You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13a, 14a).

 

Last week, Jesus described how blessed are those who have faith in Him. Today, Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount as He declares that those who trust in Him are salt and light.

 

Salt is a preservative. Salt keeps food from spoiling. Salt is also used as a seasoning as it gives food more flavor. I, for one, like to always add salt to my fries, even before I even taste them. I am a fan of salt.

 

Now, what if you find yourself in a dark room. What do you do to bring light to that dark space? You could open the shades or curtains if there is daylight outside. You could flip a switch and let electricity light the room. You could light a candle. Or you could turn on a traditional flashlight or click the flashlight on your smartphone.

 

Although there are many ways to bring light to a dark room, there is only one way to pierce the darkness of sin and unbelief. This one way is Jesus. He is the Light of the world. Jesus alone is the Light that scatters the darkness of sin and unbelief. And it was the Holy Spirit who enlightened us to trust in Jesus.

 

When the disciples heard Jesus say to them, “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), they were changed. You see, Jesus called them with authority, as only God can. And so, they listened and followed Jesus. We, too, had this change as we were taken out of the fallen world of sin and darkness and were brought the Light of Christ through Holy Baptism. For as St. Paul says in Ephesians 5:8: “For at one time you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

 

Now, light can also be painful. Maybe you have been awakened from a dead sleep by a bright light. Maybe you were awakened during REM and now you have that twitch. Being awakened by the light hurts. We say, “Turn it off!” That is how many reacted when they heard the Light of the World speak. You see, sin loves darkness. No wonder so many crimes happen at night and in the shadows. 

Light casts out darkness. And darkness is associated with evil, with danger, with the condition of being lost and unable to find one’s way. 

 

The world we live in, well, it’s in bad shape. It needs salt. It needs some preserving. It needs some flavor. The world is also a dark place. And there is a great need for light, so that people can see the truth and see what God is really like. 

 

And Jesus today calls us salt and light. 

 

He says, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house” (Matthew 5:13-15).

 

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” So, what do you think about that? How do you respond to that proclamation? What are we to do? Well, we are to believe it.

 

But what happens if you don’t believe that you are salt and light? Well, that’s not the brightest idea, because what Jesus says is, well, always true. But if you don’t believe it, then, Jesus gives us the answer to that. He says, if you don’t believe that, then you will be “thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matthew 5:13b). That doesn’t sound like too much fun.

 

So, what are we to do? We should believe Jesus, because this is what Jesus says we are.

 

You see, our identity is created and preserved by the very Word of Jesus, who has also declared everyone in Christ to be blessed.

 

Now, we should not narrow the meaning of “salt” too precisely, because we can get caught up on what it means to be salty. “Salt” is parallel with “light,” and it is true that salt served many useful functions in the ancient world. And it is clear that the earth is evil, corrupt, and deficient. The earth needs to be salted: people need to be called to repent and believe the Good News that in Jesus “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

 

For, if Christ’s disciples – you and me – would become tasteless – by living unrepentant lives, then how would the earth be salted?

 

Jesus calls us salt and light. As salt and light, Jesus is giving us our vocation. He is declaring who we are in Christ.

 

You see, followers of Jesus do not just believe differently than unbelievers; we live differently. The truth is, if we can’t be easily distinguished from the unbelieving world, it’s either because they are becoming like us – which would be a great thing – or most likely, we are behaving like them – a very bad thing. If that’s the case, there’s as much wrong with us as with the unbelieving world.

 

To this, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

 

Shades in windows are good for privacy, but don’t draw down the shades of your faith as you live through life. And a covered lamp is a waste of light – and a pretty stupid way to waste that light – and so is concealed faith.

 

We can’t hide our faith. We must live out our faith. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. James writes: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

 

It is one thing to say you have faith. It’s another thing to live out that faith.

 

Now, what is expected when you flip a light switch? You expect Electricity to give power to the light and for the light to shine. Likewise, that Word that brought the light of faith to you and me is also the Word that enables us to bring that light of Christ to the world.

 

Again, Jesus declares that you and I are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. This is our blessing in Christ and our responsibility in Christ. Again, following Jesus is not just for our personal benefit, but for the benefit of our neighbor. Being salt and light, Jesus calls us to be the hope in this dark world. 

 

So, Jesus calls us to do good works that are public and visible and done with one purpose in mind: that others may glorify the heavenly Father. And to glorify the heavenly Father, one must know Him rightly. And one can only know the heavenly Father rightly through the right knowledge of His only-begotten Son.

 

These good works are done in ordinary ways as we live out our daily vocations. But in these ordinary ways, Jesus calls us to be extraordinary as we are called to live lives of remarkable purity, faithfulness, piety, love, and generosity. So, we don’t live lives in the same ways that non-Christians do. We are called by Jesus to be extraordinary husbands and wives, remarkable neighbors and employees, powerful friends and citizens. So, how is this seen in action? Some may say going on a mission trip is a good work. But so is shoveling your neighbor’s sidewalk, or having devotions with them, or inviting them to church, or holding your temper, or not lying, or by confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness, instead of blaming others or finding excuses for your actions. You see, through our words and deeds, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be like salt and light in this darkness.

 

Again, both words and deeds are necessary. Words without deeds will not be heard. Deeds without words will bring no one to praise the Father in heaven.

 

Christ’s apostles were often dim in reflecting the Light of Christ, and so are we. Thanks be to God that He is patient and does not so quickly discard us when we fail. While we were still stuck in the mire of sin, God showed His love for us as He sent His Son Jesus to live our life and to suffer the death we all deserve because of our sins. On Good Friday, His lifeless body was laid in a cold, dark tomb. But in the bright light of Easter, Jesus threw open the door of the grave and death! He opened salvation to all who would believe in Him.

 

So, when we fail to be salt and light, the Holy Spirit leads us to repent as we renounce the ways of sin and darkness, as we are forgiven for the sake of Jesus’ cross, and we strive anew as we follow Him.

 

When we love as Christ loves, people will take notice. And that may lead others to see the Light of Christ, the light of hope in this dark world. And we can do nothing apart from Jesus, who declares us salt and light. So, listen to Jesus. All of God’s blessings belong to you. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Standing Against Satan's Schemes" (Luke 4:1-13)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry” (Luke 4:1-2).

 

What first comes to your mind when you think of a cartoon character facing a moral dilemma? Odds are that you may be thinking of a comical figure wearing red tights carrying a pitchfork in his hand standing on one shoulder and an angel arrayed in white holding a harp standing on the other shoulder.

 

For many people, this is how they see Satan, as just a comical figure who shows up when you are facing a dilemma. Satan and the angel are just merely your conscience trying to figure out what action to do.

 

But here’s the thing: Satan is real, and Satan is dangerous. Satan is dedicated to dismantling God’s kingdom and God’s people. And one of Satan’s primary tactics is deception. In John 8, Jesus exposes Satan for who he truly is: “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). 

 

Every time Satan appears in the Scriptures, he is lying, deceiving, and seeking the destruction of God’s people. Satan’s ultimate goal is to lead God’s people as far away from God as possible.

 

You see, Satan wants God’s people to abandon God’s Word and to break every instruction and commandment God has given us. In fact, many of Satan’s lies are directly in contrast to the Ten Commandments. Satan lies to everyone; no one is exempt from his lies. Satan lies to everyone, including Jesus.

 

Now, the first word out of Satan’s mouth as Jesus was tempted by him for 40 days may be his favorite word: “If.” Satan begins his temptation by saying, “If you are the Son of God …” (Luke 4:3a). 

So, why is Satan asking this? It’s because God the Father had just proclaimed this from heaven at Jesus’ Baptism, “You are My beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

 

Satan’s use of “If you are the Son of God …” is just another way of saying, “Did God actually say…?” (Genesis 3:1). Here, Satan is misusing God’s name by casting criticism on what God says. Satan is breaking the Second Commandment: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.” Here, Satan wants to test God, to prove God wrong, to seize for himself a level of power and control that only rightly belongs to God. Here, Satan is using his art of lying and deception.

 

Much like with Adam and Eve, Satan wants Jesus to distrust God’s Word. Satan here is trying to persuade Jesus to take the matter into his own hands. In effect, what Satan is saying to Jesus is this: “You cannot simply trust God’s Word that You are His Son. You should test that out. Prove it! Find assurance by using Your power, by testing God’s Word. Come on Jesus, turn this stone into bread and jump off the temple. You know, the actual Son of God could do just that. Prove it to me!”

 

Just as Satan attempts to seduce Jesus, he also wants you and me to question whether God’s promises are indeed trustworthy. Satan asks you:

§  “Did God actually say you should love your enemies?”

§  “Did God actually say that there are only two sexes?”

§  “Did God actually say that merely lusting at another is sin?”

§  “Did God really say your favorite sin is not ok?”

§  “Did Jesus actually claim to be divine?”

§  “Did Jesus really perform all those miracles?”

 

You see, Satan encourages us to place our trust somewhere else; anywhere else. Certainly, Satan wants us to place our trust in his deceptions and lies rather than in God’s Word of truth.

 

Satan tests you and me through interlinking related lies through a logical progression. If we cannot trust God, then we cannot trust God’s Word. If we cannot trust God’s Word, then we cannot trust His prophets and apostles. If we cannot trust His prophets and apostles, then we cannot trust the Scriptures. If we cannot trust all these things, then how can we be sure our sins are forgiven? How can we be sure Jesus rose from the dead? How can we be sure Jesus was real at all? This is Satan’s tactic. Satan wishes to carve us away at our trust so that we are no longer able to discern the true and trustworthy from the evil and manipulative. 

As true man, Jesus experienced hunger. He must eat, just as we must eat. So, Satan offers a simple solution: “Command this stone to become bread” (Luke 4:3b). In effect, what Satan is saying to Jesus is this: “Jesus, this is easy. I know how to solve your hunger problem. Show your power as the ‘supposed’ Son of God.”

 

What Satan is doing here is that he’s trying to lead Jesus to not want to suffer the inconveniences of being human. For example, hunger is not a necessary thing to endure for the divine Son of God, since one with divine power, like Jesus, is able to transform a stone to become bread. It’s all simple for Satan, just have Jesus create some bread to stop his hunger.

 

But what Satan is really attempting to do is to have Jesus not endure the inconvenience and limitations of being human. If Jesus is really the Son of God, as God the Father just proclaimed Him to be, then why not enjoy all the conveniences that has to offer? And if Jesus can be persuaded to use His power to overcome the inconvenience of hunger, perhaps Jesus can be persuaded to use His power to overcome the inconvenience of the cross?

 

Just as Satan attempted to manipulate Jesus, he is constantly working at manipulating you and me. Satan lies to us telling us that life would be so much better if we only seized more control. But what Satan means by taking more control is for us to usurp God’s authority for our own. And Satan tells us that nothing should get in our way of claiming power. Lies, threats, bribes, and murder are all fair game. For Satan, the ends justify the means.

 

In the case of the first man, Adam, he gave in to Satan’s seduction. After hearing that the tree would be good for food, he became hungry. He joined Eve and he ate from the tree in the midst of the garden. But, as for Jesus, the Second Adam, He did not succumb to the devil’s seduction.

 

You see, Jesus lives by the Word of God. He is the Man, the Son of God incarnate, who is the Word of God. Jesus is the Bread of Life from heaven who came to feed the people of Himself.

 

For you and me, we ought to be immersed in God’s Word and His Sacraments, so that we would be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Because, the thing is, Satan is also well-versed in Scripture. So, just as Jesus was refuting Satan with Scripture, Satan was refuting Jesus right back. But Satan has a major flaw. And Jesus exposes that flaw. Again, Jesus says of Satan, “There is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

You see, even though Satan claims to be speaking Scripture, he is also a liar. And liars tend to leave out important details when they speak. Satan says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone’” (Luke 4:9b-11).

 

If you immerse yourself in God’s Word, like the Bereans, in judging to see if these were so by examining the Scriptures, you would notice that Satan left out an important detail in his quote from Psalm 91: “in all Your ways.” To this lie, Jesus says to Satan: “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4:12). Satan then departed from Jesus until an opportune time.

 

Satan would return with a vengeance on Maundy Thursday, but even at that time, God would use that evil for good as Jesus would suffer and die for our sins on Good Friday and rise for our justification on Easter, which was His plan for our salvation from the very beginning.

 

God keeps His promises. Before God calls on the people of Israel to place their trust in Him as their God, in the First Commandment, He says: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). What God is saying is this: “You can trust Me. I am your God. I brought you out of that suffering. Here are My Words, Words you can trust and live by.”

 

Again, when Satan tempts Jesus, notice how Jesus responds: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus is sustained by that living and active Word of God through forty days of fasting and through the accusations and temptations of Satan.

 

While Satan desires our hopelessness and meaninglessness in our lives, God desires to instill us with sure and certain hope and to bring us into the fullness of abundant life through Jesus. Jesus entered into our humanity and endured the temptations of Satan without sin so that we would be saved ultimately through His sacrificial and atoning death for you and me. And now that Christ is risen and ascended, through His Word and Sacraments, He puts on us the whole armor of God, so that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Epiphany 5: "Living as Salt and Light" (Matthew 5:13-20)

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Some time ago, I heard it said to me: “You know what would gain church attendance?” “What?” I asked. “Stop talking about repentance. People don’t want to hear that. Let me worship God in my own way. You need to adapt to the culture.”

 

Let me ask you, what would happen if we did just that? Our numbers may increase, but that’s doubtful. It’s doubtful, because the ones who want the church to adapt to the culture are the ones who have no intention on coming anyway. But, if we did that, would Prince of Peace Lutheran Church still be a Christian Church? If you ceased speaking God’s truth, would you still be a Christian? If we ceased calling sinners to repentance, would we still need a Savior from our sins?

 

Last week, Jesus began His most famous sermon, which is known as “The Sermon on the Mount” with the Beatitudes. Jesus began speaking of God’s blessings that rests on every true believer in Him. Today, Jesus continues as He speaks of the blessings we prove to be to the unbelieving world as we live as salt and light.

 

Jesus begins saying to His followers: “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13a). It is likely that when you think of salt, you think of salt as a seasoning. It certainly is, but in the first century salt was used primarily for another purpose: as a preservative. Back in a time before refrigerators and freezers, salt was used to preserve food from spoiling. But how are we “salt of the earth”? How are we a preservative?

 

Jesus says “blessed are you” to be salt of the earth. We are blessed to be given a responsibility. As the preservative, Christians are called to be the check of moral corruption in the world. Jesus says, “You are,” and not, “You ought to be.” As the salt of the earth, we curb the immoral, godless living of the unconverted world. 

 

Oh, how things would have been much different if there had been ten righteous preservatives in the city of Sodom. God would have spared Sodom. Today, God preserves the whole world through His salt of the earth – you and me. God uses us as His preservative in order for Him to rescue lost souls from destruction by bringing them the saving gospel of Christ.

 

But the sinful and corrupt world will not love us for acting as salt in it. The sinful and corrupt world would rather prefer us to be like honey. This is the greatest temptation for Christians. As honey, we try to not offend unbelievers by trying to be a salt that doesn’t really bite into those who ignore or reject God. This is what Jesus was referring to when He said: “But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown down and trampled under people’s feet” (Matthew 5:13b).

 

Remember, Satan rules this fallen world that we live in. He is known by what he first said to our first parents: “Did God really say?” Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, each generation has faced that age-old question: “Did God really say?”

 

To the unbelieving world, they are not as aware of Satan’s deception as we are. Most think of Satan as a cartoon character with a pitchfork, or really as a figment of man’s imagination. And that is the way Satan prefers it to be. He isn’t all about wanting credit for his deceptions. He just wants us to go down with him. He never wanted to eternally suffer in hell by himself so he tries to take as many of us down with him.

 

Satan’s first deceit was questioning the truth of God. He has perfected this age-old trick. “Did God really say every Word He says in the Bible is true?” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) “Did God really say repent?” (Matthew 4:17) “Did God really say there are only two sexes: male and female?” (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6) “Did God really say living together before marriage is immoral?”(Genesis 2:24; 1 Corinthians 7:8-9; Hebrews 13:4) “Did God really say abortion is murder?” (Psalm 139; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) “Did God really say that adulterers and homosexuals will not inherit His kingdom?” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) “Why not just adapt to the culture?” “Isn’t God working through the culture to show what He approves of anyway?”

 

As the world has become less salty, we see the outcome. The world has become more and more rotten, since there are fewer preservatives. Life is no longer sacred. This past Tuesday in our neighboring state of Minnesota, elective abortion was legalized up until birth.[1] The Wisconsin governor hopes to do the same.

 

In years past, we heard it said, “Why do you care what goes on in the privacy of the bedroom?” to justify civil unions. So many Christians remained quiet. Suddenly, out of nowhere, it’s deemed medically necessary to mutilate children if they feel like they are of the opposite sex. 

From what was deemed private has come into the public sphere with drag shows at libraries and even during the halftime show at a recent Milwaukee Bucks game. The rotten world is actively grooming both children and adults.

 

Many wonder what happened? What happened to our culture? I have heard it said: “It didn’t used to be this way!” Maybe it’s because Christians by and large toned down our witness of Christ? Or we said things and did things that would make Christianity more palatable to the unbelieving world? Or are we attempting to serve Christ from our sofas, rather than engaging one another? In doing so, much of Christianity has lost its saltiness.

 

Within the recent past, so many Christians and their denominations have lost their saltiness as they have failed to live and practice what they professed. One thing to note: if the corrupt and sinful world approves and respects you as a Christian or as a church, are you really being “salt of the earth”? Now, that is a good question.

 

So, if we should yield completely to the temptation and try to be salt that has no bite to it, if we should pattern our lives after those of the world, we would cease to be members of His kingdom. Then we bring the Lord’s judgment upon ourselves: we are no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled upon.

 

During the earthly life of Jesus, impure salt would not be thrown into a field, since it would kill the vegetation. It was certainly not good enough to eat. Instead, impure salt would be thrown into the roads, since there it would do no harm, for nothing could grow there anyway.

 

As Christians, we preserve the world as a curb to immoral living. We live as “salt of the earth” as we preserve the earth from spoiling. But Jesus continues. He also says that we “are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). 

 

Again, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world,” and not, “You ought to be light of the world.” Due to sin, this whole earth is corrupt. To this corruption, God uses us as His salt. But this world is still living in deep darkness, deep ignorance, falseness, and spiritual blindness. To dispel this darkness, Jesus has placed His followers as the light of the world. 

 

But how are we “light”? Recall what Jesus calls Himself: “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12). So, when we follow Him, we walk in the Light, and only then. Apart from Jesus, we are not the light of the world. In other words, we have all our light from Him. Jesus is the sun (s-u-n), and we are the moons reflecting His light. Our Lord transmits this light to us and fills us with it through His Word and Sacrament.

 

In Christ, we are the light that shines in a dark world. Jesus adds: “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14b). What Jesus is saying is this: “The Christians in the world, will, by their very nature, bring the saving light God has given them to a world lying in otherwise hopeless night.”

 

Though the light shining from Christ’s church cannot and will not be hidden, we may be tempted to hide the light, just as we may be tempted to become tasteless salt – out of fear of those who shun and hate all light from above. To this, Jesus adds: “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house” (Matthew 5:15).

 

It makes no sense for a lamp to be placed under a basket, since the room is as dark as it was before. Instead, people put the lamp on a lampstand, so that light can shine out and illuminate the room for those using it.

 

So, a Christian who hides his light in this world is acting contrary to the character Jesus has given him. So, if we cease to bring the Light of Christ to others, we not only fail to carry out our function as the light, but we would also lose the light and plunge back into darkness.

 

Think of it this way: if you put a burning lamp under a bowl, eventually the burning lamp will use up all of its oxygen and go out.

 

Now, Jesus is not telling us to parade our piety. He is rather urging us to live our faith even in the presence of the ungodly. 

 

A couple weeks ago, a Philadelphia Fliers defenceman named Ivan Provorov was criticized and called “homophobic” and “transphobic” for refusing to wear a “Pride Night” hockey sweater during warmups. One sports commentator said of Provorov: “The theme is hockey is for everyone. … Stop offending people. This [sport] is supposed to be about inclusivity. What I heard him say was offensive. It didn’t make any sense.”[2]

 

So, what did this hockey player say? “I respect everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.” Then the media questioned him, “What’s your religion?” He said: “Russian Orthodox.”[3]

 

To this, that sports commentator concluded: “Nothing scares me more than any human being who says: ‘I am not doing this because of my religious beliefs.’ Don’t give me that! Don’t feed me the religious beliefs line. The [NHL] today needs to fine that organization a million dollars and reevaluate how they support gay rights, because that is insulting.” In other words, he’s saying: keep your Christian faith to yourself, keep it hidden.

 

Provorov could have given in and wore the hockey sweater, but he didn’t. He refused to relax his Christian faith. He may not have realized it, but he was salting the earth and being a light of the world. Even if the ungodly ridicule our godly ways, the time will come when they have to acknowledge our works to be good. St. Peter proclaims: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” – that is, the day God reveals Himself to them (1 Peter 2:12). You see, experiences with Christians may make unbelievers more likely to consider what Christians teach.

 

The question for all of us is this: Do people outside these church walls know that you are a Christian? Or do you just blend in with the world? It is not enough to say that you are a Christian. It’s not enough to only know God intellectually. We must also bear witness to the world that He is our Father and we are His children.

 

Now, in case you are wondering if your saltiness and your light isn’t where it should be, the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – has the antidote. This antidote is His Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament! This is why you are here in this place today! Through hearing His Word and receiving Christ’s Body and Blood, He strengthens our faith so that it is tasted and is seen!

 

Yes, we may still be hesitant in proclaiming the one true Christian faith. But all it takes is courage. If we do not publicly profess what we believe, to a certain point, we won’t believe it. Remember what Christ’s calls His disciples: blessed. And so, we are!  

 

Praise be to God that He is patient and does not quickly discard us when we fail. He leads us to repent, to renounce the ways of sin and darkness, to be forgiven for the sake of the cross, and to strive anew to follow Him and live a godly Christian life as the salt and light of the world. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. 

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/walz-to-sign-pro-act-tuesday-codifying-abortion-rights-in-state-law/?fbclid=IwAR083GCUsst7yYRPY0ia4-A7KXAyV-rboceWw2G3YRapscVE8Dd5xtLPJt4

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yGm_E9Nj2Y&t=205s

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nce9VTthdgE&t=34s