February 6, 2011 – 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 58:6-10 1 Cor 2:1-5 Mt 5:13-16

So many times we sing songs in church with lines like, “We are the light of the world,” or “Let your light shine.” It’s a symbol that is easily understood and one that beckons us to live our Christian faith in such a way that others are able to recognize God’s work in us. Jesus uses the symbol of light, and so does the reading from Isaiah today.

Isaiah spells the meaning of light clearly for us. Our light shines when we are breaking bonds of injustice, releasing people from their burdens, and freeing others from oppression. When our light shines, Isaiah says then the hungry are fed, the homeless given shelter and the naked are clothed. When we act in these ways it becomes obvious that God is at work among us and Isaiah promises that God answers our prayers when we are light in the world.

These are themes that we are familiar with. What we may not know so much about is the symbol of salt that Jesus uses in today’s gospel reading. There he says, “You are salt for the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but it is thrown out and trampled underfoot.” As modern Christians, we are more familiar with dietary restrictions on salt than its usefulness. To understand Jesus’ use of salt we need to understand how salt was used in his day. Salt was used to give taste to foods, much like we use it today. Salt was also used as a preservative when refrigerators and freezers didn’t exist. Beyond its use in food, salt was also used to seal loyalty and friendships; and salt was used to seal a bargain because it is immutable. Therefore, salt was also associated with permanence and longevity.

When Jesus tells us that we are salt for the earth, he is telling us that our faithfulness and our witness to him are meant to be a permanent, unmitigated sign to the entire world like the unchangeable nature of salt. That is a tall order! I suspect that each of us experience our lives as less than faithfully Christian.

Consider Jesus’ teaching that we are to live lives of nonviolent love and simplicity for the sake of God’s kingdom. How often do we allow ourselves violence – violence in language or in policies at our work places or our government, even violence at home? How often do we give into the marketing slogans that tell us that we need more things in order to be happy? How consistent is our reverence for the Earth and our stewardship of its resources? Each time we surrender to the temptations to live less than gospel-valued lives, then our “salt” is less salty, our witness to Jesus, less than total. Our human weakness leads us to much more variable witness than the unchanging saltiness of salt. Yet Jesus wants us to give clear and unwavering witness to him and his gospel.

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel reading that if salt becomes unsalted, then it is worth nothing and will be thrown out to be trampled on. What a terrible warning! In nature, it is nearly impossible for salt to lose its saltiness; but in human nature, our fidelity is often less absolute. Jesus challenges us today to become as unalterable as nature’s salt. The entire planet depends on us to be who Jesus called us to be, his true disciples. Yet, we can grow tired of the constant commitment to simplicity of life or sustainable living. So, Jesus calls us – beckons us – toward greater and greater fidelity to him and our witness to gospel values.

We are to be salt, the sign of God’s faithful and permanent presence among us. We are to be salt, those who preserve the message of Jesus by becoming living examples of the gospel. We are to be salt, those who maintain the covenant between God and our planet by being true to the Jesus. May our lives give constant flavor and persistent zest to all who look for the meaning of Christian love in the world and for the Earth!