The Lord’s Message:  Putting Faith into Action

The Lord’s Message:  Putting Faith into Action

Date:  February 5, 2023
Where:  Tilghman UMC
Scripture Reference:  Matthew 5:13-20

            Last Sunday, we began a three-part sermon series, looking at the Sermon on the Mount.  Last Sunday we started with The Beatitudes.  The Beatitudes are eight statements that Jesus made for people to be blessed by God in His Kingdom for remaining faithful despite the circumstances.   Today, we need to be able to answer two questions:  Who are we and what are we called to do?

            Let us pray.

            We begin this passage of scripture with Jesus giving us two striking examples; salt and light.  Jesus often used examples of everyday activities, objects and people to teach about the kingdom of God.  Jesus used a farmer sowing seeds to teach about how God’s love and grace is received.  Jesus used a widow putting all she had, two small coins, in the temple treasury to teach about how God’s evaluation is different than humans.  Jesus used the example of the talents being given to three individuals and what they did with the talents to teach us about stewardship.  Here, Jesus used salt and light to teach how we should be His disciples. 

            Jesus said in Matthew 5:13.  Salt is used make food taste better, as a preservative, and also in Jesus’ day as a symbol of covenant.  If you watch a few cooking shows, you will see the cooks sprinkling on some salt to enhance the favor of foods.  The salt acts by decreasing the bitterness and in turn increasing the sweetness and bringing out other favors in food.  It causes our mouths to water. 

            Before there was refrigeration, salt was used to preserved food.  The salt reduces the water activity of foods.  The excess water is the perfect environment for microbes to grow in. With the salt drying up the water mold and other microbes are stopped from growing, thus preserving the food from spoilage.