Salt and Water
(Rutgers, February 7, 1999; 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A;
Sacrament of Baptism; Black History Month)
Isaiah 58:9b–11 (OT, p. 764); Matthew 5:13 (NT, p. 4)
Ummmm, salt! Americans have a love affair with it! And I love it, too!
In fact, if you were to regularly check the pantry in my home,
you'd easily be able to tell when I'm planning to go on a diet,
for it's then that I start replacing all the chock-full-of-salt
peanuts, popcorn, and potato chips on my shelves
with salt-free peanuts, popcorn, and potato chips—
and that's because when I eat salt-free food,
after eating just one, I want to stop!
Yep, it's precisely that good old salty taste that keeps
bringing me back for more and more and more peanuts and chips!
And I bet that's the way it is for many of you, too.
Good old salt! There's nothing like it.
And, by the way, have you ever tried sprinkling a little salt
on your breakfast grapefruit?
Ummmmm! Grapefruit has never tasted so delicious!
Anyway, I've no trouble believing it when I'm told
that there are few medical regimens harder to follow
than a salt-free diet.
So it is, my fellow Christians, that in this morning's Second Lesson,
Jesus promises the world
that it will never have to follow a salt-free diet
because God will continue to salt the earth—
like grapefruit, or peanuts, or popcorn, or potato chips—
God will continue to salt the earth
with followers of Jesus.
Yes God will continue to make the likes of us,
says Jesus, "the salt of the earth."
Now, in everyday English, this phrase—"the salt of the
earth"—
has come to mean—say our dictionaries—
"the most admirable element of humankind,"
"exemplary people," "the finest and noblest"—
"the salt of the earth."
But what this phrase has come to mean in popular speech
is completely misleading to us when we're seeking to understand
what Jesus himself meant when he coined the expression;
for when Jesus calls us "the salt of the earth"
he's not introducing us to the rest of the world
as the earth's ethical elite!
No, he doesn't call us "salt of the earth"
in order to attribute to us an exalted status.
Rather, he calls us "salt of the earth" in order to symbolize for us
those roles that we, as Jesus's followers, are called to fulfill.
So, to help get us away from any possible misunderstanding,
I think it best from hereon out for me to speak of us
not as "salt of the earth" but as "salt for the earth."
This morning, I want to build on some of the many usages of salt
in the biblical world.
One could preach ten sermons on this text,
exploring the various symbolisms of salt.
But this morning I want to focus on just two symbolisms,
on just two of our God-given roles as followers of Jesus,
as "salt for the earth":
first, our salt-like role of adding
the zest of Christian joy to the world; and
second, our salt-like role of helping to ignite the flame of Christian love around us!
First, we're salt whose God-given role
is to add the zest of Christian joy to the world!
The Bible knows that what it often takes
to turn a bland bowl of stew into a peppy, tasty dish
is just a simple pinch of salt. (cf. Job 6:6)
And Jesus says that it is the God-given role of his followers
to add that kind of zest, the zest of Christian joy,
to the stew of life in the world around us.
So how can we cultivate that joy and share it with others?
There was a song I learned in Sunday School a long, long time ago.
It had about 10 verses, but one of them went like this:
"I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart to stay!"
Did any of you ever sing that one? Good! So let's all try to sing it!
"I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart to stay!"
Good! That'll get the joy juices flowing!
Now, here's the point:
If we truly have the joy of Jesus down in our hearts,
then that joy just can't help but bubble up out of our hearts
and into the stew of the world, of which we're a part.
That joy just can't help but become the pinch of salt
that adds zest to the lives of those around us, so that
we are indeed fulfilling the role of "salt for the
earth," bringing joy and zest to the world.
So I want you to try out two things bright + early tomorrow morning:
first, when you're eating your grapefruit,
put a little salt on it so that you'll get an extra shot of zest;
and second, when you're riding down in your elevator
or walking down the steps from your apartment,
I want you to get the joy juices going. I want you
to prepare to bring the salt of Christian joy
into the stew of the rest of your day
by singing out loud, or, if you're not alone,
by at least singing silently within yourself:
"I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus …"
Come on, join me!
"I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart to stay!"
Well, sing that every morning, and I think you'll find yourself
filling with joy and becoming salt of Christian joy
for the stew of daily life around you!
And now a second role God has given us as followers of Jesus,
as "salt for the earth": we're salt whose role is
to help ignite the flame of Christian love around us.
In ancient Israel—as still today among some Palestinians—
the fuel used for heating their outdoor earthen ovens was
dried patties of dung into which salt had been mixed.
And those dried patties were then placed on top of a
solid slab of rock salt set into the base of the oven.
Both the salt mixed into the patties + the salt slab placed under them
acted as catalysts that helped to ignite the fire and keep it burning.
So one of the many layers of meaning to Jesus's words,
"You are the salt of the earth," or, "You are salt for the
earth"—
one of the many layers of meaning is "You are a catalyst
that is helping to ignite the flame of my love in the world."
Another one of the verses for that old Sunday School song is this:
"I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart!"
Come on, join me:
"I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart to stay!"
Good! That'll kindle the fires of love.
Now, here's the point:
If we truly have the love of Jesus down in our hearts,
then that love just can't help but serve as the solid rock salt
that helps to ignite the flame of Christian love around us,
so that we are indeed fulfilling the role of "salt for the earth."
So I want you to try out two things bright + early Tuesday morning
(remember, I already gave you something to do tomorrow morning):
first, when you're eating your breakfast grapefruit,
once again put a little salt on it to get that extra shot of zest;
and then, second, when you're riding down in your elevator
or walking down the steps from your apartment,
I want you to prepare to help ignite Christian love
around you,
by getting your own flame of love kindled,
by singing out loud, or, if you're not alone,
by at least singing silently within yourself:
"I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus
down in my heart!"
Sing that every morning,
and I think you'll soon find yourself glowing with love
and being the salt that helps to ignite the flame
of Christian love around you!
Now, in just a few minutes,
we will be using water to baptize Warwick Busfield
into his salt-like roles as a follower of Jesus,
his roles of adding the zest of Christian joy to the world and
of helping to ignite the flame of Christian love around him!
And as we baptize Warwick, may the rest of us remember
that we, too, are a people of salt and water,
a people baptized into being salt for the earth,
into being the salt of Christian joy and love in the world.
So to get those joy juices going
and to kindle the fire of love within ourselves,
let's sing both verses of that good old Sunday School song:
"I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
I've got the joy of Jesus, joy of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart to stay!"
"I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart!
I've got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus, down in my heart!
(Where?) Down in my heart to stay!"
Let us pray:
O God, we pray that we may indeed have the joy
and the love of Jesus down in our hearts so that we may be
the salt of Christian joy and love for the earth. Amen.
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