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Thus it is when Jesus tells his followers how they are related
to the social world around them. To understand him we must
pull together parts of two chapters in the Sermon on the Mount.
because each side at the paradox helps explain the other.
Christians are to let their light shine before men. Yet they are to do
their good works in secret. If we take to heart either of these
directions without the other, we can destroy the message of
Jesus. How do the two faces of the coin go together?
We will not understand Jesus if we approach him as a law-
maker, prescribing rules for every situation in life. Rather, he
uses specic situations to convey to us the spirit of the kingdom
of God, a spirit that enters into everything we do. So let us look
at each side of this paradox of Jesus in order to discover what
it has to say about our inner attitudes and motives.
Salt and Light
: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
metaphor has purpose. A pinch of_s_al_t can at/or a whole
w.
meal. Saltoismeservative, often used in past times to save food
from dfcay. So a few faithful disciples can aflect societygiving
zest to and saving from corruptiOn a much larger group. But
what about salt that is not salty? (Of course. there is no such
thing; Jesus is simply continuing his gure of speech. which is
cant to be bizarre enough to shake us out of our nits.) It is
useless. So 15 a (ltSCtplC who has lost his enthusiasm and loyalty.
"You are the li ht of the world." Here is a more familiar gure
of smm
servant to c a l l 0 re na lOllS sa. 4:: e ra bis
Wight of the world. To this
av cant es are t i on e atars o manv a c ure unng
worshi hours. K later New Ilestirnent Boot describes. Christ
3
C
world llolin 14.5}.
let it must have sounded fantastic to suggest that this tiny
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ucnmw:.
:thkewumthatweomdmoogaoeptmnhthDo
maq>akweofmbeonsevemsott?
'IheueispamtimbAmicaJnthengosdthuuud
chmdxmen, bdievingthatCod'3bveindudespetmotan
mhnebeenbnttemdaodiadhluhavemdmedbittet
pohlicddiculebeumetheybelievedindvhbematmothen.
Thaeueothertonmotpenecutim,too.hmanlmeupto-
am lnthLmbndnamndetyathxgewmeooeum
scombecamehetetusestonketheeasymy.
If these things happen to us, not because of stubbom egoism
or a self-righteous compiex, but because of on: love of God,
Jesus tells us to teioice. For then we are blessed of God.
5 : LIGHT AND SECRECY
6 Im the Sermon on the Mount rad Matthew 5:13-16;
:1-18. -
Po: the parallel passage: see Luke 14:34.35; 11:33-36; Ila-b
To follow up the theme look at Matthew 23:14:; Luke x
9'14-
, HEADSANDTAIISonadhmlookdiamentboth
arepurtofthenmecohu.$ometimesthetmth,hhethecoin.
than two different bees. erqoently that is trneof lems' ny-
inp.'nthmght3mwithavigoundpenetntion tintstnin
tbelimitsoflangmgebvoabuhtyhvmmdmbmnt.
fullofilmgimtiveappah.0ftmhemeetsasinntioowitha
MinstadOCmexphmtioo.Oftauhntadohnmplem
menthegivelmapaudox.
0
hand of weal: drscx lcs m an obscure land could be the 1: hr of
. es mere not even knonn m Rome. t re 10 qua:
ters of the wand. Xesertheless. Iesus sand that us I) rowers. not
the Gan were evmr m.mruno ence.
we nowu l nan he 1 mng
passer at that lxttle grmg m; followed Icsus. But to them these
wor s o is must have seemed rm s: ' s: as
much ol the rest 0? the n on the \ t.
Iesus me these men-as he buds mto let tth l ht shme.
Dru 4 5A 0Mka J
us-ch '
Ink. But that 13 not what |csus sass. e te s us to ear men's ;
3
a
UCI" AND SELTICT . 21)
lory, not to seek it. (Remember chapter 4.) But ye may hgge
that our Ii ht will lead men to Ion not us, but C
o tt r: so: t at tn t e teart of Mrica a man relieved of in
b the surreal slit" of a lorcrgncr looEell up to ask, "But wh
rave on com n u- a 0 re snmeanswcr
mm m e we: zer e H esus sent me."
rus esus words come true. But too se om. Wh is there -
s ntt e saer l t In MEI-.0. world? \Vhen a few dns- L
cities have sgread such magnicent illumination. w X o rml- .
.
Irons Ewe so little lght.
em 1940 and logo for the rst time m history church (-
embers came to be a majority of the populatron. In the eeu.
tur) 1850:950. memhershrp moved from a rather small mmor
tty to a substantral maionts'. But what dierence has it made?
'e can hardly claim any startlmg change m our Society. Has
the salt lost Its savor? Is It t only to be "thrown out"? .
'hen the French Commumsts once wanted to strengthen l,
the party, xnstad ot campargmng for more members they pared ,
damn the rolls. The knew that a few zealously loyal people, LT
workmg out from therr httle cells. could shake a natm. Maybe
they had learned that from Chmtians. who once understood
It well but now usualh forget tt.
\
ab,
sona itv. We enjoy getting credit for doing good. But then
WMtly.
both for doin '
can be triplv proud. W'e have done the good,
*oet" 6)
30 : 1m: SERMON ON THE 310V
Serving in Secrecy
Now we turn the coin over and nd jesus telling us, not to let
our good works be seen, but to do good in secret. The contradic-
tion seems grmt; but it is resolved when we get at the basic con-
cern of jesusour motives.
For, says Jesus, the purpose of our good works is to glorify
God, to serve him, to express our love for God and our fellow-
men. ' ut
Look at an example from a growing congregation which
needed a new building. (The same thing may have happened
often, but the recorded facts come from a single Specic case.)
The pastor and ofcers of the church, in planning the nancial
campaign, decided that contributions would be kept secret. The
purpose was to make giving a genuine act of Christian devotion.
As the campaign got under way, returns were disappointing.
Some families were clearly doing their share; others, sometimes
the wealthiest, were dragging their feet. So the ofcers reconsid.
ered and decided to publicize contributions. Many contributors
revised their pledges and the campaign succeeded. Some of the
church members, who understood the Sermon on the Mount,
were grateful for the new building, but disturbed by what they
had learned about the
The same srcholo works in still subtle atlas
Lamb wrote: ure 1 know is to do a good
ction y stealth and have it found out 2 accr en .
at statement 11 ome of the devious traits of per-
I
it secre .
' covers our
CD WC
we have done it
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Si
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I
5:
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< (0 LIGHT AND SECRECY : 31
secretly, and we received the ublic credit! Sometimes we even
rHenEl to E disa inted that the discove has Been made,
when inwardly we are greatly pleased that our are
known. r oesn 15 rear enFeven while we do the
00d 3e secretl' we 0 e wr ou uite admittin it to our-
se ves at someone will discover it. May
a y mve a c ue.
A propriately enou h, the Scri tures use the u l word 11 -
crite ere. is re wor originally meant, in a uite ess
sense, an actor on t e stage. e ew estament ada ted the
war to refer to t e ind o actin o in dail hie retend-
m
nition, or retending to be humble when rm we are vain.
Jesus mentions three areas of action where we need to avoid
this playvacting: good deeds, prayer, and tasting. In the case
of good deeds, Jesus uses his typically vivid, exuberant language.
The humorous words convey a serious meaning. Literally, we
cannot prevent the left hand from knowing what the right hand
does. Literally, the Palestinians did not blow trumpets to C2
attention to their almsgiving. But we easily get the meaning.
(We still say, If you don't blow your own trumpet, no one will
blow it for you.)
Prayer is an especially signicant problem. Here, of all places,
' cerity should be complete. But many prayers are simply
pty phrases." (The Lord's Prayer, which Jesus gives at this
point, will be the subject of chapter 8.)
Fasting represents the sacrices we make because of our faith.
We love to let others know that we are making a sacricethat
we are giving up something to do a job for the church. But
Jesus says: No. Make your sacrice joyfully and unobtnisively.
God will reward you." Q)
Summing It Up
Our everyday language rec0gnizes at least in part what Jesus
is getting at. Dont be afraid to take a stand. Dont blow
a
8
8
a
32 I THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
your own horn." Here are two sayings that point in different
directions. One suggests bold, public activity; the other suggests
quiet modesty. .
Yet we see immediately that the two do not necessarily dis-
agree. Each has its place. The same person might consistently
use both sayings. For both are getting at the motives that prompt
our acts. When fear of pOpular disapproval or lethargy leads us
to drift with the crowd, we need to think of the rst. When
pride tempts us to make some display, we need the second.
In a more profound way Jesus is telling us to live our lives
before God. Sometimes this will mean that we let our light
shine before mendoing good, confessing our faitheven
though men may seek to embarrass us with their sneers. Some-
times it will mean that we serve God in secret, even though pub-
licity might please us. Always it will mean the kind of sincerity
that removes self-consciousness from our religious acts.
Of course, this is the most difcult of all tests because it con-
cerns inmost motivations. Effort and will power can accomplish
a lot, but they cannot in themselves change our motivm or bring
us to be less concerned with ourselves. Self-consciousness is a
mountain that no quantity of detemiination can move. But it
is one of those mountains which faith, and faith alone, can cast
into the sea.
6 : THE OLD AND THE NEW
From the Sermon on the Mount read Matthew 5:17-37.
For the parallel passage see Luke 16.1648.
To follow up the theme look at Icremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel
36:22-36.
W- NOTHING SEEMS MUCH OLDER than the pancakes
that were fresh yesterday. The new dress or hat, the new car,
PAGE 1
1h.s t i ,iwhe 'iss tI his fnlisss w y I dt r listed ot;et pil i tw teisn ini thent' ithe Munt, 2e"m t iii e tithe parstdox tels extin th therer Chonit a arets t it "i' I bteft nm ). c t they s e th d. th r ;,,A wk-, m, -t. ;flwe ke v, ,,.,t fins oat thsd d ti ios hl t h thi i liter, tsecns dstoy the mssgo of Jesus. f dl ih Ito f ftils of thi g.nitgt tlgsihot? Wewitl ot itmfdrt-nd Jss if wa.ipish Iitn is Imaker, fittstuingi ils fits eteri sit! nto ticf litliot is uses.ni~iift specti's'ionstiiioioeyti thus hpi i ts fgoml if Gd Ithot nte ssfje sthain wds t t i-s At eah d, o til l-rdo if j-ss t rde tik I c e wht Sah atnd Ltght "Y ~o L t / is ts totif t' 'ese ttiioi'ipn f'issse of spasch nit n tii4, iig ts it muc sssi I i t filt t ssriking motiph lrt hs~~ it. ips' A pitlt of it to ltor a whose ntea. Sft iisjssrestpiis .oftisoufit ptt tttiistitstvn ft'sd fist isay is is a uewt finifdisips sin iii st micts -iing zsntti ad iie trtm ni rrssi'sin :s mm, titgtn rop. Bst wh ....m i sn it tcmota n' s n'sufh th Js 'ii s c:ii in4 is h u ott sint wich is0 *t' it 5o be tnt su' ta 'hafisnnti'"iim ft t is IsiwS tapl nho sf 'fs to i tti i n d i l smity. of spnu Ih, coot inin tic fois tistdif"Cs'fiTTii llis surns it int b i faht t ii hei no s t tst. pn 'fi Tie rabis fieme hogt is Isrtni asiftf fih *f ifsh i woii.To hs wnitsun'm' A ltsniNeC'ftamiienti oo kis ftiss Y thsi h-__ftk owa ht gm tI -I
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a,-v lukewai thytrae ofteod no oe, e ept -r ford? Dr eren "speak rell oft. bcaue we are set There rI pmrecution en Amerca. In the iq6's rtcizns and charcmee, heierrig that G"d' fore to" ldes persons of all racer, hare be battered and failed. Men haie endured bitter pebhc nd;icle hcace 0he heed n cnvil lberrbes for otherThere are other forr of persecution, tie, A lses turi a pr morron hecaure ho refer to play the game in chap way. A po.itc L ser a. election rather tlat Ie to the vurer,. A pastor lores the call t.a aotisungshed church instead of boero a flattrer In school, m bessoi, in society at large eumrone erns scom because he refho to take the cary way. f trese thI, ig, happen to ., not becas nf stubbontego rrm or a self rghteous.... comp1cx, bt bfeusr of our toue of God, Jesus tells us to rejoice, For then we are blessed f God. 5 : LICHT AND SECRECY Fro "' fi Sermon er the Icoint read Ifattlew yr-16; 6i is For the parallel pasrages oe Loke 14 ;4f i:f 1 h 33 To follow up the theie look at Martlhewi aft1 i Luke 9-1. lHEADS AND TAIlS on a doe 1ook different. Iut both are prart if thre uamrr o ii. Seomotimer toh troth, he thre cii, nfr rice diherent lacrs irycerntfc that i true of Jernrsayrogs fir tfeugft Cree with a ignr and per trarri,. tat ntra tre ers oi 'atgmae. ffs roooholaer a gore i and exuberanc, fbol of iragintee appeolu Ofte he enetr a itao with a Ito, -otead of an epliianatn. Ofter nifrtud of a simpl rtatewear he gites a parad
PAGE 3
1 .-,.L_______T m r s ., Is ______ 1. 1 I In 1t f S i T c L i i t o o l u n n e 1 r 1 1 th t irhed il ls@nia 1.1,. i h fa i u ud ta n tlc hent f Mn u nb i b y i s m w il s t l taf o c n r Lu o al u t o .k I i l' n "N e % 0 n e Ls in o f e s E M
PAGE 4
3k0 -,-d If,,G 0N T ,F: m I, f-, Seryung ii SecrIcy dr gI hd w rt -sc tto .,o eccre. itAm thf J-p-ptmoiv GS -f" "I"v him, to ", thpr h-: th-,e o o ador el mhn -Ihh IN? domaiguaw diw tcc becif aa ,i-fe.-,, ICnk IiIC eiiimie fr 4'Crwn,,Fn>Iin iCh neeedU I Ce hiin 'C The samcithin ''yhe IappenieI ifien, Li e re mde1 fts i Cim frome S s ~ing tpcifC C. The isoir 1nd ,,,,r ilith chIrh,]CiIne]'eu igheCfinanCit cmpcign, dec iehacobt]iCilnl wCCId eCkepit eCr. The p]r7,,Cwisto maike iving a in e t t CrSh~eC tion. its'' T ~ ii i, AsCiith e lt mp in g e].en Cir w Iy lCrn w e dit.po ~g ]me f-l c wI' CeCryi g t ihC C -d-CeIe, the walthest ere daggig h i et iiic'he Sii]icrrefnsd-, eLed ICCd d e]Cc t I pub ICe cribiC s.M nycntiufi LC]v iced t feire ,I adei csmpiur tIC C' ed. Im of th I cchhC''S meers ithr,',etd Sth S mi] on ThetMceu, wcreC~i grtflfif thCne bii g bu] t Ccstirb byC~i whV 4hs soimtlp.iWc ienj C Igett c cat Io itft goCd. iu the knwig ew'e C~ig w 3ce u n d odscev
PAGE 5
I irrr AND -cECci: 31 rtyo d wie 1rei], the pibh cr-1it! Simetrime w esenI pretnd eipinted that the -,icovr Id, In Jire grAtly pkaed that our od deAs or kirwni Sir-diSri t this rrf happe?-evenr whir I, we dJ the g tlto l d Iiisery we pei -ith trr quit idmittirig it t5 .ir selvcsthseInIIre il discover it. laube wevr deIApprprirtely erorgh, tihe Scriptr use lire ugly word hyp1 erite here. Tis Greck wr riginaiy ment, tio is qtelhiilrss irs, torri she stage heeI lewTreisae -1 dPtd the isord to refer tri ig inAr of acting we do inii y lirfe-prctndIre sore eiesow whser reolir ease imertlv looking for rcongiioert preiedirg to be iumble ren renlly ire sril ,ess t,-t-ids treesre atirnrwherr or ierdrtoiirii this ia tsing: grii dee psrye, -od fisrtg. in thr ctre ni god deeds, Jisus rses sis yicrly ividi eubent l-d, gcage. The hirorli rordi coniey aSerius .ainirg. ite-lly, w. .-t prteit the Mt hnd f,,r. r oig whrt thright hand 6ier Literaly, the PNlestinirs did Ift blow tropeti to cff Atteitien to her alssgivirg. But or so-ily get the meaniig. (N% i"ll r y, "If yrurdfr'tblri yrurriri tfrpet, nor on wi blwIt fior yo." fIPry -is a especii ly ifiri psbrorl. HRe, of 1 player, ...r.itrsirflderriipct. Butmny rs re suPH Iraimply mpty pha. (T Hit Loidi Prayr., olic jrss ges at this piwiri. -11 e slibIij)ct of hopte 8 frrsnrereseitstihr ricilrt woe maikefbecorrseeofrrr fair. Wie let tlher kow that weri mking a srwicc-thot rweareirririg ip soetirigr oilo jrb fslr the hreh. But Jessi oy N MAke yer sacrifice Ioley arid uribtrusely God wl rewisd you, SIimiwg It Up ., errray lauiag ecrgwizs at meas ii parswhit Jesiui is getting it, "Don't be afirid te take a istrd." "lon't blow
PAGE 6
52 : tilE sERiONON Tlii MtOUNTi Yuon r1 1 Ilui ar two sings thut Ioit n different dirotio.u n tigc't bCled, pilt]' atity; ti r othcr saggests quiet mr.deity. Yct wr se, mmdi toly that Hie to do not necessarily dis gEC Ec iAs it. plaut The aiparto might in-itttly asebothaIntlgs. loriboth Areettingat theotvs thAprompt our ad,, W In fof pilaritoappoal lthargy tlds .s to tIft wli the triad no iced to think of the first. Win pido t=epts to make soi e dispel, we need th scocd. In a m .ndre pofoudwa Jcs, is tcling to Iv or lri before Go, Somitiitre is it mcan I at wo let or t it soie close mien-doig gd, cofing o faith-eei ttorti t in iay iCok to marra ith thiir iei. Sometiies iit illment that wIiervesl i icict, evcariough pub Icit t ight pleas cc. Alsit will sit h i re kind I siicriiy that resi dtlf osiro -ses tem i r i i gitiat. Of ioarse, tist ihe t difficult of all tts bhca it con .en itnost 010 ivtioos. E it .nd o I powerit o acimphsh a lot, lst thy uii in ttlh l og ottr notits o bring cs ii he lass cuoened w.. oirsee hal c.s...iosnes is a iosntini that no qiati a derotitsissonitsntis. tit it isee -t AtOs-e onta hih fitiid fa it aoe,iaiot ont. th, -ca 6 : THE OLP AND THE NE\ Frei the Senron b toitt reac tatthe 5 a .tFo the Ir-all passage s-c Lke 1 i,. Tn follnop tha theme look at Jioniah 0-v-,-, Ezrkial 36;6. XVl NOTtING SEEMS MUCH OLDER than the pancakes that wre frcish yesterdu The new dress or hat, the new oat,
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