A City on a Hill 

June 2, 2024

It seems strange, but Jesus never referred to his followers as Christians. That name came later, from people who didn’t like Jesus’ followers. They insulted them, calling them, “little Christs”.  Today, we pretty much go by Christian. We’ve settled for Christian. It sounds good. But the thing is, you can define a Christian in almost any way you want, because it’s not defined in the Scriptures. It’s only found three times, in Acts and 1 Peter. Jesus didn’t call his followers Christian; he gave them a picture or metaphor of who they were. They took what Jesus said so seriously, that today in the city of Rome you see crosses EVERYWHERE. On the top of just about every building you find crosses. You may think, well the Pope lives there, maybe they have to do that. 

But if you go back to 64 AD, 30 years after Jesus, there was a fire in Rome, Nero needs a scapegoat, so he blames the fire on the Christians. He rounds them up, kills them, throws them to the beasts, and crucifies them. Christians in Rome back then could never imagine that crosses in honor of Jesus would be all over, or that a day would come when no one would worship Jupiter or Zeus. They couldn’t imagine Christian churches, let alone cathedrals built for worship. 

But 300 years later, there were crosses everywhere in Rome. It did not happen because the Jesus followers decided to be Christians. It happened because the followers of Jesus took seriously the picture or description he gave them. And over time they changed the world. 

So why would we settle for Christian, which we can’t even define? When Jesus gives us such clear instructions. In Matthew 5, a crowd has gathered, and his disciples are up front. Jesus begins the sermon on the mount. He says, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek and gentle for they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the peacemakers. (His listeners are probably thi nking that isn’t going to work!) Blessed are those who are persecuted for my sake.  

This sounds so different; the crowd is not sure what to think!  

So, then Jesus gives them something in practical terms. He says, “You are the salt of the earth.” Everybody knew what salt was, a substance you add to food to prevent decomposition. Without salt food rots. Without salt, food stinks. Back then they didn’t have refrigerators or chemicals with long names to make food shelf safe. Salt was a life saver! 

Jesus is telling his followers; you are the preservative of the entire earth. If you don’t preserve, the earth rots, culture stinks. If you don’t preserve, things go in a very negative direction. It was a time when might made right. The nation with the biggest army was right. The people with the longest swords won. There were few rights for women, children, and the disabled. Back then, compassion, mercy and generosity were not virtues. Much of what we assume is common human decency is not common, it was learned. Today we reflect a Jewish Christian ethic that goes deep into our culture. How Americans are today, is how we learned to be. Jesus taught compassion, mercy and generosity and he affected cultures everywhere. At that time, a person could own another person. We know something is wrong with that! Today we think generosity is good! Maybe we don’t always want to give. But at that time, they thought if you were generous and give, expecting nothing in return: that was a sign of weakness! Why do we say mercy is good, compassion is good? It’s from a belief in one God who loves all people. A belief that exploded through the teachings of Jesus. And the first century Christians grabbed on to that. 

Jesus tells his followers; you may not have much power or money. You may not have much standing, but you are the last stand. If you are not the salt of the earth, the earth rots. We benefit every day from our world view that men, women, and children have value. That they are made in the image of God, a God who loves everyone. Jesus says, by this one thing, people will know you are my followers. By how you love one another. By how you treat and care for one another.  

Jesus says, you are the light of the world. A city town placed on a hill cannot be hidden. It’s flat there, with no trees. Towns are built on a hill with white limestone, and you can see them for miles! A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Jesus says just as a city on a hill cannot be hidden, that’s what you are. You are like a strategically placed town. Now maybe you don’t feel like you’re in a position to be the light of the world. But Jesus says you are! 

If you have a light, you put it on a stand, so it gives light to the whole house. In the same way, let your light shine! So, people look at you, see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven. 

Jesus message to his followers was, I want you to live your life in such a way that people see your good deeds, and they don’t just go, “She’s so nice! Or He’s such a nice guy!” No, I want you to shine your light, so people look at you and go, Are you kidding, who’s that generous? Who’s that nice? What’s up with them? They can’t do enough for you! They helped me over and over again! 

Jesus says, I want your good deeds to be extraordinary! Make your light shine so bright that people give credit for your good deeds to your Father in heaven. Don’t settle for Christian. Jesus never called anybody a Christian. He said, you’re salt and light. 

And in the first century the Christians took this to heart. When pagan children were abandoned, the Christians took them and raised them as their own. When plagues broke out, everybody left town. But Christians stayed and took care of people they barely knew who were sick. And some lost their lives. They were salt and light.  

They lived in such a way that the society around them, pagan Roman Greek people took notice. Because of the powerful way they lived they made an impact. They were people who took seriously being salt and light.  

Jesus would say to us, don’t settle for anything less. Be salt, be light. Where people have given up hope and think nobody cares, you go there, show up, and be salt and light.  

Some of you are a Christian today because someone was salt and light to you, maybe your Sunday school teachers or friends. You feel like God placed them in your life. God brought them at just the right time. They were like a lamp placed on a stand.   

My brother Pat died a month ago. Two weeks ago my brother Ed and I were in Ohio, to move stuff out of his apartment. We lucked out, a lot of salt and light people helped us. There was Steve, a friend of Pat’s neighbor, who took many loads of stuff to a thrift store. There was my friend, Dorothy, who also took stuff to a thrift store and let me stay at her house when we got rid of the bed. There was another neighbor, Gloria, who went on a Facebook group in her town and found us someone who would come and take the lift church for free. My brother Ed, said, when people say, “Let me know if there’s any way I can help,” I say, “Here’s how you can help.” And they do! It’s great!” 

Ning Peel was one of those salt and light people who helped us. She told us her husband is in the military, and every time they move to a different place, their base is located in the bad part of town where there’s so much need. She started offering to take a truck and pick up your furniture and household items to give to people that need them. Ning showed up at Pat’s apartment with some teenagers, they took a bed, dresser and lamps. Ning asked about the microwave. I wanted to keep it another couple of days, but when Ning asks, you know the right thing is to give! They took cutlery, a toaster, and many other things. They were a big help to us, and to the family they were going to bring the items to. 

Besides picking up furniture and household items for people, Ning also has pizza and games for these families once a month in the gym at her church. The parents she helps now even get their kids to behave by saying, “I will call Miss Ning if you don’t do your homework!” Then the kids do their homework! 

All these people helped us! They were salt and light. I felt like God put them there to help us. Like they were light on a lampstand that gave light to the whole house.  

Some of you parents are so grateful for people who influenced your children in a positive way. Doesn’t it seem like God put them in your life at the right time? But those salt and light people, they don’t think they are anything special! 

My challenge for you this week is to ask, who is a person for whom you can be salt and light? 

You have no idea who is looking for hope, who might come to trust God, because you are being salt and light! Let’s not settle for Christian, let’s live out what Jesus called us to, to be salt and light. Let’s point the way forward with our “oh my goodness I can’t believe it” good deeds. When you’re salt and light, it has the potential to change everything: our families, our communities, our country and the whole world! Amen.