Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

February 4, 2023

Scripture Reading:

Matthew 5:13-20
‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Salt literally saved people from disease by preserving food. We are cautioned today about eating too much salt, but we must have some salt to live. Being the salt of the earth in service to Christ, in essence, means providing life-giving faith, hope, and love to others to sustain their very lives.

The hard part about letting one’s light shine is not getting in the way of one’s own light. If we get full of ourselves and think we are better than others, we reduce the worth of any illumination we may cast. That was part of the problem with some of the scribes and Pharisees.  That said, we are called to be models of Christ’s love in the world today.

Prayer: Lord, enrich us with both salt and light in the exact amount needed to share your love with others. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.