This is chapter 1 from my book, The Unreasonable Jesus, available online! In it, I go through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7) and ask how we can apply Jesus’ teaching to our everyday lives. I hope you find it beneficial!
Chapter 1
Salt and Light
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
The Roman Emperor Julian (332-363) was not a fan of Christianity.
He hoped instead to restore the glory of the ancient Roman religion, which worshipped a multitude of deities in the temples and shrines that filled the city.
But Julian saw a problem with convincing the multitude to turn its back on the recently authorized Christian faith: the power of love in practice.
Here’s how he said it: “[Christianity] has been specifically advanced through the loving service rendered to strangers…[The Christians] care not only for their own poor but for ours as well; while those who belong to us look in vain for the help that we should render them.” [1]
In other words, how could a pagan religion hope to gain followers when Christianity is setting itself apart as being far superior through its compassionate and generous actions?
Unfortunately, public perception of Christianity does not enjoy such a lofty reputation in our world today.
A couple years ago I was scuba diving in Bermuda. After being put in a group with other divers, the conversation turned toward the inevitable question, “What do you do for a living?” When I responded that I was a pastor and professor, the look of surprise, confusion and concern told me that there would be no follow up questions. Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience on an airplane or family reunion when the topic of faith came up.
In the book unChristian, David Kinnaman found that the majority of young Americans view Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical, overly political, anti-homosexual, out of touch, and insensitive.
Kinnaman sums up his finding with this statement: “We [Christians] have become famous for what we oppose rather than who we are for.”[2]
How did the Church go from being so generous and giving that no one could realistically expect to attract anyone to a different religion to the point where we’re the butt of jokes and openly derided for our often hypocritical, unloving stances? A reputation that has the power to shut down conversations on a scuba diving boat before they even get started?
I believe the reason for this change is that modern day Christians are perceived as spending more time criticizing the world rather than helping it.
It comes from an idea that Christians — at least Christians in America — have been asked to embrace: that we are at war. Not a shooting war, but rather a cold war against everyone else in America who’s not a Christian. Most churches wouldn’t say, “We are at war” in so many words, but consider whether some of the terms of engagement in this “culture war” have unintentionally worked their way into your faith:
• We should be cautious of being influenced by “outsiders” (that is, those who are not part of the Christian community) whenever possible. Especially sources of entertainment like Hollywood or Disney.
• We must publicly criticize (and perhaps protest or boycott) companies and celebrities when we don’t approve of their behaviors.
• We must fight in the areas of politics, media, education, and law to ensure that our moral code is enforced upon everyone. Dialogue is not a priority — winning is.
• We not only have the option of telling others how and why they are living contrary to biblical ideals but have an obligation to do so. Therefore it’s our duty to continually occupy the moral high ground (at least in our own eyes) and assert why our actions make us superior to outsiders who believe differently than us.
But compare these rules of engagement with the ministry of Jesus.
If Jesus showed up today, “Culture Warrior Christians” would almost certainly hate him. He’d spend his time with ex-cons and hookers and people in recovery and pretty much anybody who needed a message of hope rather than a message of condemnation.
And Jesus refused to let his message and ministry be defined by a political stance. It would have been easy and popular for him to denounce the occupying Roman government and army, yet he didn’t do this.
He commended the faith of a Roman Centurion. He told people to pay their taxes. When the people wanted to declare him king and go to battle for him, he simply walked away.
Jesus’ purpose was bigger than fighting culture — he was interested in redeeming it. That certainly seems like an unreasonable goal to many of his followers.
He was breathing life into what existed, not trying to kill it.
In our consumer-driven culture, if something is broken, we throw it away and get a new one.
But God is not a consumer. He is the creator.
Many of us have heard John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It’s important that we remember and embrace the first part of that verse. The entire reason God came to earth in the person of Jesus was for love.
God lovingly created this world and has never stopped loving it — along with the people on it. The book of Genesis tells us that after God finished the act of creation, he looked at the world and saw that it was very good.[3]
When something’s broken, God looks for an opportunity to make it good as new. He’s done it in our relationship with him through the sacrifice of Jesus. He’s given us his Holy Spirit to heal all the broken, hurting, corrupt areas of our lives. And, he’s promised to do it for the rest of the world. In the book of Revelation, God promises to make all things new again.[4]
In the meantime, it is not our job to defeat the people and ideas around us, but rather to influence them toward the creator, and to point toward this renewed future.
Just as salt enhances the flavor of food, our job as Christ followers is to bring out some of the original flavor of this world: where death and decay were never supposed to have any impact.[5]
Just as a light shining from a cabin calls to a person lost and wandering in the wilderness, our purpose is to draw people toward a place of peace and contentment through our engagement with this world.
Culture warriors believe our light is like a lighthouse, designed to warn of danger and destruction. Yet Jesus doesn’t use that image. He describes a light that attracts those who need a place of sanctuary.
Practically speaking, how can we live up to this expectation, this unreasonable request Jesus makes of us?
• Do good deeds
If you want to help point any particular person (or group of people) toward a relationship with Jesus, I’d encourage you to find ways to serve them.
Lighting the way to Jesus requires that you have influence with people. That only comes in the context of a relationship. And building a relationship starts when you show people that you value them. That may involve providing for a physical need or it can be as easy as just starting a conversation.
I was once out for a run in my local park when I saw a pavilion with a banner hung across the front which announced that the people meeting there were part of a local “Pagan Society”.
I stopped running, walked over, and told them I noticed their banner and asked them about their group — who they were and what they were all about. Nobody wanted to talk to me. I’m assuming most of the spur-of-the-moment interaction the pagan society receives is not positive. Eventually, I was pointed to the leader of the society. I sat down and had a conversation that started with me asking about their beliefs and then listening to what the leader had to say.
When she asked me what I believed, I was happy to share.
She had told me they worship nature. I told her that I also loved nature and, that as a follower of Jesus, I believed nature was a gift to humanity from a God who loves us.
When I walked away from that brief encounter, the people in that group — all of whom had been listening in — knew that a Christian had just been respectful and friendly to their leader. My interaction was an opportunity to build a bridge instead of a wall.
If you aren’t part of a local church which provides opportunities to launch relationships and do good deeds in your community, l suggest that you look into the Salvation Army or another organization which allows you to genuinely care for people through action.
• Let them shine
Once you’re doing good deeds, feel free to share what you’re doing on social media or other outlets — and also the reason for it. But be careful: keep in mind the purpose for serving others is to direct praise to God, not yourself. That can make selfies of you swinging a hammer or dropping off groceries tricky.
Remaining humble in the midst of putting others first is hard, so if sharing about it on social media takes you to a place where you have a hard time doing it for the right reasons, share it selectively. Or you can always keep it off social media altogether.
My point: according to Jesus, good deeds are to shine like a city on a hill, not a spotlight on ourselves.
I recently found myself in an unexpected job transition. When I shared about this sudden development on Facebook, numerous friends sent me messages of support and encouragement.
One of the most meaningful messages I received was from a co-worker in my days as a corporate employee, prior to moving into full time ministry.
His messages explained to me that he was an atheist, something I was unaware of because we didn’t have much opportunity to talk at our shared former company. He said he liked my posts — while not subscribing to the theology in them — and that he admired people of faith.
I was so grateful to receive this message. Our good deeds and life of faith can be inviting (like a campfire in the woods) or uninviting (Iike a flashlight in the eyes.) Here was somebody telling me that I had lit a welcoming path toward Jesus, which is exactly what I’m always hoping to do.
• Contribute to culture, don’t just criticize it
If you think a piece of art, or a charity, or a politician is pointing away from God’s kingdom, then create something which points toward it.
Anyone can criticize another person. If you want to make a difference in my life, show me something better.
Jesus didn’t spend most of his time directly attacking the unhealthy religious and political views of his day. He spent his time pointing towards something better.
Mother Teresa didn’t spend her time fomenting religious change against the caste system in Calcutta. She offered care to people who were literally dying in the streets.
Culture and society are necessary for humanity. We can’t simply eliminate culture by censoring existing music, television, film, painting, sculpture, government, education, or other expressions of culture and society. Nor can we seek to replace what exists with sub-par examples which just happen to be Christian. We must offer artistically compelling alternatives with the redemptive value we believe is so crucial.
I honestly believe that every single follower of Jesus should be an artist. Writing, pottery, playing an instrument, photography, dancing, theater, poetry, storytelling, whatever. Why? Because we are made in the image of a creative God. And the arts are how we can share our story in a way that our culture is willing to listen to.
God presents himself to us as a creator in the very first pages of the First Testament. God is artistically generous with our world — think beautiful sunsets or majestic mountains. He tells his story through creative means and, as his children, we’re invited to follow this example.
When I realized Jesus was calling me to contribute rather than just critique, I reached out to other people in my church community who engage in the art of writing. We meet regularly to encourage and challenge each other, so that what we create will contribute beauty to our world.
You may be a woodworker, knitter, storyteller, baker, or maker of internet cat memes. Whatever your skill, gift or passion there is not only room, but a need for you to utilize it. And why not engage others in your community or neighborhood while you’re at it?
We are in this world and not of it.[6] Let’s contribute good things to this world, contributions which point to God’s ultimate plan for this world.
[1] Stephen Neill, A History of Christian Missions 1964
[2]Unchristian p. 26
[3] Genesis 1:31
[4] Revelation 21:5
[5] Romans 8:21
[6] Taken from John 17:15-16 Often this verse is summarized as “in this world BUT not of it.” I believe the word AND is a better representation of the text, which doesn’t actually include either word.