5th Sunday after Epiphany
Isaiah 58:1-12; Psalm 112:1-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Matthew 5:13-20
Jesus’ discipleship-defining discourse in Matthew continues this Sunday from where it left us last week. There, the final beatitude (Matthew 5:11-12) declares:
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – NRSV.
It is important to note that the disciples are addressed in the second person plural. This is repeated in verse 13, “you are the salt of the earth,” and verse 14, “you are the light of the world.” The implications are two-fold. First, the call to be salt and light does not end with the individual, but it extends to the community of disciples. Second, the same group that Jesus names blessed for being reviled, persecuted, and slandered are the ones who are deemed salt of the earth and light to the world. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Torah’s teaching and the prophets’ proclamation. In that case, the communal reaction of the disciples to what he teaches next – from chapters 5 to 7 – will reveal their purpose – or the lack thereof – in God’s salvation history. Will they lose their saltiness and hide their light?
If they do, as their ancestors did, then Isaiah makes explicit what is needed to get out of the path that leads to gloom and death: lose the bonds of injustice, share the bread with the hungry, welcome the homeless poor to one’s house, give up finger pointing and the speaking of evil, and satisfy the needs of the afflicted (Isaiah 58: 6 -10).
The author of psalm 112 seems to agree. The song declares that the upright will be blessed (verse 2). The light shines on them as they are gracious, merciful, and generous (verses 4-5), giving freely to the needy (verse 9).
Bridging Faith 