A Happy Life Even if You Walk a Narrow Path
Bible passage: Matthew 5:13-16
“13. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. ”
Christianity is said to be a religion of paradox.
The meaning of paradox is that although something appears contradictory and absurd on the surface, it contains deep truth. In this respect, the Bible is also a book of paradoxes. Many paradoxes are expressed in the Bible. For example, Matthew 7:13-14 can also be considered a paradox. It says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” In the world, a narrow path is dangerous and can result in loss of life, but spiritually, if you follow a narrow path, you can gain life.
Therefore, unlike the people of the world, we can become believers who live a happy life while following a narrow path. A paradox is also expressed in today’s scripture. For salt to taste salty, it must melt away, and for a lamp to shine, it must burn its own wick. However, paradoxically, when we melt away and burn our own bodies, we can prevent the corruption of the world, brighten the world, and bring glory to God. A true religious life is to let go of the values accepted in the world and instead live armed with the new values presented by God. True prayer is not constantly pestering God for blessings, but rather praying, “God, I want to live with new values.
Please help me live the new way of life that God wants.” This is how you ought to ask for it. Today's scripture says that even though the world is rotting with sin and becoming increasingly dark, you are the salt of the world and the light of the world, so you must live joyfully and happily while walking the narrow path. Let me tell you a few things you need, to realize this kind of life.
1. Jesus tells us what our essence is. In verses 13-14, Jesus said, ‘You are the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world.’ What you need to notice here is that He did not say, ‘Be the salt of the world,’ or ‘Be the light of the world,’ but rather, He said, ‘You are the salt and light of the world.’ He clearly told us what our essence is.
The secret to being happy as a Christian even if you walk a narrow path is to live a life of light and salt. Who am I? Who are we? It is very difficult to answer in one word. Schopenhauer, known as a pessimistic philosopher, preached that in order to find true happiness in life, one must first discover oneself through inner will. One day, Schopenhauer sat on a chair in a park and was deep in thought, thinking, ‘Who am I?’ As time passed and it was time to close the park after darkness came in, the park manager approached Schopenhauer, who was sitting alone late at night. And he asked, “Who on earth are you to sit here so late?” Schopenhauer answered this as follows: “Well, I’m sitting here like this because I want to know who I am.”
Although it is a philosopher-like answer, it is also a bitter answer at heart. While delivering the Sermon on the Mountain to the disciples who flocked to the mountain to hear His words, Jesus clearly stated the essence of Christian identity, or existence, by saying, “You are the salt and the light.” Whenever you find your way with a map, what do you look for first? The first thing you should pay attention to is the current location where it says ‘You are here’ . No matter how elaborately the location of each building is marked, the map is of no use if it does not provide the coordinates of the current position. The same goes for life.
If I cannot find where I exist, what kind of being I am, and ‘I am here,’ my future goals and life plans are meaningless. Jesus is saying something much more essential and important than saying, “Do this or that.” He does not say, ‘You must be salt,’ or ‘Follow the role of salt,’ but rather, He speaks of the essence of existence by saying, ‘You are the salt, you are the light.’ There is a saying that ‘Being’ is more important than ‘Doing’. This means that what kind of person I am is more important than ‘what I do.’ In Luke 10:38 and the following verses, the story of ‘Martha’ and ‘Mary’ appears. ‘Martha’ is volunteering to prepare food to serve Jesus as He goes up to Jerusalem to carry the cross. Her sister Mary does not do her service, but comes before Jesus and listens to her.
But Jesus said, ‘She chose the better part, Mary.’ However, this in no way disparages Martha's service. Service for the Lord and the church is a beautiful thing and something that pleases the Lord. Service should never be underestimated. However, the reason the Lord said here, ‘Mary chose the better part,’ was to teach us that being someone is more important than doing something. The Lord looks at our hearts more than our work. What is Martha’s state of mind right now? It was busy. The word ‘busy’ here means a state in which the mind is torn and disorganized. ‘Mary’ sits at the feet of the Lord, listens to the Word with a peaceful heart, and cultivates a good heart. It is said that a vigorous and impetuous deacon in his mid-40s lived on the third floor of an apartment building, and had a fight over the phone with someone who lived on the ground floor over parking.
He was so angry that he hung up the phone and walked down the stairs to the ground floor of ‘Ta-da-da-da’ to give her a treat, but the thought suddenly crossed his mind, ‘Oh, by the way, I am a deacon.’ Then, he walked down the stairs ‘Da-da-da-da’ and came up without fighting, saying, “Let’s get along.” We need to recognize, ‘Oh, I am a Christian who believes in Jesus.’ When I know my being has changed, this affects my life. Therefore, as believers in Jesus, the first and most important change we must consider is not a change in our behavior, but a change in self-awareness. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ” ‘Now you are salt, you are light, the old things have passed away.
It has become something new.’ If we do not recognize this change in existence, the Christianity will be reduced to a cheap religion. Why are Christians having trouble changing their lives? This is because the change in perception of one’s existence did not go well. “I am no longer a child of darkness. We are children of light. I am a worker at Nairobi Manmin Church, a member of the choir, and I have become a holy being who offers holy praise every Sunday.” If this does not affect your life during the six days after Sunday service, you are all living a pretentious life here. So, we have to make this declaration of existence; “I am the salt of the earth, the light of the world. I am a new creation.”
2. The reason Jesus made us aware of our existence was to tell us not to be stained by the fallen world. Verse 13 of the scripture says that if salt loses its taste, it is useless and can only be thrown away. We must not become outcasts. How can salt lose its taste? In many countries, salt is obtained mostly by using sea water, whereas in Israel, salt is obtained from rock salt found near the Dead Sea. Rock salt hardens like a stone, and when it is soaked in water, the salt component is extracted, and the rock salt residue from which the salt component is extracted contains a lot of clay and lime components, so it has no choice but to be thrown away.
In other words, once all the salt is extracted from rock salt, the salt component disappears, and the residue is useless and is thrown outside and trampled on by people. The flip side of Jesus saying, ‘You are the salt of the earth,’ is that the world is already corrupt and stained with darkness. We must keep in mind that we are beings who fight against the evil world, not beings who compromise and live in moderation. Salt is supposed to change the world, but if salt is influenced by the world and loses its taste, it will be abandoned. Because the world has become corrupted, the church must take on the role of salt. Isn't it a big problem that the church is losing the taste of salt? Before Jesus was crucified, Jesus' earnest prayer for His disciples is found in John 17:15. 6 It says, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” The world is evil, and I am praying to God to preserve me from falling into this evil world. Let's think about how Noah built the ark during Noah's flood. Ships are not built on land, so how many times did Noah hear people call him a ‘crazy inspiration’ while building the ark? In any case, a ship must float on water, but what is its mission? Ship’s mission prevents contaminated water from seeping in. If water continues to seep in, the ship will tilt under the weight of the water and eventually sink.
No matter how good the wood and expensive materials are, it doesn't matter how big and nice it is made. If water seeps in, it's over. So, in order to prevent the ark from sinking, God had the inside and outside of the ark painted with pitch. Genesis 6:14 says “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.” Although the ark is now floating on water, Noah's ark is not affected by the water. This means that no matter how smart a person is and how great his or her career is, if the water of the world seeps in, it will all end. When many people become preoccupied with worldly things and indulge in alcohol, sexual temptation, drugs, etc., they become tainted by the sins of the dark world and eventually their lives sink and become ruined. You need to carefully examine yourself to see if things of the world are seeping into you. I was deeply moved by a devout young woman from a church in Korea who talked about her vision in a very ambitious way.
She was a small, ordinary-looking sister, but her spirit was alive and a holy fire was burning in her heart. This is the essence of what the young sister said. She said, “I began to live a heart-pounding life for the Lord with a mission and vision to dream of ‘The Counterculture of the Kingdom of Christ.” The term ‘counterculture’ refers to a culture that actively challenges society’s dominant culture; they include the American hippie culture of the 1960s, the gay liberation movement, and the women’s liberation movement. They resist and oppose the existing culture, they tattoo their bodies, grow their hair out, etc. In short, it is a corrupt culture. This sister created a new term by adding ‘Kingdom of Christ’ to that term, and her dream and mission is to ‘Counter Over’, a spirit of challenge to bring about change by challenging the current evil world culture. So, the young sister confidently said, “I will never be stained by this world. “I will overcome the temptations of this world. ”
Even though her workplace was small, she dreamed of changing the culture of her workplace. I know that at our Nairobi Manmin Church, there are many young people and ‘teenagers’ who aim to become ‘The Counterculture of the Kingdom of Christ.’ Among young people and teenagers, those who say, ‘I want to be that kind of person, too,’ please raise your hands. Shouldn’t we revive the spirit of these young people? Salt is a tool to prevent corruption. In other words, salt is what fights to prevent corruption from spreading. I heard this a lot in the past; “You can’t do business if you are honest. If you are honest, you will be treated like a fool. You can survive only by telling lies in moderation.” However, our goal should be ‘counterculture’.
1 John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - comes not from the Father but from the world.” Fight the lust of the flesh. We must fight against our lust. We must fight against the lust of the eyes and the ‘pride of this world.’ Let’s fight this. Let’s ignore pornographic sites. What we really need to fight in this day and age is sexual corruption. In any case, the goal is to create a church that does not use worldly methods nor say, “We are not that kind of church, come see our church” when people in the world criticize the church.
3. The reason those who believe in Jesus are salt and light is because they must have a good influence on the world. In Verse 13 of the scripture, the Word says that when salt loses its taste, it is thrown outside and trampled on by people. What is the reason for us, salt and light, to live on this earth? The role of salt is to create a delicious world, and the role of light is to create a bright world. In a word, living with salt and light means living with an influence that can change the world. In the scripture, Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Your faith should not be used only within the church, but should go out into the world and exert influence.
In Luke Chapter 5, Peter, who had not caught a single fish all night in the Lake of Gennesaret, did as Jesus said and cast his net deep into the depths, catching so many fish that the net was torn. But that wasn't enough. 9 In verse 7, he called his companions in another boat and filled that boat with fish to the extent that the boat was submerged. In verse 10, James and John were surprised. God's blessing is a blessing that has a positive influence not only on Peter's boat but also on his friends and people around him through Peter's confession of faith. And in the second half of verse 10, Jesus tells Peter, “You will fish for people,” telling him that he will not simply be a fisherman who is good at catching fish, but a disciple who will become salt and light, changing the world, and having a good influence to save people. The world keeps trying to make us small. It dwarfs people into people who live only for themselves. Someone interestingly described this kind of person as someone who lives a one- person life. However, it is a meaningful expression.
Jesus gave Peter not only one portion of blessing, but three or four servings so that he could fill his companion's stomach. Rather than living a one-person life, we must live a religious life of salt and light that has a positive influence on the world. I hope you become believers who worship well on Sunday. And with the strength and grace you received, go out to various parts of the world for six days, becoming salt that purifies the rotten places of the world and a lamp that illuminates dark and shadowy places, exerting a good influence on the world and spreading the fragrance of Christ in the field of life. There is a man named Wilbur Fore, a British slave emancipator. He was born in 1759. He was born into a wealthy merchant's family. He graduated from Cambridge University. When he was a 21-year-old college student, he was elected to the National Assembly. He's a great person. Wilbur Force, who was walking a solid path in British high society, met God at the age of 26 and experienced being born again.
The person who influenced him at this time was Pastor John Newton. ‘Amazing Grace that saved a wretched like me~’ He is the one who created that praise. Wilbur Force, who was born again, was not just a believer. After his conversion, he spent two hours every morning studying the Word and praying. As he read the Word and prayed like this, he came to realize how corrupt the British high society in which he had lived was. What is important is that he gave up all the pleasures he had enjoyed up until then, including the decadent habits of high society, theaters, and clubs. At the time, he was so disgusted by Britain's low-quality culture that he tried to quit the National Assembly. So, he visited his mentor, Pastor John Newton, and asked for his advice.
“Now that I know God, I feel skeptical about politics. Now I am planning to quit my job as a member of the National Assembly and become a pastor. What do you think?” At that time, Pastor John Newton answered as follows. “God has given each person a different calling, and God’s place of ministry is the political world of England. God ordained you for the glory of God’s church and this nation. Therefore, it is for God’s sake that you remain in the National Assembly.” Receiving this challenge, he continued his politics. When he was 28 years old, he received a goal from God. After hearing the Word of God, his life changed. He said that that morning he received two life goals that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. “Almighty God has given me two missions: one is to abolish slavery in Britain and the other is to reform the lives of the British people.” With this vision, he lived his life to achieve these two things until he closed his eyes at the age of 74. 11 At that time, slavery was the backbone of the British economy.
To give up slavery would be to give up one-third of the country's income. As a result, Wilbur Force, whose goal was to abolish slavery, was attacked by his political opponents. His political opponents attempted to assassinate him twice to prevent his attempts to abolish slavery. By overcoming these political threats, he eventually achieved the great achievement of emancipating slaves. I am a pastor. I can't do that. All I can do is preach to those who come to church and meet you religiously. But you can do it. Go into the business world. Go into politics. Go into the field of education and instill dreams in your growing children. A great leader in the field of education must come from our Manmin Church. Please allow the students, young people, and your children of our Manmin Church to enter the economic world and purify it. Please help them enter the political world and correct it. They must enter the field of education and pray that education will be corrected. Our young people must enter all corners of society and make the society shine. You must become a person who exerts a good influence.
It must be a channel of blessing. Conclusion It was 40 years ago when the Ringlin Brothers Circus performed in New York. There was a sudden power outage during the performance. It only lasted a minute, but the crowd was holding their breath. At that moment, a trainer was showing off the tricks of four tigers on stage. Because it was inside a cage, there was no danger to the spectators, but I was worried that the trainer might be attacked by the tiger in the dark. The venue was quiet and dark, as if water had been poured on it, but the sound of the trainer's whip and commands directing the tiger's movements could be heard without any disturbance from the stage. When the lights came back on, the crowd stood up and applauded. When a press conference was held later, the trainer said as follows: “Tigers can see me well even in the dark. I must not let them know that I cannot see them. I must act in the dark as if I were in bright light.” The reason the trainer was able to still subdue the tiger and survive even in the dark was because he acted as a person of light even in the darkness. In this world darkened by sin, you must become a person of salt and a person of light to overcome your enemy the devil and live a victorious life.
When our believers show the light of love, the light of truth, the light of peace, and the light of life, they will become proud Christians, give glory to God, and not only build the Kingdom of God on this earth, but also be able to make many lives in their heavenly home. You will receive a reward. I hope you have an impactful worship service. It’s not about whether you can give it or not. Let it be a worship service that affects your soul as it changes and changes. Since you are the ‘salt and light of the world,’ after today’s service, you must go out into the world and live as salt and light for six days.
This is because we must not be stained by the corrupt world, but rather have a positive influence on the world. Even though it may be difficult to live like that, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will live happy a life as the members of Nairobi Manmin Church, even if you walk a narrow path. - END -
