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Epiphany 5 2026
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
February 8, 2026
Isaiah 58:3-9a, 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Matthew 5:13-20

Sermons online: 
Text and Audio:         immanuelhamiltonchurch.com   click “sermons”
Text:                           pastorjud.org   
Audio:                         pastorjud.podbean.com  i
itunes:                         bit.ly/pastorjud
Full Service Audio:    bit.ly/ImmanuelWorship

            If you are going to grill some steaks, how long can you let them sit outside on a table before getting them on the grill?  Ten minutes?  30 minutes? An hour?  Two hours?  What would happen if one of those steaks gets pushed off the table onto the ground and is forgotten for a couple of days?  There are bacteria like salmonella and e coli and listeria already on the meat and if left unrefrigerated, the bacteria start to grow and in a couple of hours the meat is dangerous to eat.  It will loses its color and starts to smell which attracts flies that lay eggs and soon maggots are hatching.  The steak is now disgusting and rotten and ruined.

            Before the advent of refrigeration, one way of preserving meat was with salt.  Salt pulls moisture out of the meat and out of the bacteria, and the bacteria are unable to grow and the meat is preserved against rot.

            This world in which you live is, in so many ways, rotten. Evil is already everywhere looking for the right conditions to grow.  The world is filled with those who promote anger and hatred and violence and abuse and greed and neglect and hedonistic selfishness.  People take God’s good gifts and twist them into evil.

Like beef sitting at room temperature, the devil just needs the right conditions for evil to start to grow.  It can start small with a little conflict, a little anger, a little insult, a little greed, a little lust.  Evil begins to grow, and once it takes hold, the scent attracts more evil that moves in to destroy, spiritually, mentally and physically. Left at room temperature the once good piece of meat becomes garbage.  Left to let evil grow, a once good person is ruined. 

There is an antidote to the rot of sin; it is the salt of God.  The salt of God brings His love and forgiveness and dries up evil so the devil cannot get a foothold.  This salt is so powerful that it does not only preserve against rot, but also reverse the effects, it heals and restores wholeness.

            Where can you get this salt of God?  Where can you get this powerful weapon against evil?  Look in the mirror.  Jesus says to the disciples — and to you… Matthew 5:13 (ESV) 13 “You are the salt of the earth…” You bring the love and forgiveness of God to those around you.  Being the salt of the earth, your presence prevents rot.  You bring healing and restoration to hurting people.  You stop evil from advancing with the power of God’s love and forgiveness flowing through you.  And not only are you the salt of the earth… Matthew 5:14 (ESV) 14 “You are the light of the world…”  As a redeemed follower of Jesus, you fight rot and darkness.  

            In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explains your status before God.  You are poor in spirit.  You have nothing to offer God in exchange for eternal life.  You are spiritually bankrupt… and God blesses you beyond comprehension.  You are in the Kingdom of heaven right now — and for eternity. 

You are in the Kingdom of heaven but, for now, you still live in this world.  You see the rot and the darkness in the world and in yourself — and you grieve over it – and you are blessed — you will be comforted.  You know you are powerless; you know you are meek… and you are incredibly blessed by God. You will inherit the earth. 

            Jesus declares.  You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world.  If Jesus declares it, you should believe it.  You are the antidote to rottenness in the world. You are the cure for darkness in the world.  Your presence as a redeemed child of God makes the world a better place.  Matthew 5:16 (ESV) 16 …let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

            Let you light shine by doing good deeds for others. Your good deeds may, at times, be big, audacious works to help others, but, more likely, your good works are your simple, daily, interactions with those around you.  Your good deeds are you being salt and light to your parents, your children, your spouse, your coworkers, your classmates, the folks at the store, your neighbors, those you interact with on social media, and anyone else you come into contact with.  You are salt and light to others in your life and you make the world a better place. You are salt and light in caring for others.  You are salt and light as you live your ordinary life in an extraordinary way because Jesus has redeemed you and made you holy.

            The Sermon on the Mount is radically counter cultural. Jesus cranks up the commandments so there is no doubt that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. He calls for His followers, the salt and light of the world, to live profoundly different lives from what the devil, the world and your own sinful nature promote. 

            If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.  If they sue you for your tunic, give them your cloak as well.  If they force you to go one mile, go with them two.  Matthew 5:44 (ESV) 44 … Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” 

            When someone does you wrong you have the right to retaliate, but as salt and light you do not retaliate because Jesus did not exercise His right to get even with you.  Instead of Jesus punishing you for your sin, He takes your sin to the cross, and gives you His perfection. 

You are salt and light to the world by showing mercy to others like Jesus shows mercy to you.  As salt and light you are a sponge for evil, you absorb the evil so it cannot grow.  In this way, wherever you are, there is less evil and the world is less rotten and dark.  Because of your presence, the world is a better place.

As salt and light you are pure in spirit – you are faithful to the true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit – faithful to the Word of God.  You reject false gods and false teachers, and you gently and patiently speak the truth in love about forgiveness coming only from Jesus on the cross.  You call all to repent and follow Jesus.  And the world is a better place. 

Being salt and light you are a peacemaker.  Salt and light brings the news that God and man are reconciled in Christ. Salt and light brings Good News to a world that does not know that it can be at peace with God.  You have the peace that is beyond understanding and you bring this peace to people in a rotten, dark world — and the world is a better place. 

            As salt and light you do good works and people see God’s goodness in what you do.  With this last big snowstorm many of you shoveled out your driveway, and then your elderly neighbor’s.  You check on the vulnerable to make sure they are okay.  You prepare meals for busy new parents.  You give generously to support our Christian Service fund to help those in need of utility and rent payments to keep warm and safe.  You are salt and light in so many different ways as you bring God’s forgiveness and love to the world.  You are the salt of the earth.  You are the light of the world. 

            The frustrating thing is that you are salt and light living in a dark, rotten world, and you have a problem.  You are a natural sinner and sin comes naturally.  You are salt and light, but sometimes you act like you are not.  You claim the name of Christian, but you act like rot and darkness.  And God’s law convicts you and you grieve your sin.

When it happens.  When you act like saltless salt — when you behave like a lamp covered by a basket – when you give in to your sinful desires, when are tempted to believe the devil who tells you that you are good enough, or you let the devil’s accusations take hold and you start to despair.  When you find yourself not living as salt and light — and you will — over and over and over again… you learn — again — that you are, indeed — poor in spirit.  You are an honest to goodness sinner.  You really are in bondage to sin and cannot free yourself.  You really are a sinner who needs Jesus…and Jesus blesses you with His righteousness, innocence and blessedness. Jesus cleanses you and declares you holy.  Jesus rescues you and restores you to being salt and light. 

            The world is rotten.  You are the salt of the earth. The world is dark.  You are the light of the world.  You make the world a better place.  Amen.