Dr. John Tamilio III

 There is a lot going on in today’s Gospel Lesson.  According to the online commentary Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, perhaps no verse in Scripture “has given more perplexity to commentators than this” one.  What does it mean to be salted with fire?  Salt helps to flavor, preserve, and purify.  It also causes high blood pressure, hypertension, and kidney stones, but you’ll have to talk to a different doctor about those problems.

There is a solo early in Handel’s Messiah, often sung by the bass vocalist.  The line is from the minor Old Testament prophet Malachi 3:2 — it reads, “For he is like a refiner’s fire.”  Metals are often purified in fire.  The heat and flames burn away any impurities that are in them.  So, the Holy Spirit is like a purifying fire purging us from the sins that are mixed into us.  Pheme Perkins reminds us that, “The process of refining [as used in the Bible] also implies purifying the people” of God.

Albert Barnes, whom I just mentioned, also writes this: “The word ‘fire,’ here…denotes self-denials, sacrifices, trials, in keeping ourselves from the gratification of the flesh…Self-denials, subduing…lusts, enduring trials, removing offenses, are the proper ‘preservatives’ in the service of God.”  There are many ways that we enable this to happen: allowing Christ into our hearts, immersing ourselves in his Word, praying to him without ceasing.

But here is the problem: most of us do not think that we need purification.  Not really.  We may say we do, but whenever we are confronted with an aspect of ourselves that requires us to think twice about what we are doing or saying, we often get defensive and lash out at our critics.  For example, Sally tells Robert that some of his views seem racist.  Robert gets angry with Sally.  Maybe he says something like, “How dare you call me a racist!”  Robert is far less likely to be objective and look at himself (and the things he has said) through the eyes of someone else.  Maybe he did make a racist comment.  Maybe he didn’t.  Is he willing to do the hard work of self-examination?  That is hard for any of us to do.  There are many stories out there about church splits that were caused because the pastor said something the congregation did not want to hear.  Many relationships have fallen apart for the same reason.  It is hard to be objective and to see ourselves as others do.

Now try to imagine how God sees us!  One of the fundamental aspects of our faith is that humankind is broken.  We are sinful creatures.  Some say that this is Adam and Eve’s fault — that through them we inherited the stain of Original Sin.  The twentieth-century scholar of the patristic period, J. N. D. Kelly, said, “All humanity is understood to be involved, in some manner, in the disobedience of Adam…All of humanity is somehow wounded by Adam’s disobedience.”  When I was in seminary, I used to supply preach at churches in the area, much like you all had supply preachers while I was on sabbatical this past summer.  One Sunday, when I arrived at the church where I was to preach, I was met by one of the deacons.  He quickly proceeded to tell me, “Listen, I do not know if you are going to use any of the prayers in the back of our hymnal, but please, please, please do not pick the one that speaks of us as ‘wretched sinners.’”  When I asked why, he said, “The congregation really doesn’t like that.”  I thought to myself, “Should we change it to worthy sinners?”

But we are sinners.  Each of us.  And we are pretty wretched as well.  Many of us would hide our faces if Jesus walked through the door right now, ashamed of what he would see.  But Jesus would say, “I love you in spite of all your flaws, foibles, and shortcomings.”  The irony, as I have said before, is that Jesus’ love for us is unconditional — and I believe that all he wants from us is to love him in return and to try our hardest to live by his Word.  Granted, we can’t do it alone.  Many of us have tried, and, for all of our successes, we end up mired in guilt again.

Keep something pertinent in mind: you cannot do this alone, but Jesus can.  You can’t, but Jesus can.  Through the Holy Spirit, we are made new.  Through the Holy Spirit, God qualifies the unqualified and purifies the wretched.  We are salted with fire.  Fire is one of the five predominant symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible — the others being water, oil, wind or breath, and a bird (usually a dove).  (Salt preserves, and, let’s face it, it adds a little flavor to whatever it is sprinkled on, but that is a sermon for another time.)

We need to be open to God who will challenge us and leave us purified for what we need to do.  Humankind has tried this throughout history.  Look at where it has gotten us.  We’re not that successful on our own.

Believers may wonder what purification looks like.  How do I know when it happens?  How do I know when I get there?  These are fair questions.  Jennifer Sum has an answer.  She writes:

Followers of Jesus Christ are called to turn away from sin and be purified by His Spirit.  One can compare a pure connection with God’s Spirit to the pristine environment of the Alpine mountains, as opposed to the chaotic congestion of a bustling, polluted city.  A life that is entirely submitted and devoted to God feels quenched, never rushed, anxious, or yearning.  It is unfazed, calm, and quietly confident.  Many of the restless voices, thoughts, and feelings that used to plague us are gone.  Our minds no longer spin.  Our chests are no longer heavy.  We enjoy a peace that exceeds anything we can humanly understand or replicate.

I want you to close your eyes for a minute.  Think about why you are here in this church or any church for that matter.  Why have you decided to follow Jesus as opposed to the leader of some other religion, or some secular teaching?  (Pause.)  Now think about where Jesus might be leading you…  What charge has he put upon your heart?  What confession does he need to hear from your lips?  What words does he want you to say to someone else?  What song of gratitude is waiting to hear you sing from the rooftops?  (Pause.)  Now, open your eyes.  You’re still here.  Nothing’s changed.  Or maybe everything has changed or will change when you leave today.

Jesus seeks all of you, not just an hour on Sunday morning.  Although you may feel unworthy to perform the tasks he wants you to do, you have been qualified to do so by Christ himself.  You have purified: salted with fire.  Now, open your heart along with your eyes.  Nothing is impossible for you.  You are no longer bogged down by the parent who said that you will never amount to anything, or the teacher who said you were wasting your time in school, or the boss who constantly micromanages your work because he feels you are incompetent.  None of that defines you.  Jesus alone establishes your worth.  You’ve been purified: set ablaze by the Holy Spirit for a future that is limitless, because it is a future that leads to the kingdom.

Accept the invitation to go where he leads having been made worthy in his name.  He’s waiting.  Amen.

© 2021, Dr. John Tamilio III

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