Reward, Punishment, Salt

 

God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon title is RPS – Reward, Punishment, Salt. My focus is our Gospel (Mk 9:38-50). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the Psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”  Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

Research RPS and you find that it is an acronym for numerous ideas, programs and projects. It is an acronym for Retirement Planning Seminar, Rockford Public Schools, Radiation Protection Supervisor, Royal Philatelic Society, Role Playing System, Railways Pension Service and many more common ones we may use, such as revolutions per second, remote power supply and one that we all know and play – rock, paper, scissors.

Today, I am not playing games. I am not interested in your power supply or retirement plan. For the purpose of this sermon, RPS stands for Reward, Punishment and Salt – three key words in today’s passage.

Reward, Punishment and Salt. First, Reward. Reward is defined as something that is given in return for a good or a stimulus administered to an organism to reinforce a desired response. When we think of rewards, we imagine obedient dogs or retail discounts.

The noun, reward, is a mid-14^th century French word that means repayment for some service. The verb means to take notice of, regard, watch over, and comes to us from the German word, wardon, meaning to guard, watch out for or perceive.

We enjoy rewards whether they come as club members at the cash register or trophies at the end of the season. Our Golden Retriever, Maggie, loves receiving a reward for good behavior.

Jesus used the word when he responded to John. “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”[1] His response is in regards to another fellow driving out demons in Jesus’ name who did not belong to the band of disciples. Unlike the Sons of Sceva in Acts 19 who tried to drive out demons but were defeated and humiliated because they used Jesus’ name as a magic formula,[2] this unknown exorcist acted with authentic faith in Him.

Mark’s point is that there is no room for exclusivity among those who invoke the name of Jesus because those who perform a mighty deed in his name cannot speak ill of him. To do a work of healing or deliverance in his name is to honor him, and is not compatible with being his adversary.[3]

Continuing with his reply, Jesus emphasized God’s generosity toward all and the great value of simple, humble acts of service. No good deed will be overlooked by someone inside or outside the church. Even the smallest act of kindness toward a disciple will be rewarded by God. Reward does not mean compensation that is earned but a generous gift freely given by God in response to a good deed.[4] Here, Mark highlights reward’s relevance for his audience.

The phrase “because you belong to Christ” is similar to Paul’s description of Christians as those who are “of Christ.” In Galatians, Paul wrote, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”[5]

Before I move to my second point, let me end with something for you who are of Christ or belong to Christ to ponder. If God freely rewards people for good deeds, do we respect the lively faith of other Churches which preach the Gospel and rejoice in the grace of God that is at work among them? Without ignoring our doctrinal differences, when we see other Christians living the Gospel, do we promote Christian unity or denominational discord? Do I thank God who rewards them?

And so, from Reward to Punishment, my second point. The word punish means to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense or violation. It also means to deal with harshly or to hurt. It comes to us from the Latin verb punier, and the earlier word, poena, meaning penalty.

Philosophers generally agree that conditions commonly considered necessary to describe an action as punishment are: (1) that it is imposed by an authority, (2) that it involves some loss to the supposed offender, (3) that it is in response to an offense, and (4) that the person to whom the loss is imposed should be deemed at least somewhat responsible for the offense.

Punishment is applied to encourage and enforce proper behavior as defined by society or family. We punish criminals, children, pupils, employees and others for breaking rules, in the hope that they will change their behavior. We do this to rehabilitate the offender and protect society, to restore what was taken from the victim, and to educate others about breaking rules and laws.

In many religious cultures, including Christianity and Islam, Hell is the individual's ultimate punishment sent by God, the highest authority. Hell is traditionally depicted as fiery and painful, inflicting guilt and suffering. Despite these common depictions of Hell as a place of fire, other traditions, such as Buddhists, portray Hell as cold.

Before we get to hell, figuratively not literally, allow me a few minutes to examine our passage. Whereas vv. 38-41 accented the broadmindedness regarding others’ good deeds, vv. 42-48 showed how seriously Jesus took sin. If God graciously rewards little acts of kindness, he also severely punishes acts of evil, especially those that lead little ones astray.[6] Synonymous with child, ‘little ones’ refers to the weak and vulnerable. Those who lay obstacles in front of them deliberately or by irresponsible negligence, shake the faith of others and lead them into sin.

Jesus could hardly have stated more strongly the gravity of sins that harm the weak. Drowning was among the punishments reserved for God’s enemies. Recall the fate of the Egyptians pursuing Moses. In Revelation, we read, “A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more.’”[7] A great millstone or a donkey stone, one so large that it took a donkey to turn it, quickly plummets a person to the bottom of the sea to suffer the fate destined for sin itself: for God “will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”[8]

The effect of scandal is not upon others, but us. Whether our hands, feet or eyes cause us to sin, we will not enter God’s kingdom with them; we will enter hell. But the resurrected body will be liberated from all sinfulness and will be glorious.

Jesus’ teaching on the two destinations have been constantly reaffirmed. Yet, today, Christians often brush over or treat his teaching with skepticism. Many are reluctant to comment on this or question how God might send one to hell. But the truth conveyed in Jesus’ teaching is that we choose our own destiny. With every decision and action over the course of a lifetime we orient ourselves either to heaven or to hell, and at the moment of death we embrace what has truly become our choice. Let me repeat that. We orient ourselves either to heaven or to hell, and at the moment of death we embrace what has truly become our choice. But God never ceases to hold out his unfathomable mercy, even at the very moment when a person steps over the threshold into eternity.

Before moving from Punishment to Salt, let me leave you with a question: If right now was your moment of death, would you embrace heaven or hell? Is that choice reflected in every other choice you make? Is that ultimate choice reflected in every moment of your life? I leave it at that for you to ponder.

Finally, salt. Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride. Salt in its natural form as a crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. It is present in vast quantities in seawater. In fact, the ocean has about one ounce of salt per quart.

Salt is essential for life in general. It is one of the oldest and most ubiquitous seasonings, and is an important method of food preservation. Salt was prized by the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Asians. There is a lot more to say about salt. If you are interested, there is a book entitled Salt: A World History that you can read.

Jesus’ sayings on salt only seem to be loosely connected. As a typical rabbinic teacher, he links disparate points through word association to invite his audience to thoughtful reflection. “Everyone will be salted with fire.” The meaning of this hinges on the purpose of salt, which is used to preserve and season. Temple sacrifices were offered with salt, and the Israelites were warned not to insult God with offerings that lacked “the salt of the covenant of your God -”[9] that is, offerings that lack genuine zeal for God and his covenant. In other words, the fire of persecution is something that every disciple should be expected to endure for the fire of persecution and other kinds of suffering has a salutary effect, as in the refining process of metals.[10] We read in the Book of the Prophet Malachi, “who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.”[11]

The second saying - “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again?” – refers to the possibility that salt can become so diluted that it loses its flavor. If your salt is tasteless, what can flavor it? Here, Jesus cautions his disciples against falling into a bland, insipid spirituality that has no power to attract others. Spiritual blandness results from a reluctance to embrace Jesus’ call to humility and radical self-denial.[12]

The third and final saying – “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another” – is not about the absence of conflict, but the fullness of communion. Conversations with other believers and outsiders must be marked by the fervent love of Christ that leads to humility. Their spiritual intensity will be kept alive through a profound conformity to Jesus in his self-emptying love, that will bring them into unity with one another.[13]

Now, all this talk of salt has made me thirsty. I thirst, and what the world offers me will not quench my thirst. Jesus calls me to be humble, and yet, the world offers me public recognition. He calls me to self-renunciation, and society proposes approval. So often, I slake my thirst with public recognition and societal approval only to realize these do not satisfy my soul.

Salt soothes my soul. Fire quenches my hunger. To be like Jesus – humble and holy – satisfies my spirit, will, body and mind like no other food, refreshment or seasoning. If you have ever been in the presence of a truly spiritual person – a Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Dali Lama, Mr. Rogers – you have felt your spirit rise simply by being in their presence.

My friends, as we leave here today, seek some quality time with our Lord in Word and solitary, fervent prayer. Seek him for He seeks you. He calls you to humility, to sanctity so that you may attract others to His Kingdom. Acquire the Spirit of peace and thousands around you will be saved.[14] For when you do, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Mark 9:39.

[2] Acts 19:13-16.

[3] Healy, 187.

[4] Healy, 188.

[5] Galatians 3:27-29.

[6] Healy, 189.

[7] Revelation18:21.

[8] Micah 7:19.

[9] Leviticus 2:13; see also Ezekiel 43:24, Exodus 30:35.

[10] Healy, 193.

[11] Malachi 3:2-3.

[12] Healy, 193.

[13] Healy, 194.

[14] Saint Seraphim of Sarov.