A New Walk On An Old Path - The Sermon On The Mount

by Don Hatfield

know. I then said to James,” My uncle told me that salt to him was special because first it was a symbol of agreement between people. The reason it was a symbol was because it protects food from spoiling and preserves it unchanged.” Then a thought occurred to me and I said, “I think Jesus was saying that we Christians as the salt of the earth are preserving His image here. We are His salt, seasoned by His grace, preserved by His power, kept from spoiling by His blood. He looks down from Heaven and sees us scattered all over the earth. We look up and He just keeps sprinkling His grace, His power, His blood, His wisdom, His righteousness on us.” James said, “Glory to God who holds the salt shaker that never runs dry.” We both laughed and James said,” But what happened when the salt your uncle used set to long at the bottom of barrel.” I then saw what James was getting at and responded. “It would lose it savor. It would become flat and tasteless. It would have no strength or power.” James then asked, “What would your uncle do with it?” Then I saw what Jesus was saying and I looked at James and said, “He would throw it out on the floor where it would be crushed by men. They would walk on it and take no noticed of it for it had lost its usefulness.” James then asked, “Do you think that can happen to us as believers?” I not only knew the answer but saw the danger and replied, “I know it can for it happened to others that I have heard of. Men like King Saul and Samson. How can I prevent this from happening to me James?” You tell me he responded. I sat there for a moment looking down at the earth and then all of a sudden it clouded up and a raindrop fell on my face. I looked up into sprinkling rain and then I began to praise the Lord. I turned to James and with a voice filled with emotion I said, “Stay at the top of bag. Keep looking up and if I do that than just like this rain is sprinkling on me now Jesus will keep sprinkling His grace on me. If I keep looking up I will not have to worry about losing my savor for it will just keep refreshing itself from the shaker that never runs out.” It then began to pour down and as we got up to run for shelter James laughingly said, “I think the lid fell off of that shaker for it is pouring grace all over me. Praise His Holy name.”

  We ran and took shelter in a small shepherd’s lean too and sat down together. I said to James, “I have got to hear more because I want to soak in all of the salt that I can get.” The rain stopped. The sun begin to shine again after the brief shower and James said, “Isaac, Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Not only did Jesus compare us to salt but He also compared us to light. Isaac, just as we are to be continually sprinkled with the salt of His grace we are also to let the light of truth and knowledge shine out from us. Wherever we are placed in this world we are the light in that place. We were destined and appointed by God Himself to be there shinning pure with a brilliant quality.” I said, “I want to shine on the hillside like that James. I want people to see my light.” James then said, “many will say that Isaac, but a lot will not do it because the next words Jesus said were these. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it gives light unto all that are in the house. I am afraid that many will want to receive the salt but will not want to let their light out. They will be lite by the light of the Holy Spirit but no one will know. For instead of proclaiming the one who is the light of the world they will sit silently in a corner. They will peek out from under the bushel on Temple days and then hide the rest of the week in their houses. They should be giving light in their house’s and workplaces all of the week instead of just peeking out from under worldly disguises on the days of the Temple. Isaac, do not be like them for they will have little reward in Heaven. Be as Jesus’s next words tell us to be, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Let His grace so season you that men will perceive with their eyes and hear with their ears the light that has invaded you soul. It is then that you will cause the dignity and worth of Jesus to become manifested and acknowledged.” I must admit that I felt ashamed because I knew there were times when I did hide my light. Times when I laughed at what I should not have laughed at. Times when I kept quiet when I should have shined. Times when instead of letting the savor come out I let my salt be trampled on. I ask my Father to forgive me and to show me how to stand on the hillside always shinning.

  James then asked me a question, “Isaac, you know many of the commandments don’t you? I replied, “Probably not as well as I should but yes I do know a lot of them.” James then responded, “many think that Jesus has come to do away with the law but that is not so. He came to fulfill the law and do as the prophets of old said what must be done. Listen to what He said on that day and then tell me what you think. Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. Tell me what you think of those words Isaac.” I actually was astounded for I had heard from many that one of the reasons they had crucified Jesus was because He was trying to do away with the laws that Moses had given. I sat there for a few moments and then said to James, “I think that Jesus was saying that He did not come to overthrow or render vain or bring to naught the law. Because the law is what brings about a state approved by God in a person. As a matter of fact Moses as one of the prophets said that by observing the law we pleased God.” I stopped for a moment and then by God’s grace I saw it. I looked at James and said, “Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. He caused God’s will which was known by the law to be obeyed as it should be and God’s promises which He gave through the prophets to receive fulfillment in Himself.” Glory to God what a revelation I exclaimed. James then said, “Jesus went on to explain more about the law when He said the following. For verily I say unto you. Till heaven and earth pass away one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law till all be fulfilled. Isaac, those men who crucified Jesus claimed they did so because He made Himself equal with God. Yet He proved over and over again that He was God come in the flesh. He died so that all could partake of His wonderful grace and forgiveness but just as those men were wrong I am afraid that those who come after will be wrong. They will act as if His grace gives them license to sin instead of power to cease from sin. If they do that are they not crucifying Him all over again? What do you think Isaac?” Again I sat there and thought about what Jesus had said. Again I answered by His words and said, “James, He said the law would not be done away with. As a matter of fact He said not even the smallest part of the law would be done away with. He said that heaven and earth would have to pass away before the law would be done away with. Explain more to me James for I think others also will be confused. If He is saying that we cannot keep the law and yet it still stands how in the world can we be made righteous?” James smiled at this and said, “My young friend you are perplexed and yet you are closer to the answer than you think. Let me continue with His next words. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Isaac, the person who does away with the smallest of these laws and worse teaches others the same shall be shocked when faced with the judgment. For he will not only be standing in judgment for the things that he has done but the things that he has led the others to do. What a fearful day that will be for many. But on the other hand if you by the power of the Christ do the things that are in the commandments and show others the way to the one who is empowering you to keep them. Then you will be delighted at the blessings that God pours forth on you. You will be delighted for by allowing Him to empower you and guide you His blessings will fall.

  James then became quiet and just sat there looking out to the sea. After a few moments I asked him what he was thinking about. He said, “Oh Isaac, if only you could have been there on that day. It was so quiet that even in the midst of all those people you could have heard the sound of a feather floating down to the earth. It was as if even the birds and all the other animals were listening. Isaac what He said
next literally brought a gasp from some in the crowd.” I said, “James what in the world did He say to bring that about?” James responded with the following, “Isaac, Jesus began to tell us what He expected of His followers and all of us were scared for we knew that we could not live up to His requests. Here is the first thing He said. For I say unto you except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. I was shocked Isaac, for He was saying that in order for me to be acceptable to God not only must my life be full of integrity, virtue, correctness of thinking, feeling and acting but that it had to exceed or be superior to the Scribes and Pharisees who are our religious leaders.” I stopped him there and said, “James, I have seen the Scribes and the Pharisees but I know little about them other than they are our leaders in religious matters. If my righteousness is supposed to exceed theirs then tell me a little about them