Transcription

Chris
Jeff, I’m feeling a little salty today. You are, I am. We’ll keep it clean. Well, you know what? Uh, I need a new water, and it needs to be cold. Okay.

Jeff
I thought you were going to start telling jokes like sailors or something.

Chris
No, no no no, no, I’m trying to keep it clean.

Jeff
Okay, good, good. Well, that’s what we’re talking about today. Salt and light. That’s right. So he’s Chris and I’m Jeff and we’re the Bible guys. Uh, so you were actually going to talk about the bright lights in here?

Chris
Yeah. Well, you know, uh, I got to come up with segments on the spot, so. Yeah. So, uh, or at least intros on the spot. So you guys may not know this, but in this podcast studio, there’s one, two, three, four, five lights and six seven lights. And now that I’ve stared into them, I can’t see anything. Yeah, I can’t see anything.

Jeff
It’s just like this. Yeah. Brightness or black enough. Okay, well, hey, today is, uh, one of my favorite segments. Yes.

Chris
Yeah, it is a social media minute.

Jeff
This is great. I love these.

Chris
What I have themes, theme like, uh, social media minute. Like, sort of like a what do they call those sound bites. Yeah yeah yeah. Right.

Jeff
Yeah. Yeah. Like a roll in.

Chris
Yes a social media. Yeah. Minutes. Okay. Everything sounds like mailbags.

Jeff
It does. That’s okay.

Chris
So we love our listeners. It’s been so fun interacting and hearing from them uh, on YouTube. So let’s take a minute and give some shout outs. Yeah that’s great. So how about if I read the first one?

Jeff
You do it.

Chris
Uh, I love how Chris and Jeff add context to the Bible passages. It makes reading and understanding the Bible so much easier. It’s the best part of my day. Oh wow, says Tiff B wow.

Jeff
Tiff b.

Chris
Hey, wow, that is a that is a huge and humbling comment.

Jeff
That’s massive. I mean.

Chris
It’s the best part of my day really.

Jeff
We’re even better than Folgers.

Chris
Wow.

Jeff
The best part of waking up.

Chris
Yeah. Is that still their slogan?

Jeff
I don’t know.

Chris
The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup. All the other Gen Z’s are like, uh, shut up guys. Uh, that was like 30 years ago.

Jeff
Yeah, it doesn’t matter.

Chris
You want to read the next one?

Jeff
Oh yes I do. This is from Johnny P, another great all caps episode. Yeah, I know the story you told today. Uh oh. But the way you all explained the significance of the details left out is amazing. Thanks again, Bible guys, y’all.

Chris
Yeah, well guess what Johnny P, by the way, that was Johnny P. Johnny P um, I wonder I wonder what story she’s referring to.

Jeff
I don’t know, now. It makes me nervous. We’re gonna have to go look it up.

Chris
I know the story you told today, but the way y’all explain the significance of the details. Oh, maybe she’s referring to the Bible passage. Yeah, yeah.

Jeff
Remember when we talked about. Sometimes it’s about the things that the Bible doesn’t say. Remember when we unpack that?

Chris
Yeah, possibly.

Jeff
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. So that was it.

Chris
Well thanks Johnny.

Jeff
Yeah that’s awesome. Thanks again Bible guys.

Chris
And um, and then there’s there’s number three. This is the last comment. Uh, Lisa H says absolutely loved this episode. Educational and fun. Uh, subscribers that did not view this one are really missing out. Sassy is good among friends that play off one another. Good times. Ha! That’s so funny. That was that.

Jeff
Day. Remember I told you? I said, man, I am feeling sassy today.

Chris
Yeah that’s right, that’s right. That’s really.

Jeff
Funny sometimes.

Chris
Well, I’m really glad that people, uh, give us feedback because to be honest with you. Yeah, without feedback, we have no idea whether people like it or not. Yeah.

Jeff
And, you know, I take the statement educational and fun. Yes. As as a huge compliment because I think, you know, growing up and I started going to church when I was eight is when we started going. So we were committed pagans before that. Then my mom and dad met Jesus. We started going to church and, um. So I can remember sitting through Sunday school class and junior church and things with some teachers who were well meaning. But it was the most boring thing. And I can remember. My mom and dad would read, uh, Bible story book to us, and there were pictures, and my mom was a really good reader and all this stuff, so. And she didn’t know anything about the Bible either when they became Christians. And so my dad bought this big kids Bible story book, and at the top of every, every page, they had a story. There’d be a really cool painting or a picture. And then, you know, David standing there with Goliath’s head and a sword in his hand kind of stuff, it was great. I mean, certainly wouldn’t pass as a kids book anymore, but back then it was I was riveted by this book. But at the top of every page was the chapter and verses that that story came from. So my mom would go read it in the Bible to make sure that the story was right, because she didn’t know any of these stories, and we would read it together. And I can remember the way she would tell it and the way she would read it. It was just amazing to me. I was riveted to these stories. Ehud, you know, the judge who who we already talked about that on the on the daily podcast, he loses his sword in the fat of the of the king. Jeff
Remember when he says all these things just. And then he escapes through the latrine? Remember all these amazing stories? I loved them, and then I’d go to Sunday school. And this person who could barely speak out loud, right, is teaching. And I’d be like, right. And so I one day I told my dad, I said, dad, I think it how how does my teacher.

Chris
Could barely speak out loud.

Jeff
I’m serious. Thank you for coming, children. Right. Um. Sit up, fold your hands. And I wasn’t that kid anyways. I said, mom makes it so interesting and my my Sunday school teacher makes it so boring. And it’s the same story, right? How do we take the most exciting story in the history of humanity and make it boring? And I think it’s because we turn it into an academic exercise rather than a real life things that happened. Right. And so I just think it’s a sin. I think it’s a sin to make God’s word boring. Yeah. I just I think it’s it’s an affront. It’s it’s an attack on God himself when we intentionally make the word of God boring. So I take that compliment as a massive compliment that it was both educational and fun.

Chris
Oh, wow. Yeah. Wow. An attack on God himself, I think so.

Jeff
Strong words. Hey, I can tell you this. He did not give us this book to put us to sleep with it. Yeah, he didn’t give us this book to to exhaust us mentally. He didn’t give us this book to bore us to death.

Chris
Well, my good friend Dave Wilson says, uh, if you if you’re ever preaching and you look out and you see somebody sleeping, wake up the preacher.

Jeff
Yeah, exactly. That’s the truth.

Chris
Yeah, it is true.

Jeff
Yeah. So what a compliment, man. Yeah, I take that. I don’t think it’s entertainment for entertainment’s sake. Although when we do these goofy segments at the beginning, what made Chris mad this week? That’s just pure entertainment. But it’s because I delight in it. That’s funny. But but for the most part, learning to laugh, learning to see the the wonder, uh, seeing the things that, uh, God wants us to see. The joy of it, I think is really important. So thank you so much. That was a huge compliment, I think, to us. So thank you, Lisa. Awesome. Yeah. All right. Well, hey, we are continuing in what is traditionally called the sermon on the Mount. Yeah. You’ll notice yesterday when we read, uh, Matthew and Luke, Luke had it kind of written a little bit differently. Some people believe some scholars believe that this wasn’t one great big long message because in Matthew it’s Matthew five six and seven, three chapters in one message. What they think maybe is that, uh, Matthew combined the themes of the messages Jesus preached, because we know that he said more than could be contained in the books. He did more than could be contained in the books. And so maybe it was a summary of all the big teachings of Jesus. And so, uh, we’re moving on. Then in Matthew chapter five, we’re actually.

Chris
Talking about three topics. The first one, salt and light. The next one is about the law. Yeah. And then the third talk about the third topic that Jesus covers is anger. Anger.

Jeff
What made Chris angry this week? No. Stop it. That’s the segment we should have done. Okay, so here we go. In Matthew chapter five verse 13, we read in the New Living Translation it says, you are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It’ll be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father. Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth. Until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. But I warn you, unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that our ancestors were told you must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment. But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment. If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the the court. Jeff
If you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell. So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person, and then come and offer your sacrifice to God. When you’re on your way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge who will hand you over to an officer and you’ll be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you’ve paid the last penny.

Chris
That’s a that’s a lot of content.

Jeff
Boy, he covered a bunch there, didn’t he?

Chris
Yeah. Well, let’s talk it. Let’s talk about it chronologically. Let’s go for it. Let’s go for.

Jeff
Slight.

Chris
Yeah. So, uh, so you are the salt of the earth, but what good is salt if has lost its flavor? I remember being 15, and I remember there was a kid in my youth group, uh, named Billy Joe Murray, and Billy Joe was going to Bible college, and he came back and the youth pastor let him speak, and he did a whole sermon on salt. He talked about the dynamics of salt. He says, if you think about it, salt heals when you gargle. Yeah, yeah, right. Salt stings. And he talks about the benefit of like, you know, uh, how the word of God can sting in a good way. Yeah. Uh, that salt, uh, uh, keeps you safe. You know, it melts, right? It melts, you know, and he just went on and on on it preserves salt, preserves salt, adds flavor. And I remember him going on and on about the value of salt. And and if we’re the salt of the earth, then we are called to bring all these valuable dynamics, uh, to the world. Yeah. And assault that has lost its flavor. It’s it’s it’s it’s no, it’s not good. And so salt.

Jeff
Is made to have impact.

Chris
That’s right.

Jeff
It’s useless without impact. Right.

Chris
And so it says it’s good. It’s to be trampled on under the foot is worthless. And so what they would do is a salt that wasn’t you know, they couldn’t be used to preserve meat and things like that, uh, was just thrown out under the ground and it actually served, uh, one purpose. Uh, you know, sometimes they would actually sprinkle it on the roof, uh, of a of a, of a house that had, like, a flat roof and, uh, but it was, you know, it was, it was the worthless salt that, you know, you crunched on when you walked. Right.

Jeff
So salt needs, uh, salt is made for impact and requires contact. Right. So if you want to taste salt, you have to put it on your tongue. Right. And then it makes the flavor and salt. Uh, by the way, salt isn’t supposed to be a flavor by itself. So salt is supposed to exaggerate all the other flavors. That’s. So if you get the salt content right in in a recipe, it shouldn’t just make it go, oh, wow, that’s too salty. It should just make everything else taste more dynamic because it wakes up that those parts of your tongue. But it requires contact if you’re going to if you’re going to melt ice, salt has to be spread and in contact with the ice, right. If it’s going to cure meat, it has to be in contact, totally wrapping the meat. So it’s made for impact, but it requires contact. That’s awesome. I know, and I just made that up. No you didn’t, I sure did. I never heard a message like that. It just dawned on me. Yeah yeah I know. Wow. It just it just flows sometimes. Hey.

Chris
Here comes again. That’ll preach, right? That’ll preach. Yeah. Because that that’s amazing actually. That’s good. Uh, that’s that’s really a great concept. And then uh, the next verse says you are the light of the world. So he goes from salt to light. Yeah, yeah. So just like salt is incredibly valuable. Yeah. He said that’s what you are. And then he says you’re the light. Well, everybody knows in a world of darkness, or I should say in a practical room of darkness how valuable light is. And he said, you’re like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. And back then they would build cities strategically on hills, and then they would build walls around them so that they could not be overthrown. Because if you build a city on flat land, it’s a lot easier to overtake that city, right? Yeah. So, so great cities were the ones that were known to be great because they weren’t able to be overthrown. We’re always on a hill, and you’d look up and I remember being in Israel and you were there where they would say, see the top of that hill? Top of that hill is where the great city was and the city walls. I remember where they hung Saul up there, remember? Yeah, yeah. And you can see the bastion and you can see the ruins of that city. And it was on this massive hilltop and it was really cool. Yeah.

Jeff
So light, um, is a thing. Darkness is not a thing. Darkness is the absence of power. Light is the power. But it’s interesting how often Christians get afraid of the darkness. We’re afraid of the evil around us. We’re afraid of all these things. Uh, but light is the power. And so that’s our job. And again, light is made for impact. Always. Um, so. And requires contact. So. Yeah. So. Yeah, those two go together. And it’s interesting that he’s not saying I’m the salt of the earth and I’m the light of the world. Right. He’s saying you are right. So if you ever think you know what, God should do something about God’s like, I know. That’s why I sent you. You’re the salt and the light, right? Right. Yeah.

Chris
And I love how he says you’re the light of the world. Uh, a city that, you know, uh, sits on a hill cannot be hidden. Then he says nobody takes a lamp or a light and puts it under a basket, but he puts it on a on a on a lamp stand. Right, right. So so in other words, what he’s saying is, is, is a light is meant to shine, a light is meant to shine, and it’s meant to give light to the whole house to benefit from it. So if you’re the light of the world, uh, don’t pretend you’re not a light. Don’t act in contrary to a light. Right? Don’t hide your light right. Let it shine. Right. And so this is where we get a lot of our Sunday school songs.

Jeff
Yeah, yeah. This little let it.

Chris
Shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Jeff
Every once in a while you’ll hear somebody say, you know, at work I don’t really talk about my faith. I’m kind of an undercover Christian. And or at school. I’m an undercover. That was never Jesus intent. Don’t don’t, don’t don’t be under the cover. Don’t be. Let your light be hidden under a bushel. So, hey, we should move on if we’re going to cover all these. So Jesus teaches about the law, and he said, I didn’t come to abolish the law. I came to fulfill it. And that’s a surprise to some people, because a lot of a lot of people want to go, hey, Jesus, got rid of all the rules. And Jesus said, I didn’t. I didn’t come to get rid of the rules. I came to fulfill them. Right. There’s a big difference between those two things. So the note, you know, we love the Life Application Study Bible, and maybe they’ll be able to say this quicker and better than we can. It says if Jesus did not come to abolish the law, does that mean the Old Testament laws still apply to us? He says in the Old Testament, the law can be understood to have three dimensions ceremonial, civil and moral law. Ceremonial law related specifically to Israel’s worship. Um, for example, he gives all kinds of in Leviticus. He gives all kinds of laws about how the how the tabernacle or temple should be built, the sacrifices, all those kinds of things. Its primary purpose was to point toward Jesus Christ. These laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus death and resurrection, because they were all symbols of his death and resurrection. The civil law applied to daily living in Israel, like Deuteronomy chapter 24, tells about how to do all the civil legal things in the country, because modern society and culture are so radically different from that time in setting all of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically, but the principles behind the commands are timeless. Jeff
So God gave laws for the nation of Israel to function as a nation, and then he also gave the moral law such as the Ten Commandments. And this is the direct command of God, and it requires strict obedience. So when it comes to the religious law, Jesus fulfilled the religious ceremonial law. Yeah. When it came to the civil law, those were for the nation of Israel, but those were not imposed on other nations. They’re good advice. And many of our laws and our nation have been built historically built around those laws. That’s why on our Supreme Court, there’s, uh, Moses is sitting up in the carving up above the entrance to the thing is, because the laws of Moses, the civil laws of Moses, our founding fathers used to develop, you know, some of our civil laws, but those aren’t imposed on us as a nation. But the moral laws. Turns out Jesus didn’t, you know, banish, don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie. Right. So the moral laws of God, um, he didn’t come to do away with either. So he came to fulfill the ceremonial laws, and he he expects us to follow the moral laws when it came to the civil laws. Those are up to the nation to do. Yeah.

Chris
That’s awesome. Yeah. And, um, and then I like how he goes straight into, uh. But I warn you, unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of the religious law of the Pharisees, you’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven. And what he’s trying to say is, the law is never going to get you to heaven. Yeah, yeah.

Jeff
If you’re trying to count on the law to get you there, it’s not possible.

Chris
And he’s saying like, okay, even pick the most righteous person you know, okay. Unless your righteousness is better than theirs. Yeah. And what he’s really saying is, no, nobody can achieve the righteousness. Right? Because later on in the scriptures we understand what he’s meaning because God’s Word doesn’t contradict itself.

Jeff
Right? This isn’t original with me, but I’ve used it multiple times and one of the best ever. I was on an airplane and I was sharing the gospel. This guy asked me what I do for a living. I said, oh, I’m a pastor. And then he goes, oh, I’ve got some questions. So how do you go to heaven? Literally, that’s what he asks me. And normally I put my headphones on and I read a book or watch a movie or something. So I’m not normally very conversational on airplane, but he asked, so I said, okay, so we start talking about the the gospel, start talking about that we’re all sinners. And he said, you know, I hear people say that. And I just I think I’m going to say I disagree with it. And I said, okay. Uh, and we had our napkins. They brought us our little drinks, you know, say a napkin, took a pen out, and I drew a ladder. Have you ever seen that illustration? The ladder illustration? I’m not sure yet. So. So I have a I drew a ladder and I said, okay, let’s say when it comes to sinlessness perfection, let’s just put God at the top. He’s the one who said it, right? Yes. And I said, and then who would you say is and this was back in the 90s, who would you say is like the holiest person on the planet? And he, without a hesitation, goes, oh, uh, Mother Teresa. So I said, and is she perfect? Is she like God? He goes, no, I said, where should we put where should we put her on the ring rung and he put her two rungs down from God. I said, okay, great. I said, who’s the other person that you would say? Jeff
Of course, back in the 90s. He goes, no, no, uh, Billy Graham, Billy Graham, Billy Graham. And I said, so I read Billy Graham’s book, and Billy Graham said he doesn’t feel worthy to be around Mother Teresa. He said that in his book, he feels less than her. So let’s just put his name right below her. So we put her Billy Graham’s name underneath Mother Teresa’s name, and he goes, yeah, that seems fair. I said, so now I’m a pastor. I said, I spend my whole life trying to do good. Uh, we feed thousands of people and we counsel people for free and we help teenagers. And I used to work with gang members in Chicago getting them out of gangs. And we run recovery programs, and I’m just building up all the good deeds that we do. I said. So I certainly don’t feel like I’m level up to Billy Graham. So I went two rungs below Billy Graham and I wrote my name, and then I handed him my pen. I said, so where would your name go on this list? And he sat there for a minute, and there’s only like three rungs left on the bottom. So he’s contemplating, is he above mine? Because I left two blanks above mine or whatever. So he puts his right up underneath my name. And I said, okay, so Romans 323 says, all have sinned. We’ve all missed the mark. So God’s the mark. Mother Teresa says she misses the mark. Billy Graham doesn’t live up to Mother Teresa. I don’t live up to Billy Graham. And apparently you’re right below me. So I think we’re all agreeing. We all miss the mark, right? It’s not possible to live a perfect life. That’s all I’m saying.

Chris
Well, Romans also says there is none righteous. No. Not one, not one.

Jeff
Well, first John says, if you claim to be without sin, you’re deceiving yourself, right? And the love of God is not in you.

Chris
Yeah.

Jeff
Yeah. Right. And so it was funny. And he goes, I see what you’re saying. It was like a switch flipped. And he goes, oh, I get it. I said, I’m not saying you’re a bum. I’m not saying you’re a horrible human. I’m just saying none of us measure up. Yeah. And that we all need God to bridge that gap. And so what Jesus is saying is, dude, if you’re trusting in your own good works, you’re never going to make it.

Chris
And so one time when I was a high school pastor, I remember going over to somebody’s house and, and I said something about like, uh, like, that’s you’re such a fool or something. Oh. And she said, and she goes, oh, I always heard in the Bible that if you called somebody a fool, yeah, you go to hell.

Jeff
I talked about the idiots driving up and down Hall Road, and we had this guy who started stalking me over it. Wow. Yeah, yeah, like threatening me over it. He, like, lost his mind for for months. I’m serious. I’m not joking. Like we had to call the cops. It got so bad because I called the people who drive on Hall Road. Idiots. Wow.

Chris
Yeah, well, it’s. And this translation, it says idiots, right? Yeah. But in in the translation and other translations, it says fool or rock, you fool. Yeah. Raqqa. Raqqa which is. You fool. Yeah. And so and so it’s interesting because he says, uh, uh, you’ve heard that you must not murder. Right? That’s in the Ten Commandments, right? Yeah. He goes, if you commit murder, you’re subject to judgment. But I say, right, he’s introducing a new thought. Yeah, but I say, Jesus, that if you’re even angry with someone, you’re subject to judgment. If you call someone an idiot or a fool, you’re in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse somebody, you’re in danger of the fires of hell. So here’s what he’s really saying, and here’s what people take it to mean sometimes. Oh my goodness. So I can call you anything in the book. But I must not call you an idiot or a fool, right? Right. That’s not what he says, because that’s because that’s worse than anything else. Right. And apparently that’s there’s some sort of a special, uh, curse on that. And I and I said, no, no, no, you don’t understand. He had just come off talking about the law, and he was trying to say, none of you can’t use the law to obtain the amount of righteousness to get to heaven, right? And even though the Pharisees thought, uh, you know, by keeping all these laws, uh, I’m really I’m really good. Yeah. And what Jesus is saying is you’re way worse off than you think you are, right? Because, sure, you don’t kill anybody, but you still call somebody fools, right? And you’re still angry at somebody. And guess what? This sin and this sin. Chris
They’re still sins, right? They’re all sins. Right? And so. So you’re in judgment here and you’re in judgment here. Uh, one has more earthly consequences, right? But when it comes down to it, they’re both sins, and both disqualify you from the righteousness to get you from heaven.

Jeff
So you’ve heard of the argument of the difference between the the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Yeah. And so the Pharisees followed the letter of the law. Right. But Jesus is saying, God, hold us accountable to both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. The spirit of the law is so the letter of the law is, don’t kill people. The spirit of the law is you shouldn’t even hate people. You shouldn’t. You shouldn’t allow your anger to get to the point where you despise people. That’s the same if you wish. They weren’t even on this planet, right? That’s the same. And so he’s he’s calling us to follow the spirit, both the letter and the spirit of the law. And Jesus says it’s just not possible.

Chris
Well.

Jeff
But we should we should strive to it. But it’s not possible to get us to heaven that way. Right?

Chris
And then he goes on and says, uh, you know, you say, uh, you’ve heard that, you know, don’t commit adultery.

Jeff
Yeah. That’s well, that’s tomorrow.

Chris
Oh, okay. I’m jumping ahead. Yes. You’re okay. Okay. Sorry.

Jeff
So so we can finish this whole conversation tomorrow for sure.

Chris
And I’ll just say this. I’ll just say that, uh, uh, when he talks about anger, he talks about, um, uh uh, remember that someone always has something against you. Leave your sacrifice here at the altar. Go be reconciled to that person. And then that’s the whole thing. We didn’t even get the chance to cover. I know, yeah, because we’re talking about so much other things. So. So it’s already. It’s already at our time. Yep. So, uh, I would just say that, uh, go and read as homework Matthew 521 through 25 and, uh, and focus on that if you if you’re curious. So hey, we’ll see you next time on The Bible Guys.