cause us to sin? Jesus is using strong figurative language here. Whatever causes us to sin we need to get rid of.

..just as a surgeon might cut off a limb that is infected so that it doesnt contaminate the whole body. So the answer is yes, if any of those parts cause you to sin, chop them off, better to enter the perfection of heaven with one less hand or foot than to enter hell. But IS it really the hand, or the foot, or the eye that causes sin? When our hands commit sin, so we make them feel guilty for what they have done? Just a few weeks ago our gospel lesson was from Matthew ch. 15. Jesus was talking to the Pharisees who had accused the disciples of breaking the Sabbath by washing their hands. Jesus made the same point then as he does here in our text. Our outward actions are not the cause of sin, just like our hands and feet are not the cause of sin. Sin doesnt come from outward actions, rather Jesus said, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder,
adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20. These are what make a man unclean

Everyone will be salted with fire. 50. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.

If only separating ourselves from sin could be as easy as separating a limb from the body! But the problem of sin goes much deeper. It penetrates and fills our the very center of life within us. Sin hardens our hearts so that we want nothing to do with God and his love. In fact the Bible even says that as sinful humans we are actively hostile to God. Completely shut out from God and his forgiveness. Jesus makes an important point here. If we are to be salty Christians, the first part of us that needs to be seasoned is our hearts. Seasoned generously with salt. Where do we find that salt? We find it here, in Gods word. The salt that preserves our hearts is the free gift that Jesus gave to each of us as he was born as lowly child in Bethlehem, as he suffered and died, giving up the life in his own human heart, so that our hearts might HAVE life. Our hardened hearts were softened when Jesus entered into them through the water and word at our baptism, creating in us a faith that was able to receive Gods gift of forgiveness and life. That salt that God has given us is wonderful gift, its also a powerful gift, one that is to be used as God has given it. That idea is brought in the last words of our text.

Not too far from where Me and Kristin and Molly lived last year there was huge hill that stored probably broke some sort of garbage. Just a few days ago as we were driving by that hill, Kristin noticed that the hill was getting bigger, more garbage was being added. Jerusalem at the time of Jesus had a similar place. It was a garbage dump right outside of the city.. It was filled with maggots and rodents that were constantly feeding on the trash. They called that place Gehenna, which means. That s the greek word that used for Hell, in vs. 47 of our text. And like hell this place was constantly burning from all the refuse, just as the unsalted heart will suffer constantly from the fires of hell. In vs. 49 Jesus uses the idea of fire in a different sense. This time he uses it in connection with the salt of the gospel. He says that sometimes that salt will burn like fire in our hearts. It will sting us with Gods law, but it will also preserve us with his love. Gods salt gives us exactly what we need to be at peace I our lives, but of you take away the saltiness of the salt, that the same as taking away the very power of the gospel. Salt loses its saltiness when preachers and churches cheapen the gospel. They substitute mans words for Gods words. They mix a little sweetener into in the salt of Gods law, so that it doesnt burn too much. So that it still leaves some room for man to say theres something sweet in each of us that God has to love. Salt loses its saltiness when people water down the gospel. theyre has to be something more I have to do in order for my heart to preserved and saved, are you telling me its just a gift? There is no peace in a heart that is not filled with the true salt God gives us in his word. Thats why Jesus says, Have salt in yourselves. That why Jesus came to this earth. Thats Jesus will in a few days after our text enter into Jerusalem and boldly fmish the work that the Father sent him to do. Dear brothers sisters Be Salty Christians! Be filled with the salt of Gods word, and with a purified heart lead others to their Savior from sin, and be at peace with God who has taken away your sin. Amen.