St. John's Lutheran Church - Des Moines, Iowa

Matthew 5:13-20In the reading from Isaiah, we are reminded that God desires inward fasting which leads to genuine acts of righteousness: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless. Observance of any outward fast which does not move the heart to acts of mercy are ineffective. The psalmist declares that God’s light shines in the darkness for those who are upright. For those enamored with human philosophy and wisdom, Paul speaks of God’s wisdom – the crucified and risen Christ. In Matthew, we hear Jesus’ encouragement to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.