FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY- February 8, 2026

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20

[Jesus said:] 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can

its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and

trampled under foot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 People

do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the

lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light

shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your

Father in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have

come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass

away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is

accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these

commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the

kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great

in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that

of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

A Preview for Sunday…..

The chaplain for family camp should go on the night hike, right? You know the one

where flashlights are doused and one spends time letting the eyes adjust and off we

go tramping along the trail. Except…my eyes adjusted very slowly. I stood stock

still afraid to move. It felt like hours, but was likely a minute or two. A voice next

to me said, “I’m with you, just follow my voice and we’ll take it nice and slow.”

The helplessness and vulnerability I felt mingled with gratitude that someone

would see me in need and would take time to accompany me until my eyes

adjusted. Being a preacher, I already decided such an experience was a ‘lived

sermon’. Sometimes we need others to be our ‘eyes’ or to light the way for us.

Sometimes we are that light for others.

As Sunday approaches, the sermon crafting leans in the direction of how the

church (as part of the “all you all” who are light of the world) might shine its light.

The question matters because ours is a world where creation is reduced to

something to make money from, where compassion and empathy are considered

weak and wrong, and even a world where in some places far away (and othersdistressingly near) human dignity is stripped away and rights are violated as

governments dispatch people with weapons to scare their own people into

submission. And Jesus says to those ‘on the margins’ “all of you already ARE the

light of the world…so find a way to shine”. Maybe some of those night hike

lessons would come in handy again?