13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. – Matthew 5:13–14
“One of these things is not like the other…”
While we are seeing this line on a lot of (humorous or not so humorous) memes these days, Sesame Street fans know it was first made popular on the show. It was a recurring segment where three items of strong similarity were grouped on the screen with a fourth item that was clearly DIFFERENT. Perhaps you remember. A playful voice would sing this song of instruction as the items would move about on the screen:
“One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the other
By the time I finish this song?”
As you may remember, the “one thing” that did not belong was meant to be obvious enough for the core Sesame Street demographic to identify it and then cheer along with the other children on the show. The ease of the exercise is precisely why the line above has made its way on to contemporary memes that seek to highlight striking differences.
What’s the point? We are the “one thing.” We are called to be different from the world. We stick out. We are not supposed to be like the others. Our virtues, actions, and way of Christian life is to stand in stark contrast to all the other ways of the world. This Sunday, we will look again to Jesus’ teaching which is famously known as The Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus instructs His disciples to be different…to be distinct…to be not like the others…to be salt and light…to be a potent and piercing force in a dull and dark world.
Having studied the Beatitudes in our BLESSED series last summer, we look forward to now studying through the rest of Jesus’ earth-rattling sermon. As the weekend approaches, allow me to give you an inside scoop. The Beatitudes are key to the the rest of Jesus’ sermon. They are not just a nice list of virtues. They are the attributes that Jesus empowers His disciples to portray as we live as salt and light in this world. They are what make us “not like the others.” Take a few moments and read through Sunday’s text to see for yourself. Man, I cannot wait for Sunday! May we all come and go DIFFERENT! Be sure to listen to the worship set as you prepare for worship.
Love you, church!
Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor
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