Wednesday, June 29, 2022
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Light has an immediate pervading influence over darkness. You have likely never entered a room so dark that light did not overcome the darkness to some degree when you flipped on the light switch. Light permeates darkness.
As those who live life the kingdom way, as Jesus describes in the Beatitudes, we are declared to be light. He does not urge us to aspire to be light; He declares that we are. What He does direct us to aspire to is to let that light shine in such a way as to have an appealing impact on others around us. Properly directing our light to shine results in others glorifying our Father.
That which others ought to see of our shining light are our good works. Jesus clarified in Matthew 6 that these good works are not our personal prayers, financial giving, and fasting. These things are meant to be done in such a way as to not draw attention to ourselves. We can conclude, however, that the good works that ought to shine are the previous Beatitude qualities: our humble attitude and actions, our sincere desire for righteousness, our generous mercy, and our reconciling approach and actions.
To be “living light” is to resemble our Father, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” James 1:17. It is also said of Him, “that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” 1 John 1:5.
You may have heard the famous saying, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” As those who are the light of the world, this saying is especially fitting. The darkness of this present age is increasingly evident, and nothing is easier than bemoaning the downward spiral we are witnessing. But it is true that the light shines brightest in the darkness. Even as Jesus is the Light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5), we too shine in this time of great darkness. May we aspire, not to curse this present darkness, but to let our light shine such that we are beacons of hope for those lost in the darkness.
Pastor Steve
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Light has an immediate pervading influence over darkness. You have likely never entered a room so dark that light did not overcome the darkness to some degree when you flipped on the light switch. Light permeates darkness.
As those who live life the kingdom way, as Jesus describes in the Beatitudes, we are declared to be light. He does not urge us to aspire to be light; He declares that we are. What He does direct us to aspire to is to let that light shine in such a way as to have an appealing impact on others around us. Properly directing our light to shine results in others glorifying our Father.
That which others ought to see of our shining light are our good works. Jesus clarified in Matthew 6 that these good works are not our personal prayers, financial giving, and fasting. These things are meant to be done in such a way as to not draw attention to ourselves. We can conclude, however, that the good works that ought to shine are the previous Beatitude qualities: our humble attitude and actions, our sincere desire for righteousness, our generous mercy, and our reconciling approach and actions.
To be “living light” is to resemble our Father, “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” James 1:17. It is also said of Him, “that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” 1 John 1:5.
You may have heard the famous saying, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” As those who are the light of the world, this saying is especially fitting. The darkness of this present age is increasingly evident, and nothing is easier than bemoaning the downward spiral we are witnessing. But it is true that the light shines brightest in the darkness. Even as Jesus is the Light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5), we too shine in this time of great darkness. May we aspire, not to curse this present darkness, but to let our light shine such that we are beacons of hope for those lost in the darkness.
Pastor Steve