The Light of the World
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
Darkness is something we rarely experience in our modern, urban world. Our ancestors knew the terror of the night, when every breaking twig became an imagined threat and the moaning of the wind sent shivers down every spine. Nowadays, it is difficult to escape from the light. The clouds reflect the city’s glow. Even in the countryside, passing cars make the world as bright as day, even if only for a moment. But those who heard Jesus knew the value of the light, just as they knew the dangers of the darkness.
Jesus came as the Light of the world,[1] as the One who had been sent to those dwelling in darkness.[2] Those who chose to follow Him moved out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.[3] They were charged to bear witness to the Light, and to share that Light in a world still shrouded in darkness. That is our task, too! We are to so live out the values of the Kingdom that others will be drawn to Christ. We are the light of the world, not just because we reflect Christ, but because we share in His glory.
We are to be like a city set on a hill. Perhaps Jesus was thinking of Jerusalem, the bright light of the Jewish people, set on Zion’s hill? Or, perhaps, Jesus merely used an illustration familiar to those who lived in First Century Palestine. A city, raised above the plain brings light and security. It cannot be hidden. In the same way, we are to be like a lamp in the home, which one would certainly not place beneath a bowl. The purpose of a lamp is to illumine. The purpose of God’s people is to bring light where there is none, to expose the deeds of darkness, [4] and to lift up the Kingdom of God.
Once again, we should note the clear distinction between those who follow Christ and those who do not. We tend to think in shades of grey. We minimize our differences in order to attract others. This is a mistake. Our world represents the darkness because so many in it have lost their moral compass. In their confusion they call evil good. They live by their own lights, which are really not lights at all. In such a world, it is our responsibility to hold fast to Jesus, and to live as those who have been redeemed.
Lord Jesus,
Shine in me.
Burn away the blemishes that disfigure my witness.
Let me live for You alone.
Then, let me shine – not for my glory, but for Yours.
Like a city on a hill,
as a lamp upon a stand,
may I shine for You.
Amen.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
Darkness is something we rarely experience in our modern, urban world. Our ancestors knew the terror of the night, when every breaking twig became an imagined threat and the moaning of the wind sent shivers down every spine. Nowadays, it is difficult to escape from the light. The clouds reflect the city’s glow. Even in the countryside, passing cars make the world as bright as day, even if only for a moment. But those who heard Jesus knew the value of the light, just as they knew the dangers of the darkness.
Jesus came as the Light of the world,[1] as the One who had been sent to those dwelling in darkness.[2] Those who chose to follow Him moved out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.[3] They were charged to bear witness to the Light, and to share that Light in a world still shrouded in darkness. That is our task, too! We are to so live out the values of the Kingdom that others will be drawn to Christ. We are the light of the world, not just because we reflect Christ, but because we share in His glory.
We are to be like a city set on a hill. Perhaps Jesus was thinking of Jerusalem, the bright light of the Jewish people, set on Zion’s hill? Or, perhaps, Jesus merely used an illustration familiar to those who lived in First Century Palestine. A city, raised above the plain brings light and security. It cannot be hidden. In the same way, we are to be like a lamp in the home, which one would certainly not place beneath a bowl. The purpose of a lamp is to illumine. The purpose of God’s people is to bring light where there is none, to expose the deeds of darkness, [4] and to lift up the Kingdom of God.
Once again, we should note the clear distinction between those who follow Christ and those who do not. We tend to think in shades of grey. We minimize our differences in order to attract others. This is a mistake. Our world represents the darkness because so many in it have lost their moral compass. In their confusion they call evil good. They live by their own lights, which are really not lights at all. In such a world, it is our responsibility to hold fast to Jesus, and to live as those who have been redeemed.
Lord Jesus,
Shine in me.
Burn away the blemishes that disfigure my witness.
Let me live for You alone.
Then, let me shine – not for my glory, but for Yours.
Like a city on a hill,
as a lamp upon a stand,
may I shine for You.
Amen.
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