"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden ; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, 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
Before we get into this very used piece of scripture we have to lay some ground work before hand.
Isn't it amazing the vast differences between light and darkness. Through scripture the writers often compare unbelievers and believers by things that are completely different. In Ephesians 2 Paul expresses the difference between dead people and people that are alive. Pretty big differences in the way life is lived between the two I would say. Here we have Jesus using light and darkness and there are many more throughout the scripture the problem that we seem to be having in the Church is continually trying to look more and more like the very thing they are not. Instead of being these blinding Lighthouses we are choosing to be night lights. Instead of being alive and living as such, we are settling for being coma patients spiritually. We don't want to stick out to the world because that would make our lives uncomfortable.
Isn't it amazing the vast differences between light and darkness. Through scripture the writers often compare unbelievers and believers by things that are completely different. In Ephesians 2 Paul expresses the difference between dead people and people that are alive. Pretty big differences in the way life is lived between the two I would say. Here we have Jesus using light and darkness and there are many more throughout the scripture the problem that we seem to be having in the Church is continually trying to look more and more like the very thing they are not. Instead of being these blinding Lighthouses we are choosing to be night lights. Instead of being alive and living as such, we are settling for being coma patients spiritually. We don't want to stick out to the world because that would make our lives uncomfortable.
A life of comfortable Christianity gets us to this- So instead of standing up for the kid that's getting picked on we say nothing because, let's be honest, we aren't making fun of him so really we aren't doing anything wrong. Instead of standing up and not laughing at that crude joke we laugh along because, let's be honest. we didn't tell the joke so we didn't really do anything wrong. Instead of giving God our time in His word on a daily basis we get a verse sent to our phones and read it quickly and say, hey at least I got some bible today and go on with our lives. Instead of talking to our unbelieving friends about what Jesus is doing in our lives, we leave out His name and just accredit it to ourselves or our parents because, let's be honest, I don't want to bring up Jesus's name and make them feel weird. I don't want to bring up Jesus because I know what they are going to say, "So what are you saying?? That I'm going to Hell just because I don't believe in Jesus?" and that would just be uncomfortable and Jesus wouldn't want that. Jesus doesn't want me to be uncomfortable he wants me to just live my life and work on my relationship with Him. Jesus wouldn't want them to feel uncomfortable about their lives because I know he doesn't want to make me feel uncomfortable in mine. This is the very real danger that we have in this world today as believers. We are worshiping a Jesus, who no where throughout scripture, exists.
The scariest part about this is many believers think that this is ok. I want you take a moment and think about what being a Christian really is. What does it really mean to say that I'm a Christian. What Christians are, for better or for worse, are physical representations of Jesus Christ. When you call Him Lord what you are saying is "You have control over every aspect of my life even the ones that are dirty and disgusting because you bought me with your blood." 1st John 3:1-2 puts it this way-
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is."
1 John 3:1-2
Basically what John is saying is you are a child of God and ,just like your earthly parents, as you grow you are going to look more and more like them because you belong to them. And if you want to add to that look at what 1 John 2:6 says-
Now back to the scripture of Matthew.
"YOU are the light of the world."- Yes YOU are. Jesus, talking to His disciples said this, and He is saying it to you as a believer right now. If you want to change the world through the power of the Gospel YOU need to do it. YOU as a believer need to to be the change. YOU need to be the light in the darkness of this world.
"A city on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house."- Christians should be incredibly awful hide-n-go seek players in this world. We should stick out like a sore thumb and it should be obvious to the world that we are different. It will be impossible for the world to mistake you for being anything other than a Christian. You CAN NOT be hidden when you are a Christian because the way you live your life should be incredibly different than the way the world lives theirs!
"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."- This is the most crucial part of these verses because without it we would easily get prideful and swollen heads. The entire point of being this light in the world is show the Word Jesus. The only light we have is from HIM! What Jesus is saying is people are going to see YOUR light and know it's MY light. Paul in Galatians puts it this way-
"the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."
1 John 2:6
When we walk as He walked we are going to look more and more like Him. Jesus life was the opposite of comfortable and Jesus NEVER promised your life was going to be comfortable or easy when you signed up to be a Christian. He promises us many amazing beautiful things but comfort and an easy life is NOT among them. We as Christians need to be open to the idea whether it be in a school or college or about to get married where ever Jesus has us that His goal for our life at that time is not for us to be "comfortable" but rather it's to honor Him. To represent Him and His name wherever we go.
Now back to the scripture of Matthew.
"YOU are the light of the world."- Yes YOU are. Jesus, talking to His disciples said this, and He is saying it to you as a believer right now. If you want to change the world through the power of the Gospel YOU need to do it. YOU as a believer need to to be the change. YOU need to be the light in the darkness of this world.
"A city on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand and it gives light to all who are in the house."- Christians should be incredibly awful hide-n-go seek players in this world. We should stick out like a sore thumb and it should be obvious to the world that we are different. It will be impossible for the world to mistake you for being anything other than a Christian. You CAN NOT be hidden when you are a Christian because the way you live your life should be incredibly different than the way the world lives theirs!
"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."- This is the most crucial part of these verses because without it we would easily get prideful and swollen heads. The entire point of being this light in the world is show the Word Jesus. The only light we have is from HIM! What Jesus is saying is people are going to see YOUR light and know it's MY light. Paul in Galatians puts it this way-
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Galatians 2:20
See the light that you are shining is not YOUR own light. You are shining the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you grasp the power of that? Do you understand what you are representing? When we choose to shine like a night light what we are saying is "This is how powerful my God is.". When we shrink away from those opportunities that the Lord has given us because they make us "uncomfortable" what we are doing is saying "That's who my God is.".
How are YOU representing the creator of the world on a daily basis? Are you representing a powerful amazing, loving, Creator with a light tower? Or are you representing the Lord God with a nightlight? What are you representing God to be? I'm not talking about beating people up with scripture and I'm not talking about shoving Jesus down people's throats what I am talking about is that who you are must be defined by the Lord and who you represent the Lord as is very very important to the world.
