Sunday

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

The curious thing about light is that it while it shines, it is not itself the source. Further, the nature of light is not to rail against the dark, but by its very presence repels darkness and reveals that which is hidden by darkness.

It seems maybe, as Christians, we might have lost sight of what it means to be light.
Being the light doesn’t mean revealing other’s sinfulness through our self righteousness. We have no righteousness in and of our selves. Like light, any thing that might shine in us as righteousness does not find its source in our self but in the Son.
Also, while this world is certainly shrouded in darkness, light does not rail against a dark world for being dark. Light repels. Light reveals. Light shines in the darkness so the eyes of those in darkness might see the Source.

Believers, being the light is not continually complaining about the darkness in the world. That is not being a light on a hill, but living in the valley.
Neither is being the light condemning those who are blinded by the darkness for being blind. The Scripture says they are condemned already. This is nothing more than hiding the light under a basket.

Being the light means to shine from the hill and gleam from the lampstand “before men” and “to all who are in the house.” Not by our words but by our works. Remember light does not rail, it repels and reveals. 

To what end does the light shine? Not for the purpose of showing a dark world a darkness it can’t see. Not to condemn blind people for being blind. Not even so the world “may see our good works.” The purpose of shining the light is so that by the light of good works darkness may be repelled so that the Source of the light might be revealed and “they may glorify our Father in heaven.”

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! May our presence today, wherever that might be, repel darkness, reveal the Son, and shine for the glory of God.