Matthew 5:16
Thoughts from Jed Carpenter
Dive Deeper
“Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
Behind the Scenes
I was talking with a friend this week about being noticed. She is a beautiful person inside and out. But when people notice her, it makes her uncomfortable. She would rather remain behind the scenes, unseen and unnoticed. We spent some time talking about why as believers, we can no longer choose to hide, how we must be willing to be seen. But that is a good thing, because when we are walking with Christ, we get to be the light that shines for Jesus in a way that they look past us and see the Author of light, the Light of the world, Jesus Christ.
Our conversation made me think about this passage. Just a few verses back from our verse today, Jesus calls His people to be a city on a hill. What do we know about a city on a hill? Well for starters, it certainly isn’t hidden. It shines through the darkness and people’s eyes are instinctively drawn to it. It is seen from miles around. It is noticed and admired.
It also gives people an anchor, a light by which to orient themselves. When you are surrounded by darkness, it is often hard to know where you are going. But a city on a hill gives you an idea of what is where and what direction you need to go. Like a lighthouse directs ships back to land in the middle of a storm, a city on a hill also directs people home in the middle of the wilderness.
And the other thing it does is it breaks through the darkness. It pierces that heavy blanket of black that can feel so suffocating and reminds us that we are okay. The closer one draws to the city, the less the darkness engulfs us. It brings light, comfort, warmth, and hope.
Another analogy that Jesus used in this passage is that of a lamp. He points out that you don’t light a lamp only to hid it under a basket. Instead, you light it and put it on a lampstand so that it shines its light for all to see.
I got to thinking about that analogy too. What would happen if we lit a lamp and put it under a basket? Not only would it serve no purpose, but it wouldn’t stay hidden for long. The fire that creates the light inside that lamp would soon burn up that basket and set it ablaze. In the same way, the fire that is our salvation and the truth of Christ cannot stay hidden. It will burn up any “basket” we try to hid it behind. Or else it will be suffocated and the light will diminish. Either way, hiding it never works.
Make it Real
As believers, it can be tempting to keep the light of Jesus all for ourselves, to sit in it, bask in it, and stay safely tucked inside its warm glow. But Jesus called us to not only receive the Light of the world, but to go and shine it for the world to see. He calls us to pick it up and hold it high so that it can light the way for others who are still lost in the darkness. He calls us to be that city on a hill, that lamp on a stand, shining His light for all the world to see.
In the same way that the city and the lamp are still a city and a lamp without the light, we too can continue our lives afraid to shine. But neither the city nor the lamp is useful without the light. We instinctively know they are meant for more. A city is neither welcoming, safe, warm, nor helpful when devoid of light. A lamp is nothing more than a trinket or decoration without the light. So too are our lives when we don’t let the light shine.
Jesus calls us personally to shine in a way that He specifically made each of us to shine. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are His workmanship and that He created us for specific good works, that we would walk in them. You and I each have a very specific way we are called to shine the light. And this world needs exactly who and what God made us to be.
So, shine!
Shine bright! Don’t be afraid to stand out on that hill and shine into the darkness of the night. Don’t be afraid to be lifted up and seen as a light on a lampstand. Because in the end, what we are hoping for is that people will look at you and me so that they can see the true Source of light. We are just the instruments that God uses to shine that light. But oh, what a beautiful calling!
Let’s embrace that this week. Let’s boldly stand out on the mountain tops and shine the light of Christ into the night. Let’s not hide under a basket or be afraid to be seen. Because this world needs the light that is inside us. It needs it more than we can imagine. And we are each called to shine in our little corner of this world. When you all shine in your corner and I shine in mine, pretty soon, there isn’t a place that isn’t touched by the light. So, let’s shine bright!
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Lead
End in Prayer
Lord,
I want to shine for You! I don’t want to be afraid to stand out or be seen. I want to be bold in shining into the darkness, never afraid of what others will think. I want to shine Your light in the specific way that You have made me to shine. Thank You for calling me! Thank You for putting Your light inside me! I love You, Jesus!
Amen