What Jesus Said About Our Lights
Matt. 5:13-16 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
In His beatitudes in His Sermon on the Mount Jesus uses two very precise and powerful metaphors to teach us the importance or our influence in the world in which we live. These analogies clearly and concisely describe the positive as well as the negative possibilities of the Christian’s influence. We have examined, “ What Jesus Said About Our Saltiness.” Let us look at, “What Jesus About Our Lights.”
Light, the symbolic object in His second metaphor, was very important in first century Palestine, as it is in every day and time. The role of light throughout the Old and New Testaments is clear. The Creator gave light from the beginning. It is significant that He was, is and always will be Light. A number of stories in the Old Testament center upon the essentiallity of light in man’s continuing existence.
The basic definition of light is important in understanding this metaphor. Light is the absence of darkness and darkness is the total absence of light. There is really no in between. Einstien’s laws of basic physics inform us that light can ultimately be equated with energy and mass. I am sure the Creator and Teacher gave us this expansive symbol as well to help us understand our responsibilities relative to the essential nature of our influence for good or evil. His command: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” makes this abundantly clear.
AS LIGHT, CHRISTIANS ARE TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. The metaphor is quite clear. We are to function to bring heavenly spiritual light into the dark recesses of our world. It is significant that Jesus makes an emphatic statement. He does not say we should be the light of the world. He makes it clear
that by virtue of our relationship to Him, we are already lights in the world in which we live. He informs us that we are already on prominent and public display. It is not a matter of whether or not our lights will shine, but how effectively we will light the world around us for grace and good. If we allow the brightness and brilliance of our lights to be darkened or hidden by sin, apathy or the cares and concerns of this world, we are hindering our Saviour’s intention for our lives.
Those reared in earlier times when kerosene lamps were common, knew the importance of keeping the glass chimneys of such lights clean. Dirt and soot built up quickly. The light emanating from the lamp would gradually dim. Regular cleaning was essential. The spiritual parallel is clear. Regular and contrite confession of sin and a drawing nigh to the Light source is absolutely necessary, if our lights are to shine as brightly possible. Each time I think of our Savior’s statement here, I think of our church building. It is set high upon a hill. At night, our flood light makes it visible to tens of thousands of automobiles passing up and down the M1 Motorway. This has a positive and prominent effect. When I have occasion to introduce myself as the pastor of our church in my door knocking or in every day life, it is common for someone to say something like this, “You mean that beautiful “old style” church building on the Motorway? The one that is illuminated at night? Every time I pass by I notice it and it makes me feel good that it is there.” Let us pray that our spiritual lights, individually and collectively, will always have a similar positive impact upon the world around us.
But I also think of a secondary impact of the light that illuminates our church. We need the light to reduce the risk of burglary or vandalism since we are rather isolated on acreage. This function is focused upon by other words of Jesus: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21) These words define in a wonderful way the dual purpose of our light. Light keep those with the evil intent of burglars and vandals away. But the true Light also draws people to the One who is the Truth and the Light.
But we should also remember that light reveals truth and exposes evil. Could this be the reason that people who are lost are not normally found flocking to churches where the gospel is proclaimed clearly, consistently and boldly? Is it also a commentary upon the absurdities involved in the concept of “seeker friendly” services that seems to be sweeping the evangelical church world today? Does it speak to the idea that if music is entertaining enough and preaching can be kept positive, inoffensive and minimal, then the crowds will come. The very idea that pleasing and positive platitudes can be devised to draw men to the light of the gospel without compromising the truth of it, is a clear scriptural contradiction. (See again John 3:20-21) Perhaps this is why Jesus said, “ . . so send I you . .” Could it be that since no lost person is commanded to come to church to hear the gospel, that every saved person is commanded to go into the highways and byways of this world with the light of the gospel.
It is important that we realize the source of our light and the purpose of its shining in our world of darkness. It is significant that the first recorded spoken words of God in the Bible are, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Gen. 1:3) This makes it clear that all light, spiritual and physical, emanates from our God. Later, God inspired Isaiah to write, “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, [and] his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth. . .” (Isa. 49:6-7)
It is clear that Israel’s role in their world was to shine God’s light into the world around them and that when Israel’s Redeemer would come He would embody in the flesh the real Light of men. John gives us the details of the fulfillment of this prophecy. (John 1:1-14) Just as Israel was called to reflect His light in their generations, so are we today in the age of the gentiles. Jesus said to his disciples, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21)
The apostles recognized the mission imperative involved in this connection. When the Holy Spirit led the first missionaries of record to surrender to the mission field and the church at Antioch to lay hands upon them and send them out, Paul and Barnabas identified themselves very closely with God’s purpose for the Son to come as the Light of the world. “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:46-48)
It would seem that these missionaries accepted God’s commission for their Savior to be a Light as His plan for them as well. God still desires to set the followers of Jesus as lights today. Just as these, we are called to reflect the Light, Jesus Christ, and point men to the Way of salvation. Jesus is the Light of the world. As the Light of the world He has taken up residence in the heart of those who are true believers and in a very special way in the midst of the local body of baptized believers. The light of the candlesticks in the tabernacle and temple foreshadowed this in a very real and beautiful way. In His seven letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor, Jesus consistently reminds us that the presence of the Light of the world in the midst of our churches is contingent upon our faithfulness in word and deed. He will not remain to illuminate the life of a body that departs from the faith as it was once delivered unto the saints.
esus and the writers of the New Testament had much to say about the contrast of light and darkness. We have already looked at two of our Savior’s statements about this. Paul in particular urges his readers to walk as children of light rather than children of darkness. “ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:.” Eph. 5:8) Notice he did not say that before we were saved we were in darkness, but that we were darkness. Once we are saved, we are light. It is impossible for darkness and light to coexist. The light of the Spirit will not coexist in a heart darkened by sin. When we are saved Paul’s statement regarding separation, “what communion hath light with darkness?” is clearly applicable. It is impossible to be in darkness and light at the same time.
What does it mean to walk in the light? Perhaps it is to walk with a clear awareness that God has X-ray vision. It may be comparatively easy to hide the intents and motives of our heart from those around us, they can only see the surface. But the eyes of God are in every place beholding both the good and the evil. The writer of the Hebrew letter said, “.. all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do..” (Heb :13) He looks not on the outward man, but upon his heart. Those who travel in our day of terrorism and heightened security are constantly reminded of the futility of attempting to conceal that which is not permitted from those charged with the responsibility of detection. We hope to travel soon. I will have nothing to hide and would say to the security people, “Just take your time.” I truly hope the passengers who travel with us are checked thoroughly and completely. “
Walking as children of light” means to live before the Lord the same way. When someone asked Spurgeon for permission to write his life’s story, it is reported he replied, “You may write my life in the skies. I have nothing to hide.” Walking as children of light would clearly involve letting our lights so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father Who is in heaven. Our character and conduct should be such as to reveal the character and light of God to a dark and dying world. Paul tells us that the gospel is hidden from the lost because their minds have been blinded and darkened by the god of this world. Our task is to walk as children of the light; reflecting and shining the light of his glorious gospel in such a way as to lead the lost out of Satan’s darkness into God’s wonderful light.
Each one of us has a light. The little children’s chorus says it simply and succinctly. We are to let our little lights shine individually and collectively into the dark corners and sinful recesses of the world around us. It is significate that light is still measured today in candle power. A measurement that states the equivalent number of candles required to collectively produce the light. A vast stadium requires so many candle power of light to illuminate it sufficiently for a sporting event to take place. A church sanctuary requires so
many candle power of light to drive back the darkness and make it conducive to praise and worship of the Lord and the study of His Word. We can envision this by imagining a mass of individuals each holding a single candle. I recall reading of a popular mass evangelist who gave individual candles one night to the thousands attending his crusade. The candles were lighted and the stadium lights were dimmed to illustrate this principle. It was reported that the mass of candles illuminated that stadium very brightly.
Our light is to shine out into our world in order for God to be glorified as men are guided to our Savior. He is Light. We cannot generate His Light. The light we have must come from Him. Much as the cold and lifeless moon reflects the hot and powerful rays of the sun, so we must reflect the powerful Light of the Son of God. When Jesus said we are to let our light shine before men, He did not say we should hold it up and shout, “Look at me! What a wonderful person I am! I am a Christian! Do you wish to be like me?” Quite the opposite. The only thing we have to boast about is our Savior and His righteousness. We are to live the sort of faithful, loving and productive Christian life that might move men to say, “He has been with Jesus. I would like to have what he has.”
Have you ever seen an eclipse of the moon? One moment the earth is bathed in beautiful reflected sunlight and the next the obstruction of the earth passes in front of it, a shadow appears and the light is shut out. The parallel is clear. When we allow the world to come between us and God our light is eclipsed. Then the people we are supposed to be showing the way to the Lord, stumble around in the darkness of our eclipse.
We are not to allow the Light to be hidden by a bushel of sin or apathy. In an old story a blind man walked down the street one night with a lighted lantern in his hand. Someone said to him, “Why do you carry a lighted lantern? You can’t see. It doesn’t do you any good.” He replied, “Oh, yes it does. It keeps other people from stumbling over me in the dark. The Christian should walk down the road of life with a light in his hand that those who are lost might not stumble over him into everlasting darkness and night.
It is clear Jesus used these two very precise and powerful metaphors to teach us the importance or our influence in the world in which we live. We have examined how these analogies clearly and concisely describe the positive as well as the negative possibilities of the Christian’s influence. The longest shadow we ever cast is our influence. It falls upon all and sundry around us. It can build up or break down. It can inspire or irritate. It can stagger or strengthen. It can wound or heal. It can be a source of burden or blessing. It can move others to delight or despair. Ultimately, it can lead others to reject or receive our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are personal soul winners know the feeling of despair and discouragement often felt when people give the common excuse of a hypocrite standing between them and the Lord. Sometimes it is only an excuse, but all too often a tale is told of a specific professing Christian relative, friend, businessman or work associate, whose immoral or unethical conduct has had a strong negative impact upon a lost person.
I just recently once again heard of a businessman who apparently had real reasons to say of the inconsistency demonstrated by a professing Christian businessman, “If that is what being a Christian is all about, I want no part of it.” Even though we know that the hypocrite ome might try to hide behind is usually closer to God than the Christ rejector, the sad eternal consequences of a negative influence remain. We also know the feeling of joy and victory when we hear of a faithful servant of the Lord whose influence, many times without their awareness, has been the factor that brought another to know the Lord.
I can recall the influence of group of Christian School students whose conduct as they rode a bus to school ultimately resulted in bringing a lost bus driver and his family of five to the Lord. He is now a soul winner in a sound New Testament Church and has led a number of others to the Lord also. I also remember a faithful mother who was a soul winner, yet she could never succeed in her direct witness to her agnostic husband. But her consistent and faithful influence was the tool God used to win him on his death bed. The same tool was used by God to bring her young son to the Lord on the day of his father’s funeral. He was to join his father in heaven exactly one week later as a result of a tragic traffic accident. I am sure Paul had such influence in mind when he said, “And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
