It’s startling to think about really. Jesus said for those in him that we are the light of the world. Think about it. You are the light of the world. I am the light of the world.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
My first thought is inspiring. I truly am the light of the world. Because of Jesus. Like him.
My second thought is, oh no. I am not really a good light of the world. I have my challenges like everyone else.
But it is good to remind ourselves who we really are. We are light to those in darkness. Like stars in the night sky.
The second thing I think about is contemplating what Jesus meant when he says to live in such a way that others see your good deeds and glorify God.
At first it seems like this is a call to do good works and show off to them so that others can see. This goes directly against other Scriptures in the new number of verses that say that when you do good works, to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. So what does this mean?
In some ways if we see it flowing from the double portion of Scriptures on persecution, we can see that this is likely about that. Salt had become ineffective by impure attachments. And light becomes ineffective when it is hidden. So why would anyone hide light? Because it invites likely persecution.
If you stand for righteousness, the Scripture promises you will be persecuted. And this Scripture to affirms that. Persecution and righteous living are linked.
When persecution comes, people tend to shrink back, get more quiet, hide, and generally become less effective. We need more boldness within the spirit of the Beatitudes.
In this day and age it seems a lot more complicated. For example I’ve seen quoted lately the famous line by Edmund Burke, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Except that quotes such as these are often used from both sides of the debates. Everyone thinks they are the ones standing for righteousness. Sometimes the issues are fuzzy when we take “sides.”
At the end of the day the righteousness of God was about loving the poor, caring for the sick, tending to the widow, giving homes to the orphans, and living righteously in our relationships with each other. At the same time there are issues to stand for and not compromise.
Secondly we have to ask if our deeds are glorify to God, not ourselves. This Scripture is not a call to show off our deeds for the purpose of showing off. But to stand strong, uncompromising, and to care for others in such a way that God is glorified.
May we never be so impassioned about issues that we forget the simple truth of light is love one another in such a way that God is glorified.
