Matthew 5 --light

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (v. 16)


Light is something that cannot be ignored. There are many uses for light in our world today, and Christ makes an adequate comparison in this verse. Many times, when we see light, it is a comfort to us. It shows that there is something there, something tangible that emits light; something, many times, man made. Let’s look at the value of light for a moment, then see how it applies to our lives.
Jesus tells us that we are the “Light of the world,” i.e. the hope of the world. The world does not realize it, but we are their light in the darkness, their hope of making it through the night. As a child, I used to visit my cousins up in northern Michigan quite often, and their farm community was quite a change for this city boy. When it got dark up there, it was very dark, so that one could not see the path he was walking on. We used flashlights a lot since the facilities were outside, far away from the house. I dreaded having to use the bathroom at night with all those “critters” that might be lurking about, but thank God for light! It was a guide for us, so that we did not stray off the beaten path. It served also as a comfort when we feared the dark, or the danger that may be lurking there. It was comfortable at night to sit by the kerosene lamps, and strum on a guitar, or read, or whatever we found to do, but the light made it possible. When the lights were out, there was not much going on, it was time to sleep. Light also can help the lost to be found. It is a rescuer for the lost.
Another time, while deer hunting up north, I lost track of the time, and was caught out in the woods after dark. I had no sense of direction, or no idea how to get back to the car. It was a scary feeling. Finally, after gaining my wits, I decided to head for any light I could see, knowing that there would probably be someone around. I did that, and, fortunately, I finally found my way out. I wasn’t really that far out in the woods, although I didn’t know it at the time. Anyway, I was thankful for light then.
We are all these and more to the world that is groping in darkness and fumbling along life’s path without a clue as to where they are headed. We need to realize that, though they do not admit it, or maybe even don’t know it, we are needed by them. They do not have the Light in Christ that we have, and we need to be their light. This we must do, of course, that the Lord might be glorified, and on His behalf.