“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, NKJV).
Lightbearers
Light the world. Light the city. Light the house. Light the heart. Light the way.
Of all the magnificent purposes of a Christian living in the world, bearing the light of Christ into the chaotic darkness of Fallen creation is to me the most glorious, the most precious. Think for a second. One day in the future, the Lord will rip open the sky and declare Himself the only rightful Sovereign of the Universe, but until then, we, His Ambassadors, are to bear the beacon of His glory and power and love. What an incredible privilege!
As from a spiritual perspective followers of Jesus are an ever-expanding disturbance for good in the fabric of existence, so from that same perspective I believe we shine as brilliant stars of His radiance through the spiritual darkness in ways we cannot perceive or imagine. I suspect even the weakest among us, even the most carnal, are like bright flames in the blackness, unquenchable torches of Christ's oncoming victory against evil and death. And those of us who have purposed in our hearts to make Him the sole center of our hearts are as supernovas, blasting the darkness into eternal oblivion. How could it be otherwise? The Son of God Himself has invested us with His Spirit and glory, as He cries triumphantly in His High-priestly prayer, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (John 17:22, NKJV).
We are His lightbearers, recipients and reflections of His majesty and glory, chosen from before the foundations of the world to illuminate the entirety of existence with His radiance. We are vessels of unimaginable glory in common clay pots. The Apostle John elaborates on this same theme. And while many refer to John as the Apostle of Love (and who am I to argue), one of the most beautiful lyrical threads that is woven through his glorious Gospel is that of light. In fact, all 16 "light" verses in John (John 1:4,5,7-9; 3:19-21; 5:35; 8:12; 9:5; 11:9,10; 12:35,36,46) contain a central unifying theme: Jesus is the source of that which divides light from darkness, good from evil. It is what He came to show and do, and what He came to provide His children by faith.
It is also fascinating to me that even as far back as the Genesis creation account, we see light being created before there were any astronomical bodies to contain it. This leads me to believe that one of the primary purposes of spatial heaven is to reflect that quintessential Light of God. David says as much, as well: The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. (Psalms 19:1, NKJV). There is something about physical light then that is substantially representative of God's glory and radiance and majesty.
Paul also uses that creation of light and darkness to illustrate the same principle. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6, NKJV).
There is nothing more impacting in human interaction than simple, sincere, undiluted godliness. The kindness, for instance, that refers not at all the human giver, but is focused entirely on the recipient. The same is true of unselfish love and care, of generosity, of loyalty, of honesty, of doing what is right with a pure intent, of comfort, of protection, of provision, of mercy, of grace, of forgiveness. For one human to bestow any or all of these things on another, without thought of reward or payment of any kind, shines a blazing light into the darkness. I am not speaking of a self-serving, showy display of virtue, but a child-like gentleness of spirit that is both ACTION and INTENT done solely for the unadulterated benefit of someone else, especially someone else in need.
This is what the Lord is referring to in Matthew 5:14-16 above. We blaze into the darkness by displaying His character and love and priorities and righteousness. We are to DO this, not just THINK or TALK about it. The DOING is the shining part. And we are to do it in such a way as to not block out His radiance with our fleshly shadow. Of course, being godly in our own strength is futile. It is impossible. There is nothing intrinsically about us that is good. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. (Romans 7:18, NKJV). Yet, I as a believer have within me Christ's Spirit, and that is the true source of whatever radiance I might possess. His light is what I am to shine, and unless I step aside and get out of His way, all that the world will see is me, and that is a sorry sight indeed.
I can't do it, but He can through me. I don't know why, but that is how He wants it, planned it and decrees that it should occur. My part is to surrender and know this: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6, NKJV). That is the way we are to so shine before men, that they may see your [our] works and glorify [our] Father in heaven.
