Recently, I was reading through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. As usual, Jesus reveals how kingdom values are counterintuitive to the world.
In Matthew 5:14-16, He states, ““You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
At first, these verses appear to call believers to some sort of dramatic action that will shed light on a dark world. Maybe you instinctively think of an outspoken public figure sharing their testimony or a church placing a giant billboard with scripture in a high-visibility area.
While those are certainly great things that can glorify God, I’m not sure those are the kinds of things Jesus is referring to in this passage. Just look back at the preceding verses where Jesus is calling the disciples to be meek, merciful, pure in heart, and peacemakers. He suggests that the most blessed people are those who mourn, hunger and thirst for righteousness, and are persecuted for His sake.
Those are slightly different works than I typically think of when I consider how to “let my light shine.”
And yet, those are the very attributes that set Christ apart.
Although He spoke to large crowds, it is His humility that Paul calls us to imitate in Philippians 2. And even though He walked on water, it is His purity that allowed Him to be our atoning sacrifice to make peace between God and us. And although He healed the sick and raise the dead, it is the persecution he endured unto death that purchased our sin and His righteousness that make us pleasing to God .
The greatest light the world has ever known was placed on a stand called the cross. Therefore we shine the brightest when we imitate Christ in His humility, meekness, purity, and hunger for holiness. Why? Because in those moments, we put Christ on display by taking up our own crosses and following Him.
So, while speaking to large crowds and putting up gospel billboards is great, some of the brightest lights are seen when:
1) Praying constantly for a lost friend
2) Leaving an anonymous gift for a needy neighbor
3) Sitting with a grieving family in a hospital waiting room
4) Listening to the cares of someone whom the rest of the world has ignored
5) Associating with those who have fallen and are in need of grace
Even though these kind of acts will rarely draw attention to you, they will always draw attention to Christ –THE light of the world.