“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NASB)
We have just finished discussing Jesus’ illustration of salt in the following posts. I recommend reading them first if you haven’t already.
We now turn our attention to the second illustration, the light of the world.
Light of the World
Jesus’ second illustration is that of light. You are the light of the world. Just like the salt illustration, the light is not an option. The light of the world is what you are. A Christian can no more cease to be light than they can cease to be human. As Jesus is going to tell us, you can try to hide the light, but you can’t just stop being light. There are three main uses for light that help us understand this illustration.
Use #1: Light Abolishes the Darkness
Wherever light touches, darkness is vanquished. That is why we have shadows. If the sun is coming up on one side of a building, you will notice a long, dark shadow on the other side. It is because the light is not touching that area. But later in the day, when the sun is on the other side, that shadow is completely gone. Why? Because the light is now there. Everywhere the light touches, the darkness is destroyed.
Ephesians 6:12 says,
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
We are the outposts of Christ’s kingdom, the kingdom of light. And we are to be actively speaking and living His light into the darkness of this world. In doing so, we are instruments of the King in His mission.
“…then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-25)
This is a take-over! Jesus is putting the enemies of God under His feet. He is conquering the darkness. And He will succeed. So much so that the voices in Revelation 11:15 are able to proclaim, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” God’s people, as His light in the world, advance His kingdom reign whenever they live faithfully for Him. The light abolishes the darkness.
Use #2: Light Exposes What’s in the Darkness
Once light hits darkness and abolishes it, everything in that darkness is revealed. Our presence in this world is not only meant to push back the spiritual darkness in it, but to expose the sins that are hiding within it.
Every person is born in the darkness. We are all born sinners. When you are born into pitch black darkness, and live your life in it, you are blind to everything around you. But when someone turns on the light, everything is revealed.
That is what we do. We turn on the light. The way we live in purity according to the Word of God exposes the impurity in the lives of those who are living against it. When we share and proclaim the Gospel, the first thing that happens is the light revealing the sinful condition of those who hear us. You are the light of the world.
That is why so often people avoid contact with Christians at all costs. They don’t like what they see in themselves when they see Christ in others. But this is just the beginning. This leads to the best part, which is the third use.
Use #3: Light Illuminates the Path
For the person stuck in the darkness, unaware of the danger they are in, the light exposes the danger. It reveals all of the filth and sin they have been blind to all this time. However, the light also reveals the way out. When the light is turned on you can clearly see the path forward.
The Church boldly speaking and living according to God’s Word is the only way that people are going to know they are lost. And it is the only way they will know they need to be saved. It is rare that someone just picks up a Bible, reads it, and gets saved. The vast majority of testimonies from someone turning to Christ include someone telling them the good news of salvation.
Light in every Sphere of Life
Jesus gives us two different examples of light in verse 15. The first is a city on a hill. This is the most public and open place possible. Everyone can see it. Likewise, we ought to be living as light in public for all to see.
Perhaps the more challenging example is the second one, the lamp in the house. Home is the most private and intimate setting. This is where you dwell with those you dearly love, not just random strangers. It’s easy to be unashamed of Christ around people you don’t know. But at home, around your family and friends, is another story. These are the people who can do emotional damage to you with their responses. Random strangers can reject you with little personal harm. The rejection that comes from those you hold close is crushing. Is it any wonder that many Christians don’t think twice about going on foreign missions and helping with outreach programs, yet at the same time struggle to share their faith with their friends, family, and coworkers?
You are the light of the world. There is no off switch. In every context, whether at home or in public, you are the light.
The warning He gives here is that you do not seek to hide it. Your very purpose is to abolish and expose the darkness, illuminating the path to life. If you seek to hide the light that is within you, you are robbing yourself of your God-given purpose. That is why the hidden Christian is always a miserable Christian.
Living as Light
Verse 16 tells us to “let” our lights shine. I find it very interesting where the effort is placed here. The effort is not in shining the light, but in concealing it. The message is to let it shine.
Think about it. The genuine Christian naturally desires to live faithfully to God’s Word. When the surrounding culture is involved in something that you know is sinful, it makes you uncomfortable. You naturally want to avoid it. When you decide to go along with it anyway, it is not because you didn’t make enough effort to shine your light. The light naturally shines. You made the effort to suppress your light in fear of isolation and persecution.
You don’t have to get up in the morning determining to intentionally do Christian stuff in front of people. It’s not that complicated. The Spirit wants to shine through you. Just let Him. Don’t fight it. Study God’s Word, live what it says, and let the consequences be what they may. If you do that, God will use your life to abolish darkness, expose sin, and light the way to life for those who will come.
Subscribe for free or try 7 days of full access.