A Mission of Light
Christ's disciplies shine with the brightness of heaven
Commentary
In his corporal presence he prepared them; and his Spirit having moved on the darkened world, he unresistibly said, at the descent of the Holy Ghost, “Let there be light; and there was light;” beginning at Jerusalem, but not fixed to any determinate place. But what he gave them necessarily and antecedently, they were to exercise as free agents, by a command more resistible, which here he gives them. Having told them their office, and given them their names, verse 14: “Ye are the lights of the world;” he next tells them how they must be useful. They must be conspicuous, 1. Because the church where they are placed is like “a city on a hill,” which “cannot be hid.” 2. Because it is the end of Him that lighteth them and sets them up, not to put them under a bushel, but on a candlestick, to give light to all his house
1. By “light,” he meaneth both the illuminating knowledge which must be uttered by words, and the splendour or glory of holiness which must be refulgent in their lives
But it is not hypocritical ostentation of what they are not, nor of what they are and have, as for their own glory, to be honoured and praised of men; but for the glorifying of God, who is called “their Father,” to show their obligation to him, and to encourage them by the honour and comfort of their relation, and to show why their works will tend to the glorifying of God;—even
2. Their most eminent and convincing splendour is in their good works
Their light and good works are their own, though by the grace of Christ; and it is no injury to Christ, or his righteousness or grace, to say that they are their own.
God is not glorified by our adding to him, but by our receiving from him; not by our making him greater or better or happier than he is, but by owning him, loving him, and declaring him as he is, that we and others may thereby be wise and good and happy. He is his own glory and ours; and by his own light only we must know both him and all things. We are not called to bring our candle to show the world that there is a sun; but, to persuade them into its light, to open the windows and curtains, to disperse the clouds, and to open the eyes of blinded sinners.
Two sorts of scandalous persons rob God of his honour in his saints:—
(1.) Those that, professing Christianity, live wickedly, or at least no better than other men; whose lives tell the world that Christians are but such as they.
(2.) Those that slander and belie true believers, and would hide their goodness, and make them odious to the world.
We must so live, that men may see that indeed we take not ourselves to be our own, but God to be our absolute Owner; and that it is not ourselves, but he, that must of right dispose both of us and ours; and that we willingly stand to his disposal. “Ye are not your own.” (1 Cor. 6:19.
The genuine Christian hath an humble and cautelous understanding.—Sensible, when he knoweth most, how little he knoweth, and how much he is still unacquainted with, in the great mysterious matters of God. His ignorance is his daily grief and burden, and he is still longing and looking for some clearer light; not a new word of revelation from God, but a clearer understanding of his word
And what wonder if all the powers of darkness do bend their endeavours to obscure this sacred light? The prince of darkness is the enemy of the “Father of lights:” and this is the great war between Christ and Satan in the world:—Christ is “the Light of the world,” and setteth-up ministerial lights for the world, and for his house; his work is to send them forth, to teach them, and defend them, and to send his Spirit to work in and by them, to bring men to the everlasting Light; and Satan’s work is to stir-up all that he can against them, high and low, learned and unlearned; and to put Christ’s lights, both ministers and people, under a bushel; and to make the world believe that they are their enemies and come to hurt them, that they may be hated as the scorn and offscouring of the world; and to keep-up ignorance in ministers themselves, that, the church’s eyes being dark, the darkness may be great
This informeth you, that the good works or lives of Christians is a great means ordained by Christ for the convincing of sinners, and the glorifying of God in the world. Preaching doeth much, but it is not appointed to do all. The lives of preachers must also be a convincing light; and all true Christians, men and women, are called to preach to the world by their good works; and a holy, righteous, and sober life is the great ordinance of God, appointed for the saving of yourselves and others
No sooner is a man born unto God than he begins to affect his fellow-men with an influence which is rather felt than seen
The darkness, though it does not understand or love the light, is nevertheless compelled to yield to it; for the battle between light and darkness is short and decisive
The command, which he gives shortly afterwards, to seek concealment and a retired situation for their good works, (Matth. 6:4,) is intended only to forbid ostentation.
Again, we must observe, how graciously God deals with us, when he calls the good works ours, the entire praise of which would justly be ascribed to himself.
Some admire them, commend them, rejoice in them, and study to imitate them; others envy them, hate them, censure them, and study to blast them
Those about us must not only hear our good words, but see our good works; that they may be convinced that religion is more than a bare name, and that we do not only make a profession of it, but abide under the power of it.
The light-possessors become light-transmitters. Collectively believers are “the light.” Individually they are “lights” (luminaries, stars, Phil. 2:15)
Not under the bushel of the letter merely, or of officialism, or of our limited understanding, or of our narrow sympathies; but (b) on the candlestick of a sound confession, of ecclesiastical order, of spiritual liberty, and of a Christian life.