Matthew 5:14-16

Light of the World

Last week we talked about Christians being the “salt of the Earth”. And now we come to another description of the Christian in the world.

These verses are so helpful to us because they show us exactly who we are in Christ and how we are to conduct ourselves in the world. We need direction and guidance in this world, and the Christian has but one place to look for that guidance.

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 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.

Now, before we look at this verse and what it means for us we must understand what is meant by “light”. Jesus refers to Himself as the “Light of the World” in John 8:12. So, what is meant by light here and how are we “the light” and Jesus is also “the light”?

First of all, the light is referring to God’s ultimate goodness and holiness in His character.

1 John 1:5 ESV

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

God is perfectly holy. There is no darkness in Him at all. He is absolutely perfect.

His character is such that HE CANNOT tolerate darkness or sin. He cannot even look upon it. I have been reading Numbers in my daily reading and I am reminded how strongly God feels about rebellion and sin. He absolutely hates the sin that drags us away from His will for us.

If God is “light” and Jesus is the “light of the world” then how are we considered “the light of the world” also here?

That is the question we will answer as we look into this.

Qualities of Light

Light is perfectly pure. Where does light come from? The light we see during the day comes from the sun right? Well, what about when it’s cloudy? Does that mean the sun isn’t as strong that day? No, it means that something has obscured the sun by covering it’s light some.

Light dispels darkness. What happens when you walk into a dark room and you turn on the light? Darkness immediately vanishes. Light is the only thing that can remove darkness.

This world is so dark. I am reminded so often how dark our world is by just looking around at the events around us. We have politicians that decide it’s legal for a woman to choose to kill her living child at almost any point. I want to read you a part of an article that describes how dark our world is.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require doctors to provide the same care for a baby born alive after a failed attempt at abortion as they would for any child of the same gestational age. After providing appropriate care, they would be required to ensure that the baby “is immediately transported and admitted to a hospital.”