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
It would be difficult to overstate the centrality of light to the ongoing course of life. Light is necessary for most of the functions of daily living. Without light our agriculture would collapse. Light is so important to the created order that God set lights in the heavens to communicate signs and seasons, and even set a light (the moon) to govern our cycle of night (Genesis 1:14-18). Life in the absence of light, as for a person with total loss of eyesight or creatures in the far depths of the sea, requires extraordinary adaptation.
Our reflection today will attempt to “shed some light” on the teaching of Jesus. While I couldn’t resist the pun (the painfully small pun), this familiar phrase actually helps us appreciate what Jesus was teaching his followers when he called them “the light of the world.” The aspect of light Jesus obviously has in mind is its ability to guide and enhance understanding. Magi followed light to find Jesus. Headlamps and streetlights allow us to drive at night. A doctor, repairman, or anyone working on a task usually wants sufficient light on the work area. The cry of a frustrated worker often is, “I can’t see what I’m doing!” To “shed light” on a subject is to offer needed understanding so that decisions can be made well and goals achieved.
Jesus says that his followers function like light in the world. The images he offers would have been familiar to his hearers. The city on a hill that would immediately come to mind is Jerusalem. It literally is built on top of a mountain range. (This is why people always “go up” to Jerusalem.) But it is not so much the geography that matters here. Isaiah 60:3 declares of Israel that “nations will come to your light,” and Jewish teaching naturally understood Jerusalem to be central to that light-bearing work. Similarly, anyone who lights a lamp does so for the benefit of seeing. Putting a lamp under something that blocks the light doesn’t make sense. Instead, one places the lamp where the light can be most greatly dispersed.
John the apostle wrote that Jesus was “the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9). Jesus himself said (John 8:12), “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” He also said, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world” (John 9:5). We can only imagine how impactful it would have been to see his works with our own eyes, to hear his words with our own ears, to have our hearts enlightened by his very presence. Jesus is no longer in the world as he was 2,000 years ago. However, his disciples are and his Spirit is. Therefore, the light of Jesus is still in the world.
You and I live in a world that is flooded with knowledge. Scientific discovery is light years (I couldn’t think of a better term to use) ahead of what it was during Jesus’ day. Nevertheless, humanity is in no less need of the light of Jesus than we have ever been. All of the major contributors of New Testament epistles—Paul, Peter, and John—commonly refer to our human condition as “darkness.” It is an apt description. Even with all of our acquired knowledge and cultural refinement, we will never know the way to life without Christ. Just as the world desperately needs the “salt” of Christians, it needs our “light” as well.
So, Christian, what is your calling today? To let your light shine, that others may see and give glory to your Father in heaven. Go ahead and sing it. You can already hear the tune in your head. “This little light of mine…”
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 