September 19, 2023

Matthew 5: 14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (NIV)

Light is silent, but it reveals. Light is gentle, but it is mighty in its effects.*

Years ago, my brother had access to a hunting camp that was part of a very large ranch in South Florida. A party of family and friends joined him there for a night out in nature. Our ride in a swamp buggy was fun – until it broke down. There we were – at the corner of No and Where – with nightfall upon us and with no idea how far we were from the camp. No one had a cellphone back then (and there wouldn’t have been a signal anyway), and no one had thought to bring a flashlight. So we wandered in the wilderness for a very long time - ever aware of the critters that lurk in the Florida swampland – until, back at the camp, my mom started to get a little concerned about us so she turned on the lights. Yes, folks. We were only a few feet from safety and dinner, but we didn’t know it until someone turned on the lights.

Jesus said that we are the light of the world. As he said, a city on a hill can’t be hidden – unless there is a blackout. Jesus goes on, in verse 16, to say that our light is our good deeds through which the Father gets glory. He doesn’t say our light is our knowledge of theology or our witnessing strategy. Our light is our good deeds. If the world is stumbling around in the darkness of sin, could it be because we aren’t performing those good deeds to light their way? Are we doing our part to keep the city’s lights burning?

Our light is not our good deeds but the means by which people see that they are good.*