2 Sep 2014
Matthew 5:14-16
Matthew 5:14: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
This is very similar to the salt discussion. As Christians we are called to be lights in the world – to proclaim the gospel, preach the truth, and bear the message of God to people who desperately need to hear it. We are the light of the world, and it is imperative that we shine as brightly and widely as possible.
Yet, instead of shining in the darkness, we are all too eager to blend into that darkness. The very last thing we want to do is stand out and attract attention. Since we don’t want to seem strange and we don’t want to be rejected, we start compromising the truth and pretend that we’re just like everyone else. We hide our light for fear of offending people with it. We hide the truth so that the darkness isn’t confronted by anything it doesn’t want to see.
But God commands us to lead bold lives – to let our light shine before men so that He can be glorified. We are to confront our culture, not blend in with it. We are to preach the truth, not hide it or distance ourselves from it.