Matthew 5:14-16–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

Posted by Seth on Nov 10, 2009 in Bible Study, Daily Devotions |

Matthew 5:14-16–Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation

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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Matthew 5:14-16 wherein we discover Christ’s intention for our life of light in Him.

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

Do you have those days where you wonder about who you are or what your purpose is? If you’ve surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, He is clarifying things for you in these verses. Now I know we aren’t given an outline here for every step of the day or an exact list to follow, but apparently we don’t need one in this case; we’re to look for opportunities to be the kind of light in this world that Jesus describes us as.

My dear aunt and sister in the Lord sent out an email today recalling the suicide of a high school student at my cousin’s school, gently encouraging us to show simple kindnesses to the people that we all run into on a daily basis, noting the difference that such just might make in a life. I couldn’t agree more, and I think that Jesus would say that such activity for His followers is a starting place for acting as the light of the world. Understanding then what this phrase means is what we need to be after because the temptation we often face when trying to decipher such words is that we see them as something magical or mysterious. “Be a magic light…a shimmering lamp!” But that isn’t the case. Jesus gives us some other descriptions so that we have the right picture in mind: an elevated city, a lamp out in the open, and a shining presence in front of other people. Following this, He emphasizes the need for good works to be done. These works are the rays emanating from us that are on display for others to see. When we come to know Jesus, when He changes us at that time when we are truly saved, we become lights. Jesus is not saying that our works are the lights themselves, but that we should send out (not hide) rays of activity that would show or prove that we are lights.

And all of this to what end? …that others would give glory to your Father who is in heaven. It is hard to do good things without attention or praise, unless our motivation is well-placed from the first. If in our eating and drinking and everything we are to be about the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31), we should not think that our various, visible good works should exist outside of this command. And so, as we labor unto His glory, it should be our prayer that others are caught up with us in this glorifying. May our kind words and helpful hands display not only our love for others but our treasuring of the One who has turned us from hopeless darkness to radiating light.

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