The Light of the World

A friend of mine once told me that they tested truck trailors for holes by getting in and closing the doors. He said no matter how small the hole in the blackness of the closed trailor they could see light shining through it.

Matt 5:14-16

14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The glow of a cigarette on a dark night is visible three-fourths of a mile. The glare of a match can be seen for a mile. Light from a good flashlight is visible for one and a half miles. Light from a 100-watt lamp can be seen for twelve and a half miles. The headlights from your automobile are visible for twenty miles on a clear night.

Our Lord taught that Christian influence can light the whole world! Christian influence is described as preservation (salt of the earth) through demonstration (light of the world).

The light is a symbol of radiance, of openness, of joy compatible with the “blessedness” expressed in the Beatitudes. There is nothing secretive about the Christian commitment or way of life. The disciple is described as a light to the world, an influence for openness and honesty, for acceptance and love. This is not a call to monasticism, to a retreat from life, but a call to manifest the joy of fellowship with God as a witness to the world. As Tasker says, “The disciples must not hide themselves, but live and work in places where their influence can be felt.”

While a light is to be seen, serving as a guide for travelers, it is basically to be of service. The disciples are lights in the world, not calling attention to themselves but pointing the way of God.

1. The Christian’s light can light the world.

When Christ Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world,” He related the mission of the Christian to a familiar Palestinian object.

William Barclay described the light with which those who heard the Sermon on the Mount would be familiar. He indicated that the houses in Palestine were very dark and had only one small circular window not more than eighteen inches across. Each home had a lamp that was no more than a gravy boat filled with oil with a floating wick. The lamp stood on a lampstand that was a small, roughly shaped wooden table. For safety’s sake, the lamp was removed from its stand and put under an earthen bushel measure so that it might burn without risk when the family was away from the home.(William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 1 – 10, Daily Study Bible Series, vol. 10 [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1958], 119).

Light exposes darkness. The primary duty of the lamp’s light was to be seen. Thus our Lord indicates that Christians are to love in such a way that others might see Christ Jesus in our lives. As it shone through the small window and as its rays reached the rooms of the house, the lamp served as a guide. The best guide to the better life is that of a Christian whose influence counts for Christ. As it shone through the small window, the light warned travelers of dangerous obstacles along the road. The Christian’s influence should serve as a warning sign for all to observe. Our lives should say, “Warning! Walk this way!”

An elderly blind man was seen carrying a lantern on a dark night. “Since you can’t see, why are you carrying a lantern?” asked an interested friend. “I carry a lantern at night,” he said, “so that others won’t stumble over me.”

II. Only Christians can be the light of the world.

“You” is in the emphatic position. No one else can take the place of Christians as the light of this world, which is dark with sin.

While Christ Jesus was on earth, He was the Light of the World (John 8:12; 9:4 – 5; 12:35 – 36). Since Christ Jesus left the earth, Christians have been given the responsibility of being a light to the world (Phil. 2:15). The radiance of the Christian’s life depends on how close he or she is to Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 4:6 – 7).

III. The Christian’s light cannot be hidden.

Like “a city set on a hill,” the Christian’s influence cannot be hidden. A city with shining lights can be seen from all sides on a dark night. Not all lights have the same wattage. Some are only 15 watts and others are 500 or even 1,000. God has use for even a dim bulb on a dark night. Regardless of how dimly it shines, the light of a Christian’s influence is being observed by someone. “Bury my influence with me” was the request of a Christian whose light had not shone very brightly for Christ. When he came to die, he was filled with regret that he had done so little for Christ. But Christ Jesus taught that one’s influence cannot be buried with him.

IV. There is a place for every Christian’s light.

The Christian is not fired up to fizzle. Lights are lit for the purpose of shining. They are never lit for the purpose of being covered. There is a place for every light. Just as each light in the Palestinian houses sat on its own particular table so that it would shine through the small window and to the rooms of the house, each Christian has a particular place from which he or she is to shine.

Without the elevation of the lamp, the light is wasted. A lighthouse at Charleston, South Carolina, boasts of twenty million candlepower and is visible for twenty miles. But the secret to its success is the 140-foot structure on which it sets. Christians must find the will of God for their lives and shine in it to the best of their abilities.

Conclusion

Light makes no noise. Lighthouses sound no drums. They merely shine. Christians’ influence causes others to see Christ in them. But for what purpose? Surely not for their own glory! Christians influence the world toward Christ for the glory of God. With Paul, Christians assert, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20 NIV).