Let your light shine.
I really love Matthew 5 chapters 14-16 that appeared in the liturgy this morning.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid”.
“no one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp 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 in heaven.”
But what does it mean? What is the message here? And is that message still relevant today?
To find those answers we must travel back in time about 2000 years and try to picture the scene, when Jesus spoke these words.
He is not in a temple, or a formal gathering but out in the open, on a mountainside in Galilee.
There were two groups listening that day. His disciples, who had left everything to follow him, and a great crowd of people, some drawn as believers and maybe some drawn by curiosity.
Here Jesus compares his disciples and his believers to light. He calls them the “light of the world,”
In fact, he says, “You are the light of the world”.
So it is not a generic statement but rather a targeted testimonial to all who would believe in him.
He goes on to say “A city built on a hill cannot be hid”.
Referring to the practice of building towns and cities on hills for defensive purposes that then makes them impossible to hide.
Like that city, when you are a believer in Christ, when you are the light of the world, neither can you be hidden. Let your good deeds shine before others, reflecting the light of Christ in a world filled with darkness.
He goes on:
“no one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house”.
In the same way, the light of Christ is not meant to be hidden in this church. It is meant to shine out brightly from all who belong to Christ. It is meant to be discovered by those still in the darkness.
Now this teaching comes just after the Beatitudes, in Matthew 5: 2-12, where Jesus describes the inner character of a believer:
he describes that as, mercy, purity of heart, a peaceful spirit.
He then moves from who the person is to what the person does, from our character to our behavior.
The language shifts from “Blessed are they.” to
“You are the light of the world.”
So his message is that you cannot hide behind others, you cannot leave the teaching of Christ to others, YOU must take on that light.
It’s not good enough to claim to be a Christian, you must show it.
It’s not enough to support good deeds with words you must DO something.
Jesus is telling us that it is not enough just to be in church on Sunday but you must live a Christian life every day. You must be the light for others.
So, can that same message be relevant today?
Is it important today to accept the light of Christ into our hearts?
Are we willing to let that light shine and be willing to “do stuff”?
God has placed a great light within us. That light is not a burden, it is a gift.
Being the light, the light of Christ, is our identity.
God created us to shine, to illuminate the world with His hope. Our life and how we live it is our most powerful sermon.
So, the lesson for us today is:
If you are a Christian you should live a Christian life.
If you say you love our neighbors, you should show that in your daily behavior.
If you believe in equality, you should treat everyone with the same respect.
If you accept the light of Christ into your life, don’t hide it, don’t keep it to yourself, let is shine.
In John 8:12 we learn about Jesus visiting the mount of Olives and being introduced to a woman accused of adultery. That crime, by law, would have normally been a sentence of death by stoning. Jesus said to the angry crowd:
“Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
When no stones are thrown Jesus forgives the woman and says to the crowd:
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Can we do that? Can we be compassionate? Can we love homeless people, incarcerated people, members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Can we be the light and love all neighbors equally as our Mission asks?
Our Christian identity is not just about attending church or reciting prayers, but living as a beacon of love, and kindness. Being the light of the world is to show others how to find a safe harbor in Christ.
Some of you know that my Dad was a fisherman, a trawler skipper. He would leave home for two weeks come home for three days then leave again. His trawler was about 120 feet long with 12 men in the crew and his job as skipper (or captain) was to navigate to the fishing grounds, find the fish and of course navigate back home to the safety of the harbor. He would fish in the North Sea, around Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Mainly in search of cod.
He was, as you can imagine at sea during some terrible storms. During those times we were always grateful for the lighthouse, that was situated on what we called “the headland”.
A high point of land overlooking the harbor that cast a light across the waves as the ships, came home.
Most of us have seen a lighthouse. We know that the light provides a passage through the darkness to a safe harbor.
But what about providing a safe passage when the lighthouse isn’t enough?
Our home town had a tradition for residents of the homes built on the sea wall to put their lights on when vessels entered the harbor at night or in a storm. They call this “lighting the lower lights”
So maybe there is another lesson for today!
Can we light the lower lights in our Church home?
Can we make it known that we are trying to light a safe passage to Worship for all in need of help?
Can this house of God be a beacon of hope?
Can we provide a safe path to the eternal Father. Can we help guide those who have lost their way, find peace in Christ.
We have done it before, …… and we can do it again.
I remember, some years ago, Session talking about self-doubt, comparing ourselves to larger congregations with bigger budgets, professional choirs, multiple staff. We looked at our aging buildings and declining membership and wondered, what do we have to offer?
This crisis of confidence was magnified when another painful reality hit between 2020 and 2023.
Actually two painful realities, COVID and the loss of a Pastor.
Throughout the Covid years we sometimes had to close the church and hold Worship on the lawn or on-line only.
We wore masks and spaced out the church, even took temperatures of everyone entering.
But we never missed a Sunday Worship.
During the 2-year search for Pastor Sandy that included a year of rotating Pastors, there were times that we had to rely on, “in house” Sermons, like this!
But once again we never missed a Sunday Worship.
We remained faithful and stood strong.
We maintained the light in the Church so that others could see we were still here, and we learned a valuable lesson.
We learned that our churches’ value isn’t defined by a full-time pastor or a packed sanctuary.
Our value is defined by us, the Elders, the Deacons, the Ministry leaders, committee members, staff members, and those of you that continue to turn up and worship with us every week.
We remembered our calling, to love God and Neighbor.
We were the source of light. That light ignited the energy in the Ministries, and it give light to everyone inside and outside of the church.
In our world today it seems that a lot of people have lost their way.
The greed to possess, the desire for power, the insatiable appetite for wealth, the constant search for perceived admiration, all seem to eclipse basic human decency.
Human and Christian values like kindness, consideration, humility and grace are lost in the blackness of malice, of spite, and of disinterest.
It seems that compromise or empathy are seen as weakness as we lose the ability and even the desire to consider the opposing view.
But not here. ………For us, we must be both, Principled and Pragmatic.
Principled in our support of the Covenant, that tells the story of who we are, of our light.
Pragmatic in that we must tell that story outside of the church, shine that light, in the community.
Will you be that light?
We have been given a gift. To be the pollinator of the light of Christ to those who have lost their way.
So today, at the end of Worship, when the Acolyte (name) takes out the light of Christ, as she passes you, welcome that light into your heart. Let that light burn inside of you so that you may be the light.
And with that all God’s people said……..Amen