Matthew 5:14-16 - You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.
On a clear night the lights from a distant city can be seen for miles, and if the city is on a hill nothing will hide its light. Long before the advent of electricity, the night fires of a city located on a hill could be seen for a considerable distance.
A number of hills around the Sea of Galilee in Jesus' time were topped by cities whose lights were clearly visible on the night horizon. The people to whom Jesus was speaking would have been very familiar with these lights. A city set on one of the very high hills in the region of Galilee, was particularly noticeable at night and this may have been the visual imagery Jesus had in mind when He spoke the words recorded in Matthew 5:14.
The lamps used to light first century houses were small ceramic vessels containing olive oil and a floating wick. When lit, the lamp was either set on an appropriate shelf or on a well-positioned lampstand where it "gives light to everyone in the house." While the first century lamp was not as bright or convenient as our modern incandescent or fluorescent lights, it gave adequate light as long as the wick was kept trimmed and the lampstand was put in a central place. Because these lamps required fire to light, they were not put out when the household went to bed. Instead they were dimmed by placing a bowl or a measuring container over the lamp. This is what our Lord had in mind when He spoke the words of Matthew 5:15.
What is the thrust of Jesus' comments about a city on a hill being visible and a lamp in a house giving light? It's quite obvious from the context that He doesn't want His followers and their message of truth to be hidden or dimmed. He wants His light bearers to let their message shine brightly so that there will be no confusion in the world as to what the truth is and where it can be found.
The purpose of light is to reveal what's in darkness and to give direction, like a beacon or light on a distant hill. As the light of the world, followers have a two-fold responsibility as bearers of light (truth).
Christens are to be as brightly shining lamps that make plain the truth that is concealed by spiritual darkness, as well as clear beacons that warn of spiritual danger and point the way to all who will take notice. "That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).
As the light of the world, Christians have the two-fold mission of exposing right and wrong and of being a reference point to determine right and wrong. In verse 15 we see our assignment is to reveal truth. Without spiritual light, people cannot clearly distinguish truth from error or right from wrong, just as people in a dark house can't see where it's safe to walk. In verse 14 we are told to maintain a testimony which becomes a reference point in this dark world. As the lights of hilltop cities served as night beacons for travelers, a directional point to safety, so our Christian communication (verbal and non-verbal) should shine as a beacon... a desirable destination for seekers of truth.
Christians as the “light source” should stand out and be so obvious that people groping in spiritual and moral darkness can get a bearing on what is right and wrong and be pointed in the right direction.
Remember that the Lord's main point about our light... is that we are not to hide it! The Lord Himself has elevated His followers to be positioned to the eyes of the world as if on a hill... on a lampstand, so as not to be hidden or dimmed, but to brightly shine forth! This is so important, because only true Christians are the light of the world.
There are many denominations, many types of religions around world, cultists of all sorts, new agers of every variety, religious gurus and shamans, "good" and sincere people, and any and all other self-proclaimed "light"-bearers... but they are not the light of the world. They are not even a small part of the light. In fact, they are part of the darkness! Their philosophies may sound very enlightening and they may appear to be good role models, but according to the truth of Scripture this is only an illusion. "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
Carefully contemplate this passage in 2 Corinthians... notice that the “false lights” can actually appear to be "Christians," and are actually involved in "Christian" worship and service.
No wonder that the “lights of truth” must be shining brightly and not ever or even partially hidden. How tragic if people in this dark world are led astray by false "light" because the true light is too dim to be noticed. Gropers in darkness will generally turn to the brightest light available. Many who are seeking enlightenment are going the wrong way, because false guides don't hide their "light." They take every opportunity to talk to anyone who will listen and respond to their ideas of spiritual and moral "enlightenment." Many of these false "lights" truly believe that they are helping others and bettering themselves, but they are deluded.
What an awesome responsibility truth bearing Christians have as the light of the world. We must do everything we possibly can to let it shine forth brightly so that the evil and error that shrouds the world in darkness is exposed and people will know the right direction to turn.
But you may say, shouldn't we be careful not to be too out-spoken? People could be offended and turn away from truth. Shouldn't we build relationships with them and share the truths of Christianity only when they ask us or when it is non-threatening to them? Fair questions. Perhaps we could even build a case for this position if the Lord had only given us verse 15 of the text. Lifestyle evangelism or relationship evangelism is, in many ways, like the lamp in the house. And bringing a friendly, truth-revealing "lamp" into a relationship is certainly part of being "the light of the world."
But verse 14 clearly indicates that we are to proclaim the truth publicly as well as privately. A city is not built on a hill for concealment purposes. In fact, its light cannot be hidden. The Lord has not placed us in this world to act as dim or flickering lights. He has "set us on a hill" and our light is to be bright and seen.
Building relationships and earning the right to be heard through lifestyle evangelism are very important. "Fire and brimstone sermons" should not characterize our testimony, nor should our "beacon" be like the high beam of headlights that annoy oncoming drivers. But in a dark world where the majority of people around us are lost, God wants our testimony to shine out not only "in the house" but "on the hill." It should shine out for great distances and to many people. It goes without saying that there will be numerous times when people will be offended and not want to hear or know the truth. After all, Jesus did say that people "love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil" (John 3:19).
If we are going to obey the Lord, our lifestyle evangelism must include public proclamation of the truth as well as the more private sharing of the truth in caring relationships. At the present time, would you say that your individual witness for Christ, whatever activity that involves, is like the light of a city on a hill, or is it like the small warm glow of a lamp in the home? To be true to our Lord's command, our light must be both!
Do good works fit in with the Christian commission of being the light of the world? At first glance verse 16 might seem to indicate that our good works are essentially the light that should identify us. But notice that this verse draws a distinction between our good deeds and our light. They work together but are not identical. Our light should draw people's attention to our good works. "Let your light shine...that they may see your good deeds..."
Light refers primarily to the proclamation of truth from our lips, while good works refers to the activity of our lives. Notice further in verse 16 that our light should draw people's attention to our good works in such a way that people are directed towards God. Our light is not to be used to show off our good works so that people praise us. As a result of our verbal testimony people are not to hear about our good deeds but see them and praise God. Good works should be the natural, almost subconscious, outcome of our faith. If our light is shining out and not hidden, any praise of our activity will logically and reasonably be given only to God.
It is because Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12), that Christians are the light of the world. When we became Christians we not only received forgiveness of sins, we also received new light and life in Christ. We have come to know the Lord Jesus not only as the Way, but also as the Truth and the Life. (See John 14:6.) Because He is the Truth within us, we are the light of the world. "For God, who said, `Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).
Because Christ is the Life within us, our good deeds are more than humanistic good works. The source of both our light and our good works is the mission of Christ, working within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Our proclamation and performance are distinct, but must merge together. If there is no walk to back up our talk, our "light" may be a mere profession of faith without genuine substance. (2 Corinthians 13:5.) On the other hand, good works without the light of verbal testimony could merely be humanistic good deeds, and could even contribute to the darkness by failing to bring the true light into dark places!
Follow the perfect model of our Lord. His good works were always associated with His poignant words. His love for people never caused Him to water down God's righteous standards. He boldly proclaimed the truth to the multitudes; He gently shone light into dark lives in one-on-one relationships. He continued to shine in a dark world even when He was misunderstood and persecuted, and we can expect the same response if we let our light shine out. (Matthew 5:10-12.)
The good news... some people will respond to the Light! Not only that, there is blessing and reward promised in these verses to shining lights. So let's not cover our lamps because of compromise or laziness. Let's not climb down from the hill where the Lord has placed us because of fear or ridicule. And let us not hinder the light of other passionate believers in the body of Christ.
As we contemplate the birth a Jesus... the light of the world, this Christmas season... let us make every effort to let our true light shine out clearly in this very dark world.
