Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
January 22, 1984
The Light of the World
Matthew 5:14-16
As most of you know, I have just returned from a tour of Israel. You should also know that several traditions must now be carried out. Within the next two or three weeks I am required to present a slide show which you all must attend. Another tradition is that I must use my experiences in Israel to illustrate sermons for the next six months. You can bet I won't let you down.
You are the light of the world. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is talking to his disciples and he is saying that there is something about the quality of light which should describe a believer. Jesus goes on to give two illustrations. First, he says a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Part of our tour was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus grew up and preached. The sea is actually a large lake that is surrounded by high hills. On the tippity-top of one of these hills is the town of Safad. At night you can't miss it because the town lights up the sky. We can't be sure but this may be the very town Jesus was thinking of.
Jesus also says in verse 15 - "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel." The King James Bible is a little off here. They didn't use candles in those days. Instead they used small lamps filled with olive oil, like this one. I bought this lamp from an Arab outside the city of Jerusalem in the Valley of Hinnon. He wanted $20 for it and said it went back to Jesus' time. I offered him $4 and he took it. I had the president of my seminary, who is an archeologist, appraise it. To my astonishment, he said the Arab was right - this lamp goes back to the time of Jesus. They would put a little wick in the hole in front, fill it with oil and it would be bright enough to light a room. This lamp was probably used by Jesus himself at the Last Supper - and I own it.
When you have a little lamp like this, you don't put it under a bushel basket. Its purpose is to give off light, so you would put it in the most conspicuous place. In verse 16 Jesus applies these illustrations. "Let your light," he says, "so shine before men." There is something about being a Christian that should make you different. We're supposed to illuminate what life is really all about. A few points need to be made here. First, Jesus is assuming that the world is in darkness. Other passages in the Bible tell us that people even prefer darkness. This is another way of saying that we are inclined to sin and rebel against God. By ourselves we cannot break this tendency.
This brings us to a second point - Jesus is the true light. He is the only one who can break the power sin has on us. It may seem that today's passage teaches that believers are the light. The best way to explain this is that we are supposed to give off light but the light doesn't originate with us. An excellent illustration of this was given by Donald Grey Barnhouse, a great Bible scholar. He said that when Christ lived on the earth he was like the sun, which we see in the daytime but when the sun goes down, the moon comes up. The moon is a picture of Christians. It shines but it doesn't shine by its own light. It only shines because it reflects the light of the sun.
Jesus said about himself in John 8:12,
"I am the light of the world."
But when he was thinking he would be taken out of the world he says,
"You are the light of the world."
We can show light only when we reflect the life of Jesus. This is very important to keep in mind. Some Christians get the idea they glow in the dark no matter how they live. Jesus contradicts this in verse 16. After he says, "let your light shine," he adds, "so that they may see your good works."
The way we live is the best sign that we are a Christian. Good works can't make us a Christian - only the death of Jesus on the cross can do that. But good works are the way we reflect Jesus to those around us. Our Christianity should be visible in the ordinary activities of life. It should be visible in the way we treat our family, the way we play a game, the way we drive, in the language we use, in the literature we read. We should also keep in mind that our goal is not to become better people. Our goal is to win other people for Jesus Christ by being better people ourselves. Jesus wants others to glorify God and be saved because of how we live.
Many people are searching for light in their lives. On our flight back from Israel I happened to sit next to a young man who looked very dejected. Within five minutes he was telling me about his problem. It turned out he came from a very wealthy family and was going to a private high school in Austria (by "wealthy" I mean a 19-year-old with a BMW). A few days before, his landlord discovered some hashish in his belongings. The landlord told the school and the school gave him a one-way ticket home. Two things were on his mind: 1) would his parents kill him? 2) Would they kick him out? This young man spent the whole trip back analyzing his life. I did not get to speak with him for long but I was able to share the faith I have in Christ. By our words and our actions we must be light for others. To be a Christian is to be a missionary.
How much of Jesus' light are you reflecting?
It is said that years ago, when horse and buggies were still common, there was a tragedy at a rural railroad crossing. A buggy containing an entire family was struck by an oncoming train and the people were killed. There was an investigation and they questioned the man who was assigned to watch that particular crossing and warn people about approaching trains. They asked him if he was at the crossing that night like he was supposed to be. He said he was. Did you know the train was coming? "Yes, it was right on time as always." Did you take your lantern and go out to meet it like you were supposed to?" "Yes." "And did you wave it back and forth to warn that the train was coming?" "Yes, I did."
This was the heart of the investigation, so after a few more questions the matter was closed. They concluded it was one of those unfortunate accidents that can't be explained. Years went by. At the time of his death the watchman began to moan over and over, "Oh, those poor people. Oh, those poor people." A friend asked what he was talking about and he said it was about that train accident many years before. His friend tried to reassure him. "There was a careful investigation of that," he said. "You were completely cleared." The watchman said, "But there was one question they didn't ask me. They didn't ask me if my lantern was lit." It had not been and the family died as a result.
Is your light lit? The destiny of others depends on it.
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Typed on September 25, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Commentaries used: James Boice, I. H. Marshall.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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