“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 the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, New American Standard Bible).

Light is a powerful image in Scripture and human experience as a whole. We thrive in the light; people are diurnal beings who generally live, work, eat, and play during daylight hours and sleep at night. Many small children go through a fear-of-the-dark phase, where they want to sleep with a night light or with the bedroom door open, for fear that monsters might be hiding under the bed or in the closet when the lights are out. In Scripture, light is the first thing that God created (Genesis 1:3). “God saw that the light was good” (Genesis 1:4), and ever since then, it has been a symbol of goodness and even of God Himself.

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus told His disciples that they were the light of the world. He did not say that they could become the light or should try to be the light. As His disciples, they already were the light. As a child of God, living by faith in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit within you, you already are the light of the world. You do not have to figure out how to be light but, rather, how to make sure your light shines brightly so that others may see your good works and glorify your Father.

We should remember that we are reflected light. The source of our light is Jesus:

“Then Jesus again spoke again to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life’” (John 8:12).

He repeated His claim to be the light of the world several times. One was just before He healed a man who was born blind (John 9:5). This led to a controversy with the religious leaders, whom He accused of spiritual blindness. A second was several days before His crucifixion:

“So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; also, the one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light’” (John 12:35-36).

As the Holy Spirit dwells in us and we walk with Jesus, we will reflect His light. Jesus and His Word will serve as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalms 119:105), directing us to the Father and in the paths of righteousness. As we walk in the light, we will direct others to the Father so that they may find the paths of righteousness.

In Jesus’ light, we see our need for forgiveness. As we see our need for forgiveness and come to Him in repentance, we can shine the light so that those around us see their need for forgiveness and the blessing of a life of faith in Christ.

We also see that Jesus said that His disciples should become “sons of Light” (John 12:36). He also called His disciples “sons of light” in Luke 16:8; in that verse, He observed that the “sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.” This was not a new term; His followers probably recognized it from rabbinic teaching.

The Dead Sea Scrolls include a book entitled “The War Rule” or “The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness.” This book, written by Essenes, a separatist Jewish sect who frequently lived in communities similar to Christian monastic orders, described an apocalyptic battle between “the sons of light” (people of the “true Israel” who were devoted to the Law and covenant) against “the sons of darkness” (Gentile enemies of Israel). Perhaps we should remember that, as children of the light, we are in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil and darkness.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Our mission is to shine the light of God into this world, thereby extinguishing the darkness. We should not hide God’s light and allow the darkness to win.

In conclusion, Jesus did not say that His disciples would become the light of the world or should try to be the light. As a disciple of Christ, you already are the light of the world. With the Holy Spirit within you, His light is already shining. You do not have to turn it on. However, you can cover it, dim it, or hide it. A forthcoming article will show us ways that we can hide our light. When we know how that is possible, we can avoid that mistake and ensure that our light continues to shine brightly for all to see.

Lord God, we thank You for sending Your Son to shine Your light into our world and hearts. Guide us always so that we may continue to shine His light on those who continue to walk in darkness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

How can you shine the light of Jesus to those around you? Share your thoughts below.

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.