ZA MAGAZINE // seek truth.

When you wake up every morning, chances are you can see a huge ball of burning gas in the sky called the sun. The sun produces huge amounts of heat, radiation, and ultraviolet rays that bombard the Earth every second. The light created from the burning gases of the Sun gives life to the Earth.

Matthew 5:14
You are the light of the world.

In this passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is speaking to His followers, telling them that they are the light of the world. What is Jesus trying to say about us, His followers?

Consider that, without light, no plants would grow and create oxygen from carbon dioxide. Without light, no animals on the land or in the sea would function. Without light, and without the creations dependent on light, no humans would have life. All are dependent on light to live.

Is Jesus saying we are the LIFE of the world? Light and life seem to be synonymous when thought of in this way. Sure, we need other elements to survive, but all of them are somehow dependent on light. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes this message apparent.

John 8:12
Again Jesus spoke again to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

As we can see here, Jesus is calling Himself the light. Can we and Jesus be the same light? It’s possible, just as anyone can make themselves like another person, so also we can be like Jesus. It is the fundamental goal of Christians to be like Christ.

In this passage, we also see what this light is doing. It is the “light of life.” It is a light that gives life. This is no man-made light, because the only life-giving light we receive is the light from the Sun, which obviously is not human handiwork. This light is from God, through Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world, and when He tells His followers they are also light, He is showing that we can be like Him. We can give life just as God has given us life, and just as Jesus has saved our lives from eternal death.

How did Jesus save us? He did it through His death on the cross. He died out of love for us. So, if we are to become like Christ, and be the light of the world, what must we do? Obviously, we cannot die and conquer death like Jesus. There is no need. We are inadequate to even try anyway.

So, how can we be like Christ and become the light of the world?

We can accomplish this by showing love, as Jesus did for us on the cross. Let’s return to the passage from Matthew’s Gospel, and add the next verses.

Matthew 5:14-16
14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

In examining these three verses, Jesus is revealing how our light (our love) can be shown in three separate ways.

In verse 14, Jesus mentions the city on a hill. In the history of the world, cities grew out of fortifications on high hills. The higher ground was the key to survival. In battle, a city or fortification on a hill was easily defenceable. Cities on the hilltops could be seen from the land below for miles around, as well as from the land above the hill. This fact reveals some insight into how we must be in showing love to others. We cannot discriminate from the lofty or the lowly. Both the proud and the poor deserve our love, and if we can help the light of the world, the light of Christ, penetrate their hearts, they can be brought into the Kingdom. Like distant travelers looking for a beacon, so we must be when we show love on this Earth, giving indiscriminately to all who seek it.

In verse 15, Jesus mentions the lamp giving light to the entire house. Obviously, no one would place a lamp under a basket. This part of the verse is meant to tell us something about showing our love. We should not hide our love, nor should we fail to show our love to those in our house. To me, this means the people closest to us should be shown this love immediately. This means, that when you realize Jesus loves you and has saved you, you should share that love with your family and friends as soon as possible. Do not hesitate to let your light shine.

In verse 16, we see the final way how we can show our love to others on Earth. Showing love, through good works and charity, can help to give others the everlasting life Jesus promises all who believe in Him. We must show others the light of life that we have received from Jesus Christ, so our God can be glorified always!

We need to be like a city on a hill, prominent and bright, showing people the love that can lead them to Christ. We must show love always, especially to those close to us. We must do great deeds for the good of all, and continue to glorify God! Remember that through Jesus, we can show the world His love, and become a life-giving light!