Matthew 5:14-16 - Shining for Jesus!
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) You are the light
of the world... let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT) You are the light of
the world let your good deeds shine out for
all to see, so that everyone will praise your
heavenly Father.
WORD STUDY
Light. Light has ever been a symbol of the
divine presence (see on Gen. 1:3; 3:24). John
refers to Jesus as the light of men shining
forth amid the darkness of this world (ch.
1:4"9). Toward the close of His ministry Jesus
referred to Himself as the light of the world
(see on John 8:12; 9:5). Having accepted Jesus as
the light of the world, a Christian, if true to
his calling, becomes a reflector of that light.
[SDA Bible Commentary]
COMMENTARY PEARLS
No other light ever has shone or ever
will shine upon fallen man save that which
emanates from Christ. Jesus, the Saviour, is the only
light that can illuminate the darkness of a world
lying in sin. Of Christ it is written, "In Him was
life; and the life was the light of men." John
1:4. It was by receiving of His life that His
disciples could become light bearers. The life of
Christ in the soul, His love revealed in the
character, would make them the light of the world.
Humanity has in itself no light. Apart
from Christ we are like an unkindled taper, like
the moon when her face is turned away from the
sun; we have not a single ray of brightness to
shed into the darkness of the world. But when we
turn toward the Sun of Righteousness, when we
come in touch with Christ, the whole soul is
aglow with the brightness of the divine presence.
MB39,40
Let Christ shine in your life. Develop a
relationship with Jesus that will cause Him to be
revielded in your life and deeds. Christ does not bid
His followers strive to shine. He says, Let your
light shine. If you have received the grace of
God, the light is in you. Remove the
obstructions, and the Lord's glory will be revealed.
COL420
As your relationship with Jesus grows your
life will reflect more and more His glory.
Wherever there is union with Christ there is love.
Whatever other fruits we may bear, if love be
missing, they profit nothing. Love to God and our
neighbor is the very essence of our religion. No one
can love Christ and not love His children. When
we are united to Christ, we have the mind of
Christ. Purity and love shine forth in the
character, meekness and truth control the life. The
very expression of the countenance is changed.
Christ abiding in the soul exerts a transforming
power, and the outward aspect bears witness to the
peace and joy that reign within If we are
connected with the Light, we shall be channels of
light, and in our words and works we shall reflect
light to the world. 1SM337
He who draws nigh to Christ need not try to
shine. As he beholds the Saviour, he catches the
divine rays of light from the Sun of Righteousness,
and he cannot help shining. The light that is in
him shines forth in clear, bright rays, in words
and works of righteousness. Christs grace
dwells in him richly, and heavens light shines
through him. UP322
COMMENTARY
Lighting Up the Dark
I heard about a man in his senior years
who was walking beside a lake when he suddenly
heard a voice. Hey you! someone said,
Come over here and kiss me, and Ill turn into
a beautiful princess.
He looked around but didnt see anyone.
Again, a voice said, Hey, you! Come over here
and kiss me, and Ill turn into a beautiful
princess.
Then he noticed a little frog by the
waters edge. The frog said, Hey, you! Kiss me,
and Ill turn into a beautiful princess.
So the man reached down, carefully picked
up the frog, and put it into his shirt pocket.
Then he turned and walked away.
The frog called out, Hey, didnt you
hear what I said? I said, Kiss me, and Ill
turn into a beautiful princess.
The man replied, At my age, Id
rather have a talking frog.
Thats how it can be when we study
Bible prophecy. We can miss the whole point. In
Luke 12, Jesus tells us how we ought to be living
as we anticipate His imminent return: Be
dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as
though you were waiting for your master to return
from the wedding feast (verses 35"36 NLT).
Jesus was describing a first-century
Jewish wedding, which could go on for days or even
a week. They didnt know when the groom
would arrive, so everyone would be dressed and
ready. To have your lamps burning meant that
youd have sufficient oil in them. If you
werent prepared, then youd miss the wedding.
This world is a very dark place, and it
seems to be getting darker. But Jesus said, Let
your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that
everyone will praise your heavenly Father (Matthew
5:16 NLT). [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Keep Shining
First-century weddings were not like ours
today. In those days a wedding could last up to a
week. It was a big event, and there was a fun
element to it.
Everyone arrived ready to go, but they
didnt know when the groom would appear. He might
show up in the morning, in the afternoon, or in
the evening. And when he was on his way, they
made an announcement so everyone could take their
places for the wedding ceremony.
Jesus said, Be dressed for service and
keep your lamps burning, as though you were
waiting for your master to return from the wedding
feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and
let him in the moment he arrives and knocks
(Luke 12:35"36 NLT).
A first-century flashlight basically
consisted of a clay dish, oil, and a floating wick. To
be prepared, they would carry extra oil in a
little flask.
If we were to put this into our
vernacular today, it would be like saying, Have
fresh batteries in your flashlight or Have
your phone charged.
Jesus also said, Let your good deeds
shine out for all to see, so that everyone will
praise your heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16 NLT).
We believe in verbal proclamation of the
gospel. Were not ashamed of it. But we also need
to live the gospel. We need to demonstrate the
gospel by the way that we live.
We can do this by being a good and godly
neighbor. If someone is in the hospital, we visit
them. If someone needs prayer, we pray for them.
If someone has hit hard times, we take a meal
to them. And we do these things in the name of
the Lord.
As Christians, we should be shining
lights in a dark place. And as our culture grows
darker, we need to shine brighter. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
If we live for Christ, we will glow like
lights, showing others what Christ is like. We hide
our light by 1. being quiet when we should
speak, 2. going along with the crowd, 3. denying
the light, 4. letting sin dim our light, 5. not
explaining our light to others, or 6. ignoring the
needs of others. Be a beacon of truth - don't
shut your light off from the rest of the world.
[Life Application SB]
Living a "fishbowl" life as both a
pastor's daughter and a minister's wife may have
contributed to my discomfort in the limelight. Or
perhaps it was simply my temperament. Regardless,
writing books ushered in new opportunities for
speaking and new challenges.
When the university I attended presented
me with a Distinguished Alumni Award a few
years ago, I was so shocked I actually asked if
they'd made a mistake. While recognizing that only
Jesus can bring success and honors from our broken
lives, I still struggled with "letting my light
shine." After all, Jesus was the true Light of the
World (John 8:12). Shining my light often felt
confusing and prideful.
But over time, Jesus helped me understand
that my light should simply be a reflection of
His Light. WHEN OUR FOCUS IS ON JESUS AND NOT
OURSELVES, EMBARRASSMENT FLEES. And letting our light
shine by reflecting Him eliminates the kind of
selfish pride and praise Jesus rebuked in the lives
of hypocrite leaders (Matthew 6:2).
Every God-given gift or moment in the
limelight should reflect our pride in the One who gave
us good gifts and Who began the good work in us
(Philippians 1:6). Whether it's accepting praise
graciously, using our gifts creatively, or blessing
others in caring, unseen ways, our goal and purpose
are the same: to bring glory to Jesus. With that
as our motive, it's always Jesus's greater
Light that shines through our works. And people
can see the difference.
Our Christ-like character will always
speak louder than our works. By Rebecca Barlow
Jordan
Faith Step: This week, ask Jesus to let
His light shine through you. [Mornings With
Jesus 2019 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
ILLUSTRATION
Point to the- Light
All the kids called him "Grandpa." He was
a plumber with an eighth-grade education. But
no one was more articulate about Jesus Christ
than Grandpa Craig.
Kids from all over spent a lot of time
with Grandpa"eating popcorn in his living room,
having Bible studies, praying, just "shooting the
breeze." No matter where the conversation wandered,
though, Grandpa would always bring it around to
Jesus.
Whenever we were talking about school or
dating or the future, Grandpa would say, "That
reminds me of something Jesus said.." or, "That's
just like when Jesus..." and he would reveal new
insights to us about Jesus.
Grandpa's life was filled with the
reality of Jesus' presence. On Saturday afternoons,
we would sometimes take long walks with
Grandpa. He would point to the countryside and say,
"Now, that's Jesus' way of showing us how much he
loves us. He made all these things for us to
enjoy."
Grandpa saw Jesus in everything around
him. "See how the sun goes down so faithfully
every evening?" he would ask. "That shows how
faithful Jesus is to us. Just like the sun, he never
lets us down."
When anyone wondered how to act toward a
new kid in school, Grandpa would ask, "How would
Jesus act if he were in school?" Problems with
parents? "What would Jesus do in your shoes?" His
advice was always simple: "Focus on Jesus. Figure
it out from there."
In the same way that Grandpa experienced
Jesus in everything, John 1:1-18 reminds us that
Jesus is central to everything. [Youth SB re John
1:1-18]
ONE LINERS
He who lives nearest to Jesus shines the
brightest. 4SDABC1184
If the love of God flows through us, we will
find ourselves sharing that love with those
around us, for God is love, and that love is bigger
than its container, the Christian, so it must
overflow. Al Bryant; [Time with God SB mod.] re luke
12:35
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
As the world grows increasingly dark,
remember that you are the light of the world. Don't
waste energy lamenting bad things over which you
have no control. Pray about these matters, but
refuse to let them haunt your thoughts. Instead,
focus your energies on doing what you can to
brighten the place where I have put you. Use your
time, talents, and resources to push back the
darkness. Shine My Light into the world!
I am the true Light that shines on in the
darkness - even in the most terrible conditions. Your
light originates in Me and reflects from you. I
have called you to reflect My Glory! You do this
most effectively by becoming more and more fully
the one I designed you to be. Spend ample time
seeking My Face, beloved. Focusing on My Presence
and My Word helps you to grow in grace and
discern My will. Your time spent with Me nourishes
your soul, providing comfort and encouragement.
Thus I strengthen you and enable you to be a
source of strength for others. (Mat. 5:14; John
1:9; 1:5; 2Co. 3:18) [Jesus Always by Sarah
Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Isaiah 60:1 - Arise And Shine!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210121-0944.html
Ephesians 5:14 - Turn Your Darkness Into
Light.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190726-0905.html
Matthew 5:16 - Lighting Up the Dark.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210112-1128.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Hope Awakens Bible Study Guides:
https://www.hopeawakens.study/lesson-header;id=2
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Revelation Now by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.revelationnow.com/
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio:
https://bible.awr.org/en/the-signs/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
