Free audio sermons: Get free audio sermons through this free Christan sermon podcast!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Let your light shine

 
There is a well known and interesting bit of scripture found in Matthew 5:14-16. Jesus is speaking to a mainly Jewish audience and shares this truth with them: "You are the light of the world. A city 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."

Now one of the thoughts that had been planted in the minds of the Jewish people was that "Jerusalem is the light to the Gentiles." In other words that is where they could see God. Jesus has taken this saying and made it personal. He expects each of us to let the love which God has for mankind to be seen in our lives. We are quite familiar with verse 14-15, but we tend to slide over verse 16 which ends the thought. He said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

To some people that seems like a heavy burden, they struggle with this teaching because they just can't live perfect enough lives. They are kind of like the little girl who was being scolded by here mother for some mischief she had done. When her mother asked, "Why did you do that," the little replied, "I guess my light got blowed out!"

The light of God is really not something that can be blown out, it's glow comes from the inside of us. Most of us have heard the saying that a new bride has radiance about her or a woman pregnant with a child has a glow about her. That which shines from both of them is love. It is exhibited in their appearance and their actions; it can't be blown out by minor things that happen in life. It can't be blown out, because it is a love which is a reflection of something greater than just themselves. Only when we make ourselves the center or the source can the light be dimmed.

We need to understand that the light we shine is the light of God, it doesn't come from us personally.

I heard of a man who was walking down the street of a city one day and saw a young boy shinning a mirror in the sun upwards. The man asked the boy what he was doing. The boy replied, 'See that window up in that building. My brother was in an accident and can't get out of bed. The sun never shines in his window, so I always try to catch a little sunshine and shine it into his window."

That is the job which God has set before us today! We may not be able to tell everyone around us about what God has done for us, but we can live our lives in such a way that those around us can see our good deeds and thank God for putting us near them! Think about the message of this verse in this way. "If you are generous with your love and kindness for others, you will cause them to stop and ask 'why.' Through your actions you will cause people to be open to God and his message of Love."

Do you remember the children's song that says, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine"? When is the last time you did?

Russ Lawson

Get a wide variety of Bible commentary and Bible study materials at http://www.abiblecommentary.com today.  There are even FREE text sermons - http://www.abiblecommentary.com/freesermons, FREE  audio sermons - http://www.abiblecommentary.com/audiosermons, and a FREE on-line commentary on the book of Romans:  http://bit.ly/3MRU5I 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

How to be saved

Are you wondering how to be saved? Are you searching for information on how to be saved? Do you want to know what God requires you to do to be saved from your sins? Learn how to be saved from sin and have heaven you home by visiting http://www.abiblecommentary.com/newtestamentchristianity today! There is also a good discussion on how to be saved at http://www.commentaryonthebible.com/howtobesaved

Bible commentary search engine

On line Bible commentary

My Bible commentary books are now listed on openlibrary.org, a VERY useful web site! Check out this neat web site and my profile there at this link: http://openlibrary.org/people/abible

Commentary on the Bible listing

Yelp.com has helped me promote the "Bible commentary" products from www.abiblecommentary.com - my "yelp listing" is here: http://abiblecommentary.yelp.com

Flickr.com Bible commentary profile

I added my "Bible commentary" profile to flickr and it was EASY! Check it out at http://www.flickr.com/people/abiblecommentary/

Blogs from www.livejournal.com

Are you interested in blogging? If you are looking for a "free blog" that is EASY to use, check out www.livejournal.com. You can be up in running in just minutes - here is my first "Bible commentary" blog post: http://abible.livejournal.com/

Blog Archive