Matthew 5:14-16
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
THIS WEEK WE’LL TURN TO some of the teachings of Jesus, starting with selected readings from the Sermon on the Mount.
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Jesus ascended one of the mountains that borders the Sea of Galilee, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd of people. There he began to lay out the mission, ethics, and spirituality of the Kingdom of God. When I read the Sermon on the Mount, it represents for me the highest ideals I hope to live by. I’ve found it particularly helpful to pray the Sermon on the Mount. I focus on one brief section, like the one above, and then I pray that God will help me to live the command I’ve just read.
On the hillsides surrounding the Sea of Galilee there were, in Jesus day, scattered villages. Each home had one or more small oil lamps to light it at night. One oil lamp from one home might have been hard to see from a distance. But when an entire village of people were trimming their lamps at night, it could be seen across the lake— it could not be hidden.
In our passage, Jesus used the plural form of the word you. He said, in essence, “You, together, are the light of the world. You are meant to be like a village on a hill.” Jesus was speaking not only about how we should live our lives individually; ultimately he was describing the community of his followers— in other words, the church.
But how do we let our light shine? We do it by our good works. In this context, the Greek word for “good”— kalos— may also be translated as “beautiful.” We are to demonstrate beautiful deeds that draw others to God.
There was a time when the church I serve was known for its size. People would say, “Oh, that’s the big church.” But ten years ago we began asking, “What would happen if we became known not for the size of our congregation but the depth of our concern for the community? What if we actually lived up to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount and sought to shine Christ’s light through beautiful deeds of loving kindness?” We increased our efforts at serving the community, at sending our members to care for others, and in our work supporting those in need. Today, every member is called and expected to serve.
I remember, as a child, occasionally seeing giant searchlights in the sky at night, announcing the grand opening of a business or some special event. If we were in the car we would beg our parents to take us to the light, so we could see what was going on. This is the picture I have of the church as Jesus envisioned it. Every member should be working individually and together to demonstrate such beautiful deeds that others are drawn to the church and to her Christ.
Jesus, help me so that the doing of beautiful deeds might be a daily rhythm of my life. Lead my church so that together we might be “a city set upon a hill that cannot be hidden." Amen.
Adam Hamilton, The Way: 40 Days of Reflection: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
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