Shining What Light?

Psalm 43: 3, 4

Matthew 5: 1 – 16

October 6, 2024

No, you are not imagining things. With the exception of the last three verses – verses that speak to believers as the light of the world, as lights meant to shine out into the world – yes, this is exactly the same text as last week.

Last week, we talked about letting our light shine. That we, reflecting the light and teachings of Jesus into the dark corners of our world can become God’s answer to the prayers of the broken. We can become God’s answer to the pain and heartache experienced by so many. We can become God’s answer when the tragedies of life leave us and others angry and destructive.

We then asked the logical question. How? How do we let our light shine and my proposal was that when we demonstrate that our faith actually makes a difference; when we do our best to live into the high spiritual calling of a follower of Jesus. It is then that our faith light shines – yes, through a broken instrument, we are far from perfect people – but the light of Christ can shine through us nonetheless.

I believe that being light bearers is part of what it means to be made in the image of God. We were created to bear light. We were created to reflect the light of that which is most important to us. The question becomes, what or whose light are we reflecting?

Jesus is our light. He lights our way. And when we follow him, we never walk in darkness. No matter how dark things may seem. Jesus still lights our way. Because he is the light of the world. As followers of Jesus, we reflect that light of Christ as we faithfully journey through life.

But let’s be honest. There are any number of bright, glitzy, colorful lights masquerading as ultimate purpose, ultimate meaning, ultimate service. Created as light bearers, created as reflectors of light we can – if we choose – reflect any light.

Maybe we are following and buying into the light that is money, that is wealth, that is seeming prosperity. Nowadays, is there anything that our money can’t buy? We buy into the prosperity notion that the sheer accumulation of stuff can be a bright light in our lives. Having a nice house, having a nice car, having a bank account sufficient to get us anywhere we want to go. We buy into the light of prestige, power, and influence. We can reflect the lights of self-satisfaction, ego, and self-centeredness. We can bear a similar light – similarly destructive - the light of self-sufficiency. Oh, we can be the bearers, the reflectors of all kinds of lights.

And there is such a need for light….. true light.

There is darkness in our world. There are wars raging. There are still shootings. There is still hatred and division. There is still persecution of people of faith. There is still - for too many people around the world - hunger, poverty, and homelessness. There is the problem of the pretenders, the masqueraders, the perpetrators of a fraud that suggests that their particular brand of light is superior to any other light out there – including the light of Jesus. There is still darkness in our world.

Even in our own personal lives, we still face darkness. It might be a health concern that we have, for ourselves or a loved one. It might be a relationship that is struggling. It might be frustrations at work or school. It might be financial concerns that seem insurmountable. It might be depression or addiction. It might just be a general restlessness with life. Or it might be something I have not named, because darkness has many shades. And it affects us all.

There is still darkness in our world. We need to acknowledge that. And so we might wonder, where is the light? Where is THE light that can illuminate our own darkness?

In a world filled with darkness, when the reality is that far too many of us have chosen the self-serving lights of the world only to find that those lights can never deliver on what was promised, how do we be sure that we are reflecting, living into, bearing the right light? How do we make sure we are bearing THE light, the light of Christ? How can we live into our created potential as light bearers?

Friends, hear this good news. God loves you. God loves you! God has not left you alone. Jesus was sent, as a part of the great reconciling ministry of God - to be the light of the world. Jesus was sent to teach us and to embody what it means to bearers of the light of Christ. Jesus is the light of the world – a light that outshines all the pretenders, the deceivers, those masquerading as ultimate light.

We have Jesus. We also have one another – fellow brothers and sisters also on journeys of faith, also seeking to be fellow light bearers. We live in a community of faith – a faith that stretches around the world – and a community that is as close as our next-door neighbors. We have each other for love, for grace, for encouragement, for power. As individuals, and as a church family we have the ability to receive and to then project into the world Holy Spirit power!

But we need to be willing to check our lights, or to trust someone else to do it for us. We need a humility that has us constantly asking, “How is my light shining today? Whom does it reflect? For whom might it be the only light they see in darkness that is their lives. All too often we are shining the light of self-confidence, not humility; of ego, not trust in God; of self-centeredness not God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit centeredness. We need to be willing to check our spiritual engine lights to be sure we are running on God’s power, not our own.

Dear Ones, when people see you what light do they see? May it be the one light, the only true light, the bright light of Jesus. And may we be unafraid to shine that light wherever and whenever called. Amen.