shine the light

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Psalm 83; Matthew 5:13-16


"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
(Matthew 5:16)


I mentioned in my sermon Sunday that Matthew emphasizes our works as the fruit God is looking for (the fruit in keeping with repentance, good fruit from a healthy tree). I tried to tie the outward fruit to the inward life. They are not an ornament hung on a tree, but the evidence of life within it. When there is integrity in the whole (roots, trunk, branches, twigs, leaves), there just will be fruit. If there really is healthy life deep in the heart it will be manifested in what we say and do. Otherwise there will be no fruit or bad fruit. (however, this is not necessarily automatic, hence discipleship and its disciplines which nurture and strengthen the both the life within and its expression outwardly...)

So Matthew records Jesus tying our good works to our light - God is glorified when the good works of Jesus' disciples shine and others see it and thank God. Our light is not to be hidden. I think what Jesus is getting at with his disciples, in this discipleship sermon, is that their light is their life as his disciples, his followers. And their life as his disciples involves becoming like him, and doing the things he did, and doing the things he is doing in us.

I so often say in my heart regarding things I think the Lord probably wants me to do, "I'll get around to that at another time, when I'm ready." Or I'll think about it a lot, or even talk about it a lot (and try to impress people with my "blah blah blah"). But all of this is like keeping a lamp under a basket. One thing that can happen when you do that is you can get burned. The burning flame exists in the lamp to give light, not to be hidden inside or underneath something.

We exist to shine our light, or the light of God in us - to display the glory of God in a transformed/transforming life, to do good works from a center of love and life and light - that center of course is Jesus himself and our vital union with him.

Pour out your Spirit upon us Lord, that we might burn with love for you and for those around us, and so display your goodness and glory.