Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Matthew 5:16 - Let Your Light Shine ... part 1 of 3

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Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Darkness belongs to the underworld. Evil is called "the works of darkness." Light is of God, Who wants everything exposed in the light. Yeshua stated this early and often during his ministry.

John 3:19-21 Now this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world and men loved the darkness instead of the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be made known that his deeds have been accomplished in God.

No wonder Yeshua spoke this in our subject verse. Of course it appears early in His big sermon. There is so much in the Bible about the tension between light and darkness. Even in the very beginning ... Genesis 1:3-4 Then God said, "Let there be light!" and there was light. God saw that the light was good. So God distinguished the light from the darkness. This happened on day one. The sun wasn't created until day four. Genesis 1:16 Then God made the two great lights - the greater light for dominion over the day, and the lesser light as well as the stars for dominion over the night.

John continued this themed distinction in the introduction to his gospel account. John 1:4-5 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.

We all know that we are made in His image. Genesis 1:26a Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! We were all made to be a reflection of The Father. Ephesians 5:8 For once you were darkness, but now in union with the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light. May the light of your good works shine as a witness to the goodness of God, giving Him glory.

Yeshua is the light of the world ... John 8:12 Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

This is so good, so rich, and so powerful. It is like trying to drink from a firehose. Of course there is much more. Part 2 next time.