Matthew 5:11-16: a reflection

11“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men. 14“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and calls them to let their light shine so that others may see their good works and glorify God. You are the light of the world, he says; let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The light is not meant to be hidden under a basket, but set on a stand to give light to all. Believers are to let the light of their lives, their good works, shine visibly, not for their own glory, but that others seeing it may be drawn to glorify God. This shows that our lives are meant to shine with good works that point others to God. Let your light shine, that others may glorify God. Our good works are meant to point others to God. We are light, meant to shine, not to be hidden. Let your life shine so others glorify God, not you.

Notice the purpose Jesus gives for letting our light shine: that others may glorify God. We are the light of the world, and light is meant to be seen, set on a stand, not hidden under a basket. So our lives, our good works, are meant to be visible, to shine before others. But notice the aim: not that others may praise us, but that seeing our good works they may glorify our Father in heaven. The point of our shining is not our own glory, but God's; our good works are meant to point beyond ourselves to God, drawing others to praise him. This shapes how we live and why. We are not to hide our light, to keep our faith and good works private and unseen, as though embarrassed; nor are we to shine for our own praise and admiration. We are to let the light of good lives shine visibly, so that others, seeing it, are drawn not to us but to God, and glorify him. Our good works, done in the light, are meant to point others to the God who is their source. Let your light shine so that others glorify God, not so that they praise you. Our good works are meant to point beyond us to God. Do not hide your light, but let it shine to God's glory. Shine so that others are drawn to praise God.

That is worth taking to heart, for our lives are meant to shine with good works that point others not to ourselves but to God, so that seeing them others glorify him. We can hide our light, keeping our faith private and unseen as though embarrassed, or shine for our own praise; but Jesus calls us to let our light shine before others, that seeing our good works they may glorify our Father in heaven. Our shining is for God's glory. Do not hide your light, nor shine for your own praise; let it shine so that others are drawn to glorify God. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify God, not hiding it under a basket as though embarrassed, nor shining for your own praise, as Jesus told his disciples they are the light of the world and called them to let their light shine that others may see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven; for light is meant to be seen, set on a stand and not hidden, and our lives and good works are meant to be visible, but the aim of our shining is not our own glory but God's, so that our good works point beyond ourselves to God and draw others to praise him rather than us, and we do well neither to hide our light out of embarrassment nor to shine for our own admiration, but to let the light of good lives shine so that others, seeing it, glorify God.

Lord Jesus, you tell your disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and call them to let their light shine so that others may see their good works and glorify God. You are the light of the world, you say; let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The light is not meant to be hidden under a basket, but set on a stand to give light to all. Believers are to let the light of their lives, their good works, shine visibly, not for their own glory, but that others seeing it may be drawn to glorify God. Show me the purpose you give for letting our light shine: that others may glorify God. I am the light of the world, and light is meant to be seen, not hidden under a basket. So my life, my good works, are meant to be visible, to shine before others. But the aim is not that others may praise me, but that seeing my good works they may glorify the Father. The point of my shining is not my own glory, but God's. This shapes how I live and why. I am not to hide my light, keeping my faith and good works private as though embarrassed; nor to shine for my own praise. I am to let the light of a good life shine visibly, so that others, seeing it, are drawn not to me but to you, and glorify you. Take that to my heart, for my life is meant to shine with good works that point others to you, not to myself. Keep me from hiding my light out of embarrassment, and from shining for my own praise; help me let my light shine, Lord, so that others, seeing my good works, are drawn to glorify you rather than me.