Written by Dawn Rutan
Last night I was reading Psalm 4 and noticed verse 6b: “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” (ESV). That led me to think of Isaiah 9:2: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” From there I jumped to John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And then on to John 8:12: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
We often hear about Jesus being the Light of the world as these verses describe. But the next verse that came to mind surprised me. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” I had never thought of this verse in conjunction with His statement in John. He is the Light of the world, but He calls us to carry the same light ourselves. We are not unlike candle holders, bearing His light for others to see. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes of this verse:
“So not only have we received light, we have been made light. We become transmitters of light. In other words, it is this extraordinary teaching of the mystical union between the believer and his Lord. His nature enters into us so that we become, in a sense, what He Himself is. It is essential that we bear in mind both aspects of this matter. As those who believe the gospel we have received light and knowledge and instruction. But, in addition, it has become part of us. It has become our life, so that we thus become reflectors of it. The remarkable thing, therefore, of which we are reminded here is our intimate relationship with Him. The Christian is a man who has received and has become a partaker of the divine nature.”
Light reveals reality: by it we can see what is around us in this dark world we live in. Light exposes the dirt and sin in our lives and in the lives of others that needs to be cleaned up. It also shows the cleanness of lives that have been made as white as snow. Light illumines the path ahead, so we are not stumbling around like those living in darkness.
I wonder how well we are carrying the light sometimes. Are we living in the light of confession and repentance, or are we trying to keep some parts of our lives hidden from view? Are we helping others to see their need for the light of truth, or are we overlooking them for the sake of niceness? Are we revealing the path to the One who is Light, or are we helping them remain in darkness? Are we letting our light shine in the darkness, or are we hoping someone else will do the job for us?
As we have celebrated the coming of the Light into the world this Christmas, may we allow that light to shine into our lives and reveal any darkness we need to deal with. And as we move into the New Year, may we let God’s light shine in us and through us to a world walking in darkness.
“In the same way, 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).
