YOU ARE THE
LIGHT OF THE WORLD: Humeis este (2PPAI) to phos tou kosmou (Proverbs
4:18;
John 5:35;
12:36;
Romans 2:19,20;
2 Corinthians 6:14;
Ephesians 5:8-14;
Philippians 2:15;
1 Thessalonians 5:5;
Revelation 1:20;
2:1)
(Holman
Dictionary = Light of the World)
(ISBE
Article)
(Torrey's
Topic on LIght)
THE SERMON ON THE
MOUNT
An Outline |
|
Chapter |
Subject |
|
Mt 5:3-9 |
Character |
|
Mt 5:10-12 |
Conflict |
|
Mt 5:13-7:27 |
Conduct |
You (5210)
(humeis) is emphatic meaning "you yourselves". This verse could be
translated
"You and you alone (no one else) are the light of the world."
Are is in the
present tense
signifying that citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven are to continually
live as lights (veritable "mobile lighthouses" if you will) in the darkness of this world. "Are" is
also in
the
indicative mood
which is the mood of reality. In other words, you really are the
light. What is their light? It is the character traits of the "be
attitudes" (Mt 5:3-12), which effectively is Jesus in them.
Jesus is saying that these light possessors are now to be light
transmitters! Let your actions speak louder than your words. Let your
actions open a door of opportunity to speak forth the gospel.
You are the light of the world
- Spurgeon makes the point that...
THIS title had been given by the
Jews to certain of their eminent Rabbis. With great pomposity they spoke
of Rabbi Judah, or Rabbi Jochanan, as the lamps of the universe, the
lights of the world. It must have sounded strangely in the ears of
the Scribes and Pharisees to hear that same title, in all soberness,
applied to a few bronzed-faced and horny-handed peasants and fishermen,
who had become disciples of Jesus. Jesus, in effect, said, — not the
Rabbis, not the Scribes, not the assembled Sanhedrim, but ye, my humble
followers, ye are the light of the world.
He gave them this title, not
after he had educated them for three years, but at almost the outset of
his ministry; and from this I gather that the title was given them, not
so much on account of what they knew, as on account of what they were.
Not their knowledge, but their character made them the light of the
world. They were not yet fully trained in his spiritual school, and yet
he saith to them, “Ye are the light of the world;” the fact being,
that wherever there is faith in Christ there is light, for our Lord has
said “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in me
should not walk in darkness.” “The entrance of thy word giveth
light.”
Genuine faith in Christ turns a
man from darkness to marvellous light, and transforms him into “light
in the Lord”; his aims and objects, his desires, his speech, his
actions, become full of divine light, which illuminates all the chambers
of his soul, and then pours forth from the windows so as to be seen of
men.
The believer is appointed to be
a lighthouse to others, a cheering lamp, a guiding star. It is true that
his light will be increased as he learns more of Christ, he will be able
to impart more instruction to others when he has received more, but even
while he is yet a beginner, his faith in Jesus is in itself a light; men
see his good worlds even before they discover his knowledge.
The man of faith who aims at
holiness is a light of the world, even though his knowledge may be very
limited, and his experience that of a babe.
I mention this at the outset in
order that every Christian may see the application of the text to
himself. It is not spoken to the apostles, or to ministers exclusively,
but to the entire body of the faithful — “Ye are the light of the
world.” Ye humble men and women whose usefulness will be confined to
your cottages, or to your work-shops, ye whose voices will never be
heard in the streets, whose speech will only be eloquent in the ears of
those who gather by your firesides, you, even you, noiseless and
unobserved as your lives will be, — ye are the true light of the world.
Not alone the men whose learned volumes load our shelves, not alone the
men whose thundering tones startle the nations, or who with busy care
for God’s glory compass sea and land to find subjects for the kingdom of
Jesus, but you, each one of you, who are humbly resting upon the Savior,
and lovingly carrying out your high vocation as the children of God, and
followers of his dear Son.
Let us never forget that
light must first be imparted to us, or it can never go forth from
us. We are not lights of the world by nature; at best we are but lamps
unlit until the Spirit of God comes. Enquire, therefore, my hearer, of
thyself whether God has ever kindled thee by the flame of his Spirit.
Hast thou been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into
light? Has the flame immortal of the divine life touched thee? If so,
thou hast light in thyself, and light towards others, and thy light will
work effectually in many ways. It will reveal the darkness of those who
are round about thee. Thy light will show the darkness how dark it is.
Even as Christ’s life judged
upon the men of his age, so does the faith of Christians expose the
evils of unbelief, and the holiness of believers reveals the wickedness
of sin.
Our light also reproves the
deeds of darkness, and condemns them. Even though we were never to use a
severe word, a godly life would be a stern rebuke of sin.
Hence it comes to pass that we
must expect to be opposed, for “he that doeth evil hearth the light.”
The world does not understand us, “for the light shineth in darkness,
and the darkness understandeth it not”; and, therefore, it
misrepresents us, and rages against us. In a certain sense the saints
are day by day the judges of mankind; they avoid all censoriousness, for
they know who has said, “judge not, that ye be not judged,” but
unconsciously to themselves their godly, holy, and devout lives accuse
and condemn the wicked, and the Spirit of God through them full often
convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment....
Why doth God make men to be
lights to other men? There are three answers; first, it averts from the
light-givers themselves many evils; secondly, it bestows upon them many
benefits; and, thirdly, it has an encouraging aspect towards the light
receivers — those who are meanwhile sitting in darkness and needing the
light. (See Spurgeon's entire sermon for amplification of each of these
points
The Light of the World)
Light (5457)
(phos from pháo = to shine) speaks of luminousness which
may be a literal light but more often as in this verse is figurative.
Light penetrates and dispels
darkness.
Light is that which enables you to
see or which makes vision possible. Light goes with sight. Light
illuminates, exposes, guides, and directs. Light gives life (to
vegetable and animal).
The opposite of light is dark or
darkness which speaks of obscurity, delusion, confusion, camouflage,
gloom, murkiness, shadows, nightfall and death.
Dwight Pentecost reminds us
that...
The nature of light is to shine.
There is no such thing as light that does not communicate itself. There
is no such thing as self contained light. Light may originate in a
distant star and travel a span of light-years, but it does not get tired
of shining and cease to shine. Its nature is to shine. Christ says He
has made us lights in the world, and we are not self-contained. It is
the nature of the child of God who has been made light to communicate
the light given to him. (Pentecost,
J. D. Design for living: Lessons in Holiness from the Sermon on the
Mount. Kregel Publications)
Jesus while in Jerusalem and having
just cried out that He alone could quench their spiritual thirst (John
7:37-39), now declares to the Jewish audience that He is the Light of
the World
Again therefore Jesus spoke to them,
saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk
in the darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
John had earlier recorded of Jesus
that...
In Him was life, and the
life was the light of men (cf 1John 1:5 "God is light" thus Jesus is
God). And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not
comprehend it (katalambano = take eagerly; possess, attain, seize with
hostile intent. Thus translated variously with ideas of extinguish it,
overcome it, put it out, understand or perceive it). There came a man,
sent from God, whose name was John (John 5:35). He came for a witness,
that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through
him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the
light. There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens
every man. (John 1:4-9)
Jesus called John the Baptist a
light
declaring that...
"He was the lamp that was burning and
was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light."
(John 5:35)
Now He turns to His audience and
tells them "You and you alone are the Light of the world." These words
must have come as quite a shock for
"THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN
DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND TO THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND
AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED." (Mt 4:16, from
Isaiah 9:1).
And yet now that His Light had dawned
on them, He was declaring that they themselves were "the light".
And how
could they be the light? In the last week of His life in John
12:35-36 Jesus explains how one can themselves become light declaring...
Jesus therefore said to them,
"For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have
the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the
darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe
in the light, in order that you may become sons of light." These things
Jesus spoke, and He departed and hid Himself from them." (John 12:35-36)
Luke adds that Jesus charge to Paul
was to go to be a minister and a witness (especially through
proclamation of the Gospel)
to open their eyes so that they
may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of
Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts
26:18)
What Jesus has just presented in the eight beatitudes
(Mt 5:3-12) is the
character of men and women who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, and are the ones who
are to be the light of the world
... those who were poor in spirit,
mourned over sin, were meek not mean spirited, hungered and thirsted for
a truly righteous life instead of self-righteousness, were merciful (and
willing to forgive as they had been forgiven), were pure in heart with a
single minded focus on God, were peacemakers and as a result of being
all the above, were persecuted for the sake of God's righteousness lived
out in their everyday lives.
As true citizens of the Kingdom of
Heaven these men and women would be the lights who would shine into the
darkness of the kingdom of this world.
Believers who in the power of the
Spirit are living out the reality of the "be attitudes"
should shine forth like the
light of a city on a hill or a lamp on a stand. We must not try to hide
from the world but let our influence count for Christ in such a way that
God will get the glory for the good deeds in our lives. We are to live
so that everyone will feel our influence. We are vessels for the
indwelling Spirit of God. Our lives reflect the light of the Spirit of
Christ in us the hope (absolute certainty) of glory.
Notice that it is the
distinctiveness of our Christian character, conduct, and conversation
which inevitably and naturally points men to Christ. It is not our
winsome programs but our regenerate, Spirit empowered, holy lives that
expose the moral morass of our culture.
Are you a
living light where Christ has placed you as His ambassador that you
might have an opportunity to speak forth the word of reconciliation?
In Ephesians Paul exhorts
us...
Therefore (see notes
Ephesians 5:1;
5:2;
5:3;
5:4;
5:5;
5:6;
5:7) do
not be partakers with them (the sons of disobedience, Eph 5:6); for you
were (past tense - "were" is emphatic - you really were! is the
idea) formerly darkness, but now you are light (not a lamp but
light itself) in the Lord; walk
(command to make this
our lifestyle =
present imperative)
as children of light (for the
fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and
truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do not
participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even
expose them (this is the purpose of citizens of the Kingdom of
Heaven - expose the deeds of darkness, but don't expect the darkness to
thank you, cf Mt 5:10-12); for it is disgraceful even to speak of
the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become
visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything
that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper,
and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Therefore be
careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of
your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with
wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (see
notes
Ephesians 5:8;
5:9;
5:10;
5:11;
5:12;
5:13;
5:14;
5:15;
5:16;
5:17;
5:18)
When Paul says "awake sleeper and
arise from the dead" one interpretation is that it represents an
invitation to those in darkness to enter the light of Christ. The light
of the life of a Christian should always be preaching a sermon, always
exposing the surrounding darkness. Some will become hostile, but some
will see the light of Christ in us the hope of glory. The other
interpretation, which is reasonable, is that Paul is instructing
"sleepy" believers to wake up, which would certainly be an application
(cf notes
Romans 13:11,
1Thessalonians 5:6) Warren Wiersbe reminds us that...
Christians are not sleeping in
sin and death. We have been raised from the dead through faith in Him.
The darkness of the graveyard is past, and we are now walking in the
light of salvation. Salvation is the beginning of a new day, and we
ought to live as those who belong to the light, not to the darkness.
(Wiersbe,
W: Bible Exposition Commentary)
Note that in describing who we were
before Christ in Ephesians 5:8, Paul does not say you were "in darkness" or
"of darkness" but that you "were darkness" itself!
Our total existence, including our being and our behavior, was totally
characterized by darkness. Their was no other aspect to our spiritual
life other than that of darkness. As "sons of disobedience" we
were children of darkness. Note also that we were not simply "innocent"
victims of the Evil One, Satan the Prince of darkness, but we were
actually contributors to the darkness. Our very nature was characterized
by darkness and sin which is the rotten fruit of darkness. Thus the
striking contrast in this verse and the incredible proclamation by Jesus
that those who once were literally the essence of darkness now have the
glorious privilege to be light in the Lord.
In Ephesians 5:8, Paul is teaching an incredible truth
- believers are not simply enlightened ones (which we are) but even more
he teaches
that we are now actually light! Somehow our incorporation into Christ allows us
to some extent to be light, however imperfect. Our light is still
derived from Him, and not a ray of it comes from ourselves, but this
light is more than simply reflected light (see illustration below
from Dr Barnhouse). Peter teaches that we
are actually "partakers of the divine nature" (2
Peter 1:4 [note] - note
that this truth does not make us "little Christs" as some have falsely
taught!). This is indeed a glorious, albeit mysterious truth that is
difficult to fully comprehend (cf 1Cor 13:12, cf 2Cor 3:18).
Somehow believers shine with the light of Christ, that radiates forth
with life-changing effect. Jesus is the Light of the world, a
world which is dead in darkness and His life in and through us as
believers somehow transforms us into the lights of the world in His
stead and for His Father's glory! If you are a citizen of the Kingdom of
Heaven you will shine somehow, some way. Don't try to hide what you are
by nature. Now your conduct is to continually conform to your essential
character (light).
Peter echoes the truth that we
are to let our light shine and
Keep your behavior excellent
among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as
evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them,
glorify God in the day of visitation. (see note
1 Peter 2:12)
Hugh Latimer was an English martyr, a
light to the world,
who said to his fellow martyr to be, Nicholas Ridley, as the the fire
was lit to burn them at the stake...
Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and
play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in
England as shall never be put out. (click
for more detail)
Kent Hughes explains how
believers are lights noting that...
Dr. Barnhouse, the master of
illustration, used to explain it this way. He said that when Christ was
in the world, he was like the shining sun that is here in the day and
gone at night. When the sun sets, the moon comes up. The moon, the
church, shines, but not with its own light. It shines with reflected
light. When Jesus was in the world he said, "I am the light of the
world." But as he contemplated leaving this world, he said, "You are the
light of the world." At times the church has been at full moon, dazzling
the world with an almost daytime light. These have been times of great
enlightenment, times such as those of Paul and Luther and Wesley. And at
other times the church has been only a thumbnail moon, with very little
light shining upon the earth. Whether the church is a full moon or a new
thumbnail moon, waxing or waning, it reflects the light of the sun.
(Hughes, R. K.
Sermon on the Mount: The Message of
the Kingdom. Crossway Books)
The implication of
the need for light in the
world is that there is darkness. Phil Newton gives a nice discussion of
darkness explaining that...
Darkness impairs vision. In a
spiritual sense, the kind of darkness that the Bible speaks of impairs a
person morally. He cannot see. He does not understand the effects of sin
or even the root of it in the depravity of the human heart. His entire
way of thinking is warped by the darkness. His understanding has been
switched off when it comes to grasping moral issues related to his own
life. And so he joins organizations that go to great lengths to protect
snail darters or
endangered fish or certain species of animals but then supports the
abortion of an unborn child. In his mind a snail or a mouse or a whale
has as much value as a human being that has been made in the image of
God. His thinking is warped by the darkness. He shakes his head in
disgust over the gunning down of eight innocent people then plugs in his
music that advocates killing, immorality, and drugs or sits down to
three hours of non-stop violence in front of the television. Darkness
has blinded his ability to see his own hypocrisy. A politician having an
affair with an intern or a serial rapist being released from prison
appalls him, but then he sits down in front of a screen and indulges his
mind in pornography on the Internet. Darkness has twisted his thinking
so that he has no objective standard of morality or a sense of
approaching judgment. (The
Power of Christians as Light)
World (2889)
(kosmos) strictly means orderly arrangement (thus our English word
"cosmetics"!) here refers to the human race in general. It should also
be noted that kosmos also refers to world in a spiritual sense of the
man-centered, Satan-directed system (1Jn 5:19,Jn 12:31) of this present
age, which is alienated from and hostile toward God and God’s people (cf
Mt 5:10-12).
It is intriguing that in Matthew, the
most "Jewish" of all the gospels, Jesus enlarges His audience's sphere
of intended influence to the entire "world" and not just the community
of Jews in Israel. This truth is paralleled in Jesus' Great Commission
And Jesus came up and spoke to
them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Kosmos is the self-centered, godless value system
and mores of fallen mankind. The goal of the world is humanistic,
self-glory, self-fulfillment, self-indulgence, self-satisfaction, and
every other form of self-serving (cf notes
2 Timothy 3:1;
3:2;
3:3;3:4).
John explains that...
We know that we are of God, and
the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (1John 5:19)
In Revelation we read about
the eventual fate of this present darkness...
And the seventh angel sounded;
and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign
forever and ever." (See note
Revelation 11:15)
His Lamps
God's lamps we are,
To shine where He shall say:
And lamps are not for sunny rooms,
Nor for the light of day;
But for the dark places of the earth,
Where shame and wrong and crime have birth,
Or for the murky twilight grey,
Where wandering sheep have gone astray,
Or where the Lamp of Faith grows dim,
And souls are groping after Him.
And as sometimes a flame we find,
Clear-shining through the night,
So dark we do not see the lamp
But only see the Light,
So may we shine, God's love the flame,
That men may glorify His Name
--Annie Johnson Flint
A CITY SET ON
A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN: ou dunatai (3SPMI) polis krubenai (APN) epano
horous keimene (PPPNSF) (Genesis
11:4-8;
Revelation 21:14-27)
City (4172)
(polis) in Scripture usually referred to a city enclosed with a
wall.
Citizens of the Kingdom of Christ now
reside as aliens and strangers (see notes
1 Peter 1:1,
1 Peter 2:11) in the "Kingdom of
this World" (See
note
Revelation 11:15) but our King instructs us
"You do not live in some spiritual
ghetto! No, No! You illuminate the darkness of the Kingdom of this World
wherever you reside!"
What a privilege we have beloved.
Does the Church really grasp what the King is proclaiming is true about
us?
There is no such thing as
an invisible believer!
It is difficult for modern readers to
understand the importance of Jesus' statement, for we have lights
everywhere at night. Not so in ancient Palestine. And if one was
traveling at night, he did not have freeway lamps, but was dependent on
the glow of the lamp lights in the windows of houses in the cities to
help direct him on his journey.
Dwight Pentecost writes
that...
"One who travels the Holy Land
is impressed with the fact that multitudes of villages were built on the
tops of the hills...When night came, the light in the houses on the hill
could not be hidden. From a great distance, one knew the location of the
next village because of the light from that hilltop.” (Pentecost,
J. D. Design for living: Lessons in Holiness from the Sermon on the
Mount. Kregel Publications)
Set (2749)
(keimai) means to be in a place frequently in sense of `being
contained in' or `resting on' as in the present context of a city set on
a hill
Hill (3735)
(oros) describes a relatively high elevation of land and
contrasts with the Greek word bounos which also means `hill'
albeit somewhat lower. Jesus' point is that this is not a city down in
the deepest valley but is clearly visible, in view of all to see.
Cannot is the combination of not (3756)
(ou = absolutely not) + can (1410)
(dunamai) see in depth study of related word
dunamis)
which means to be able or to have power by virtue of inherent ability.
Hidden (2928)
(krupto gives us our English “crypt,” “cryptic,” etc) means
to cover, to conceal, or to keep secret (either protectively or for
selfish reasons)
And neither can a genuine believer
hide the fact that they have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. The
question then must be ask -
Are you really walking with Jesus?
Is your relationship genuine?
Or is a superficial profession (cf notes
Matthew 7:21;
7:22;
7:23)?
Have you ever looked out of a
plane flying on a cloudless night? You can see pinpoints of light miles
and miles away. This explains why
it was necessary to have
blackouts during the war to prevent enemy pilots from seeing the
smallest evidence of light and thus find their targets.
John describes the New Jerusalem
which has a Light which will never "be hidden" writing that...
And the city has no need of the
sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined
it, and its lamp is the Lamb. (see note
Revelation 21:23)
