Jump Start # 224

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”

Visibility…influence…being seen and being noticed is the heart of our verse today. This is taken from the sermon on the Mount. Jesus had just told the disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” (13) and “You are the light of the world” (14). Did you notice the “You are”? Not, you need to become, nor you ought to be, but rather, you are.

  Let your light shine. I get up early to write these Jump Starts. I look out the window and it’s dark. I can see what neighbors are up because the lights are on  inside their house. This passage is made up of several short phrases. Each of them help us to understand the meaning.

  Let your light shine: is action on our part. Light is visible and noticeable. Ever try walking to bed when all the lights are out? Not good. Jesus wants you to be seen. He wants you to be noticed. Now, there are various ways this can be done. Some dress really odd. You see this in the stands of football games, especially Oakland Raiders fans. They are noticed. Others dye their hair with bright colors. People notice. Some are covered with tattoos. When I was a teenager, just past the hippie days, it was long hair. There are a lot of ways to draw attention. Not all of it is good. Some are rebellious. Some are “in-your-face” attitudes. Some are scary, especially to the older generation. Jesus defines what His disciples are noticed for. It’s the next  expression.

  That they may see your good works: This is what the light is. It’s engaging in doing good for others. It’s not long stringy hair, it’s not bright hair, or unusual outfits…it’s helping others. People notice. They notice kindness and generosity. They notice people going out of their way.  The way Jesus wants us to shine light is by being helpful and making a difference. This is a positive and not a negative. Consider a typical neighborhood in America: you might have a family that goes to one church, another family that goes to another church, a family that believes in God but they don’t really go to worship, and a family that does not believe in God. They all live on the same street. They all recognize kindness when it happens to them. They appreciate the neighbor who helps shovel snow out of the their driveway, or brings some food because the wife has been ill, or is struggling to start the car and you loan them your car for a day. Those are wow factors. It’s going out of your way. It’s not doing it to receive something back, especially money. It’s being kind because that’s the right thing to do. Before folks will listen to what you believe, they want to see that you are genuine and really care.

  They may glorify your Father who is in Heaven: There is a “they” and a “your” here. They, are the people you have done good works to. They don’t know your Father. But they glorify God because of YOU. This is what Jesus wants. The glory doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to God.

  Now, here’s the main thought: how does a person doing good deeds to someone else get them to glorify God? Somehow God’s name has to come up. Some where God’s goodness is mentioned. Without God being brought into the picture, the natural thing is to praise the person. That’s not what Jesus wants. He wants God to be glorified. We are simply the instruments and tools that point to that.

  So, in helping others, the name of God should flow naturally and smoothly. “Glad God can use me to help you today…” “I’m glad God has blessed me so I can bless you.” “God sure is good to us, isn’t He?” “God treats all of us better than we deserve.”

  Get busy doing good. That’s what Jesus’ people do. Often we spend too much time in the huddle, discussing the play and worrying about the opposition instead of executing what we ought to be doing. Get out of the huddle and get busy. It’s a dark, dark world. Shine your light.

Roger