Light of the World

Light travels at approx 300,000,000 m/s, but do you know what is faster than Light? Darkness. Darkness flees light just fast enough that light can never catch it 😄

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

It feels like this is a very obvious teaching that Jesus gave. 

Like the Salt, we have a responsibility. We can’t just be christians in our room, we have to, by our very nature, serve. Light is not just helping the person who holds the light, it also shines for everyone close by.

Luke starts off in the same way. But note the difference between Matthew and Luke. Mathew gives a spiritual view and assumes the listeners and readers will understand what is meant from the Jewish perspective, while Luke has gathered information for Theophilus, and brought it all together in a record. His writing tries to explain more and speaks in a different language context, for a different kind of reader. 

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.  See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 

Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
(Luke 11:33-36 NIV)

Now, the interesting thing is that In some manuscripts, the word “Healthy” translates as “Generous” (and Unhealthy as “Stingy” or “Greedy”)

Now this is where it gets interesting… Because the Sermon on the mount is all about Kingdom Principles… and all of these work. So I am inclined to think that Luke records it as such because Jesus used the same concept of light in different ways or perhaps as part of different teachings as he traveled, to explain different principles… (just like with yeast)

So the first obvious one is to shine your light and serve

The second one is the Healthy/Unhealthy Principle… What are you allowing into your eyes? Because the eyes decides what your body will be full of. If your eyes are focused on things it shouldn’t be, your heart and mind will follow and your body will become dark.

If your eyes are looking for Porn, your heart will fill with Lust. If your eyes are looking for revenge, your heart will fill with Hate and Anger. Where your eyes look, there your head will turn and your body and heart will follow. 

But then, the third version is where the manuscript translation refers to the generosity (health) of the eye. Give what you have, When you have Christ, share Him freely. If you were blessed with gifts, use them generously. If you were taken care of by our Father, Give freely… because if you are greedy or stingy with your “light” the Luke 11:34 says “Your body is also full of darkness”

And the last principle:

“Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
(Luke 11:36 NIV)

If your Eye is Healthy, and your body is filled with the Light that is Christ… it will be impossible to hide it. (Back to the fruits) You don’t have to generate the light. Light is the result of being in the presence of God “in Whom there is no darkness…” You can’t force fruit. Fruit is a result. Just so you can’t squeeze out light! Light is the result of proximity to God. 

And as an extra sidetone… my good friend Christopher also commented that real fruit grows in light. More light, more fruit. I don’t have a verse for it, but it is how God designed the world, so it makes sense to me!

Be Blessed and be a blessing to all those around you today!