Matthew 5:16

THE INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

‘Ye are the light of the world.… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.’

Matthew 5:14; Matthew 5:16

These words contain, in an image at once as simple and as beautiful as Nature could supply, a description of Christianity, and of the manner in which it diffuses itself.

I. God uses human agency.—For the conversion of the world to Himself God uses human agency. When the Almighty was preparing this material world, He said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light.’ But when the Son of God came into the world He selected human agents. ‘ Ye are the light of the world.’ This was spoken to men very slightly armed either with intellectual or political power. Hence not only the wise and the great, but all of whatever capabilities who come within range of His light, have, by that very fact, had given them the power and laid upon them the responsibility of shining for God. We may not look with apathy upon the evil which is in the world, as if we were not our brothers’ keepers, and had nothing to do but attend to ourselves. The world is lying in darkness before our eyes, and its conversion depends upon us, and upon such as we are. If ever effected, it must be effected by God’s Spirit indeed, but through man’s agency.

II. Human agents must first receive light.—Our Saviour applies to His disciples an image which, in strictness of speech, only belongs to Himself. He is the light—they only light bearers. The light which they have is His; all which they have they have received. The Light of the World then is waiting to shine in upon and enlighten every mind that begins to be conscious of its darkness, and to desire to be taught of God. Jesus Christ, the light and life, and gladness and joy of the world, is waiting at the heart of every one for the undoing of the bars of prejudice and unbelief; nay, by His Spirit is inviting to, and assisting in, the undoing of these bars, that He may come in with streams of heavenly light.

III. The character and influence of the man who has received light, and so become light.

(a) Light is composed of several distinct rays, the red, the blue, and the yellow, but which, various in themselves, blend into the pure colourless light which is around us. A Christian is not a man who does a right action, or a class of right actions, but who in reliance on Christ acts as He did, and aims at regulating his whole moral nature and blending its discordant elements into one simple desire to please Him.

(b) Further, light cannot fail to be seen. This is its peculiar office. Real Christians, therefore, men and women, who indeed have the light of Christ within them, should be known and seen as lights shining in a dark place; they should be as clear as the stars in the heaven, or the lamps along the road on a dark night; for they are light, and all beside are darkness. And thus it was in earlier days: but in our days and in our land, the surrounding darkness is not so great, and the lights, I fear, not so brilliant. Yet the world is dark around us, and if we are Christ’s we must shine, be seen, and have influence.

(c) Light goes off from the source of light on all sides and in all directions. So from a Christian, light should go forth in all directions and at all times, naturally, not by impulsive emissions, but by regular irradiation.

(d) Light beautifies and gladdens all it falls on. And so wherever the light of Christ’s Gospel shines into the heart of man, and the Holy Spirit makes it to sink in and abide there; whatever that man may have been in character, and whatever he may be in position, it draws out and manifests such beauty of character and gladness of heart, that men cannot fail to see his good works, and glorify his Father which is in heaven.

—Canon Francis Morse.

Illustration

‘It is related that the watchman of the Calais lighthouse was boasting of the brilliancy of his lantern, which can be seen many miles at sea, when a visitor said to him, “What if one of your lights should chance to go out?” “Never,” he replied. “Impossible!” with a sort of consternation at the bare idea. “Sir,” continued he, “yonder, where nothing can be seen by us, there are ships going to every port of the world; if to-night one of my burners were out, within a year would come a letter perhaps from India, perhaps from some place I never heard of, saying, ‘At such a night, at such an hour, your light burned dim; the watchman neglected his post, and vessels were in danger.’ Ah, sir, sometimes in the dark nights in stormy weather, I look out to sea, and feel as if the eye of the whole world were looking at my light. Go out—burn dim—no, never!” The eye of the whole world is indeed upon many of you. God give you grace “to keep your light so shining before men” that they may be guided by it through the manifold dangers of this world into the haven of eternal rest.’