Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:11-16 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, seeing the multitudes, went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."   Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible tells us.  To be exceedingly glad as written in the original Greek literally means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)  Clearly the rejoicing and delight is meant to be proportional to the suffering endured for the love of Christ.

 

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  My study Bible tells us that salt and light illustrate the role of disciples in society.  Salt was an extremely important and precious commodity in the ancient world.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had both a religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone, my study Bible explains, meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are the preservers of God's covenant and give true flavor to the world.  Regarding light, it first comments that the true and uncreated Light is God.  In the Old Testament, light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  Light is necessary for clear vision so that we see correctly, and also for life itself.  My study Bible declares that faith relies on this divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36, 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  In many parishes, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle presented and the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

What does it mean to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"?  How do we let our light shine?  This has become a common expression in the modern West, thanks likely to a popular song or two of recent decades.  Often, in a pop context, to let one's light shine reflects not a spiritual context, but some sort of context of talent or star quality.  It might even take on moral tones for many as well, with "good deeds" done before others as a way of expressing good character.  Mostly it seems used to reflect a sense of self which might otherwise be lost in the crowd, a way of being noticed for the fruits of one's abilities or perhaps even a stellar persona.  Of course, the songs themselves were meant to have a spiritual and Christian character, reflective of today's Gospel passage.  But in today's media-saturated world of self-generated selfies and stories, and following the popular culture of Hollywood "stars" and generated publicity and PR, the whole sense of the phrase has -- like so much else -- taken on the tone of popular myth and self-fulfillment, a particular understanding of destiny.  But if we think of Christ's phrase as simply encouraging us to gather praise or applause from peers or the world around us, then we've quite obviously missed the first part of this sermon, which exalted the blessedness of the virtues of the Kingdom, hidden from and even persecuted by the world.  In light of the rest of Christ's sermon (which will include later remarks which are extremely critical of those who do even good religious deeds in order to be seen by others) then we have to carefully consider what it means to let one's light so shine that others may see our good works and glorify God.  Jesus puts these remarks in the context of what He says earlier about being persecuted for righteousness' sake, or being denigrated by the world because of our love of Christ.  Clearly, what He telling us is that we should be fearless nevertheless in doing the things that are pleasing to Him, and this becomes the context of the salt together with the light.  The salt indicates covenant, loyalty, a life which is lived out of dedication to God the Holy Trinity, and particularly to Christ, the Incarnate Son.  There are times when we will "do good" -- that is, we will do the things we believe Christ asks of us -- and we will not receive approval from all for doing so.  Even an act of kindness or charity can sometimes, strange as it seems, be met with some sort of critical reception, a cost to be paid by those who reject such acts.  It is within this context that we are to let our light shine -- a light reflective of the light of Christ, of God -- and be unafraid and unashamed to do so nevertheless.  A kind word here for one that others might rather abuse, a protective action for someone who would otherwise be victimized, standing up to bullying or even a conspiracy to harm or defraud in some way:  all of these are examples of actions of doing good which might not be met with approval by those around ourselves, friends or even family who won't like that we are letting that light shine in the darkness they'd prefer.  We might even find ourselves seeking to help in ways others will insist are meant with evil ulterior motive, hence Jesus' warning about being "reviled."  There are times, in my experience, when even our acts of charity may be disparaged.  We're not meant to think that we live in a world that is pure light; that's not the picture the Gospels paint for us.  Indeed, we're told that the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it (comprehend meaning both to "take in" and to "understand"); see John 1:5, which in the original Greek has the same double meaning for "comprehend."  But nonetheless, we're given light so that we shine it; it is the gospel message and mission, and we need to understand that it is at once powerful, and also might spark powerful consequences.  This is why Christ also counsels prudence to His disciples when they're sent out on their first mission, and He tells them they are to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).  To let one's light so shine is not a declaration of some sort of explosive self-expression in the sense of personal fame or glory, but rather an invitation to courage, prudence, strength, endurance, and especially a kind of integrity in fidelity to Him.  It may ask of us caution and wisdom, yet nevertheless be treated as a city on a hill, and is nevertheless the light of the world, and a lamp that gives light to all in the house.  Near the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ will caution His disciples not to cast our pearls before swine, indicating that letting one's light shine also demands discernment.  Jesus is encouraging His followers to be courageous and strong, and to endure in following His commandments, even exalting their times of persecution for His sake, telling the they should be "exceedingly glad."  Let us consider the power in that light, and the strength, joy, and character that is forged by carrying it into the world -- as well as the discernment it demands of us.  Our goal is not to glorify ourselves, but our Father in heaven.