Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
City lights have always thrilled me! Growing up in Kearny, NJ, I cut my teeth just over the border from the Big Apple. From my earliest days, I wondered over the beauty of the New York City skyline. It was an everyday, unmissable view as we drove east on the nearby highway. Uncle Chuck and I always sat on the edge of our seats so we could be the first to catch a glimpse of the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center rising up over the horizon. You could see the skyline clearly on any cloudless day, but at night the radiance was spectacular.
Jesus played upon the brilliance of a city set on a hill when He told His followers they were the light of the world. The lives of those who belong to the Lord give off a radiance that dispels the world’s darkness around them. Jesus doesn’t call us to be lights. Instead He tells us we are lights. What we do and how we live are byproducts of who we are, and the Holy Spirit’s presence within us.
We have been rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s Son. Now we must live out this citizenship by brightly shining the light of our good works. This will result in those around us glorifying our heavenly Father.
The New York City skyline has changed over the past two decades, but it still illuminates the eastern sky. It is still an unmissable, beautiful sight! But how much more brilliant is the Light of God’s children reflecting the Savior’s glory.
Shine on, my children, and this dark world will never be the same! — Love, Mama
