Sermon on the Mount – Part 1 – Matthew 5:1-6:4

You are the light of the world – Jesus

But wait a minute!  I thought that Jesus was the “Light of the World.”  After all, last week we read John’s words where he said that Jesus was the true light that gives light to every man (John 1:9)  But here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers that they are “the light of the world.”  And by extension, I believe He’s telling us that we are “the light of the world.”

These words of Jesus cause us to take seriously the idea that we are to be the embodiment of Christ today.  When we say that the Church is the Body of Christ, these are not just figurative words, but a deep conviction that we are the tangible and concrete representation of Jesus.  We are to carry around the death and resurrection of Christ with us… we are to proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes… we are the ambassadors of the Kingdom of God.

In some very real sense, we are the modern day version of the incarnation.  We are to be the hands and feet of Christ, taking Jesus with us into dark valleys and the messiness of the human condition.  Yes indeed… as the Light of the World lives in you, you also are to be the light of the world!  Shine brightly!