You are the Light of the World
“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 15:16-17
I love how God works - we closed Monday’s devotion with a song from this very verse. Coincidence? It can’t be…there are 31,102 verses in the Bible. God choose that one to stick in my head (I’m pretty sure I sang it all day). I laughed out loud when I saw what today’s verse was. I COULD end this one with “hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it shine…” but I’m sure you’d rather hum Christmas music.
The Jewish temple was glorious. It was built high up on a hill and was covered with gold plates so that when the sun was shining, it lit up with a blinding brilliance. God had given the Israelites very specific instructions when building the temple and Herod wanted to ramp it up, taking 46 years to create the most magnificent restoration and expansion of the time. It truly was a light on a hill. But, it became an object of worship. They ignored the Messiah who was walking amongst them!
Jesus inferred that His body was now the temple. In John 2:19 He says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Paul and Peter later write to the believers, “You are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. You come to Him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood.
We are that glorious radiant temple, the living light of Jesus. ‘Tis the season for light - the brighter the better! People who do not know Jesus still celebrate light - they drive around neighborhoods to see colorful displays, they decorate trees and their homes with megawatts of power. Do they know what it represents? Maybe this is the year for someone to make that connection. Pray for that someone. Talk about power!
Come, let us adore Him!
