Light Of The World

What does it mean to be the light of the world? Jesus said in the sermon on the mount that we, His followers, are the light of the world. The metaphor of light in Jewish tradition is understood as a reference to themselves as a people; that they are the light of the world. Jesus taught this idea to a Jewish audience and as with much of the rest of the sermon on the mount they were hearing ideas common to their heritage, but presented with a new perspective. God's promise to Abraham was that his decedents would be the light of the world and that as the nations wanted to repent they would come to Him through the Jewish nation. As the Levites were the priests for the tribes of Israel, Israel would be the priests of the world.

As disciples, folllowers of Jesus we take His teaching on the mount to include us. We have been grafted into Abraham's line and are included in the light of the world. I have a Christian friend of Jewish heritage who heard me teach this and asked, "You think this applies to non-Jews?" Absolutely. Despite his heritage the scripture is clear that we are adopted sons and daughters of God. That through the sacrifice of Jesus the way to being the people of God is not tied up in genealogical trees, but has extended to all men.

It struck me this morning as I went for my morning walk My mind recalled something that my father said this year, "Hunters know the difference between the night and the dawn. The light turns grayscale to color." The first couple trips around my loop all the houses are gray in the lack of light, but when the sun brings light the color changes the scene.

We're the light of the world we bring the color to the landscape of God's creation.

--Ben