We are busy talking about being the light to the World from Matthew 5:14b, 15: “A city 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.”
Why did Jesus mention both the city on a hill and the lamp in
a room? The city on the hill consists of many lights, all in one body. The
light can be seen from a distance and give direction, drawing the tired
traveler to it, giving her hope.
Imagine a man in Bible times walking
through the wilderness at dusk. As night falls, he thinks he is drawing near to
the city, and having walked all day, he is not in the mood to set up camp once
again. He stumbles on in the moonlight.
As he crests a hill, his gaze is
drawn to the brightly lit city on a hill in the distance. After a day of heat
and dust, he warms to the sight, and hope surges within him. A warm bath
followed by a soft bed sounds much better than a mat on the stony ground.
As the church, we should
bring hope to the world. After some hard years of hopelessness and hardship,
the unsaved should experience a church brimming with good works. The expression
of the gifts and fruit of the Spirit will draw the sinner and give him hope
like lights shining from a city.
Jesus also mentioned that
the city was on a hill. John 12:32 says, “‘But I, when I am lifted up from
the earth, will draw all men to myself.’” In John 14:12, Jesus said, “‘I tell
you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He
will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’”
With these words, He elevated the church or body of believers to a higher level
(on a hill), since He lives within the believers. We as the church represent
the Almighty. Our conduct should cause the world to look up to the church and
not down as it often does today. If we act in Jesus’ power, doing greater
things than He has done, the power and love emanating from us will draw the
world up to Jesus. This will inspire awe of Him and the church rather than
contempt caused by religious actions and talk, as well as passivity.
The Lord Jesus knew that it is easy
to disappear in the crowd and let others do the work of the ministry. He
therefore also mentioned the light in the room, which represents the
individual. Light bathes everyone in the room in its warmth. In the window,
light draws the lonely one who looks for comfort and support.
As Christians, we should influence
others by causing them to desire to learn from us. We should bring them light
and answer their questions. Our light and our gifting bring comfort, support,
and development to others. Our encouragement, teaching, and mercy will flow to
the one in need.
In order to be effective, we need to
develop our gifting. A teacher should know the Bible well, attend Bible
classes, and be tuned in to the voice of the Holy Spirit for new revelation. He
should make use of every opportunity to teach. A giver probably has the gift of
making money. She should learn all she can about business and be tuned in to
the Holy Spirit for creative ideas to both make money and give it away.
Prophets need to learn from other prophets how to hear from the Lord as Elisha
did from Elijah. In order to lead, one needs to seek opportunities such as
becoming a home group leader. All the gifts in Romans 12:6-8 are linked to skills
and effort on our part. Obtaining these skills is essential service to the Lord
and evidence of our love for Him.
For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.
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