At this time of year, our family loves to drive around and look at people’s Christmas lights. On the darkest days of the year, Christmas lights bring cheer and joy when daylight is short and nights are long.
In the same way, Jesus told his followers to be lights who shine and let their good deeds be seen so that God might be glorified.
For many Christians, there is great confusion about how good deeds play a part in our evangelistic efforts. Is it sufficient to just tell someone the good news that Jesus died for their sins and rose again for their right standing with God? In the mercy of God, the message is sufficient! But a message not backed up with a life of faith expressed in deeds will call into question the validity of the message and messenger (Jas. 2:26). Unbelievers blaspheme the name of God when Christians’ talk is totally inconsistent with their practice (Rom. 2:24).
The picture of light helps us to understand how good deeds relate to the message of Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that light shines in the darkness and pushes it back (Matt. 5:14-16). If you’ve spent any time in the great outdoors, you know how dark it gets when you are out in the wilderness far away from an urban center. You can hold your hand mere centimeters from your face and not see it.
The moment you get within one hundred kilometers of a city, the urban lights reflect off the clouds and make things quite visible for miles around. In the same way, Jesus said that our good deeds are like a light on a hill – it will be noticed and cause people to give glory to our Father (Matt. 5:16). In the days before high-wattage luminaries, darkness was terrifying. It would be mad to extinguish a light shining in a world where darkness overwhelmed and terrified.
In the kingdom of Christ, Jesus’ followers are to be people who let their light shine through word and deed. Good deeds help to explain the message of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. While a lazy employee steals from their employer and a stingy employer looks greedy, their actions discredit any claim that the cross of Christ is a work of generosity of the Father by the Son (2 Cor. 8:9). Christians ought to be known as those who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). A Christian should be eager to help someone in need and resistant to participate in a conversation that is degrading or demeaning. Being a person who has genuine concern, appropriate transparency, and generosity of heart and life are characters of a messenger of the good news. Our sacrificial lives highlight the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
Since Jesus is the light of the world (Jn 8:12), he will transform his people to be lights shining in the midst of the darkness (Matt. 5:14). Working with the disadvantaged, caring for the poor and needy, adopting and fostering the neglected child, loving prisoners, tending to people’s medical needs, working for just practices in workplaces and seeking to be agents of reconciliation in broken relationships are just some of the ways that Christians have worked for the good of their neighbour. When Christians are less concerned about their reputations and more concerned about the kingdom of Christ, their light has shone most brightly.
Let’s let our lights shine!
Andrew
Missional Action Plan: What is a need that someone near to you has that you could meet? Find a need, meet it, and write a note that expresses your love for the person you are helping and how Jesus has done so much for you that you want to share his love with them.
Missional Action Prayer: Lord, bring to mind how I could do good to (one of your five friends) because of your goodness to me. Give me boldness to love them through an act of service that would cause them to glorify you.