Light of the World

Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Jesus reminds us that we are the reflection of God’s light in this world that like a city on a hill top or a light on a table so that our good deeds can be seen for others to know our love of God.

Rick Richardson, writes in Reimagining Evangelism: My friend Sam works at Einstein Brothers Bagels, where I write my books. Sam has a Muslim dad and a kind-of-Baptist mom. Recently, as I was going through the line, Sam waved me over. "I've lost my wallet again. I don't know where it is!"

"Sam, I will pray for you," I assured him.

"I guess it can't hurt," he replied (I get that response a lot).

Ten minutes later, he came over and told me he had found it. "All right!" I rejoiced. "Hey, you can ask me to pray for you any time." He laughed.

The next week as I went through the line, Sam let me know his ulcer was acting up. "Sam, is there anything I can get you?" I asked. He sent me over to the nearby Cub Foods to pick up some medicine. When I came back, I told him I would pray, too. This time he welcomed my prayers a little more enthusiastically.

Ten minutes later, he approached me and said he felt much better and hadn't needed to take the medicine. That was very unusual for him. "Man, I wish I had prayed for you before I went and bought that medicine!" I exclaimed. He laughed again.

These days, he doesn't wait for me to ask. When I see Sam, he often asks me to pray for him without any suggestion from me at all.  [Rick Richardson, Reimagining Evangelism (IVP, 2006), p. 20-21]

Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. For you are the light of the world.