SERMON ON THE MOUNT
Right before all of this COVID stuff started getting serious, the Lord had put it on my heart to begin a 9-week study on the Sermon on the Mount* to see it as a cohesive unit - as Jesus’ longest recored message - to see Jesus as King, telling us what it means to be a citizen of his upside-down Kingdom.
I’ve been learning a lot, and so much of it confirms our inside-out leadership model. Through the beatitudes He shows us how a citizen’s character takes root and begins to bear fruit - and then he moves on to examine their influence on the world around them - using salt and light as simple illustrations of influence.
Let’s zoom in on Matt 5:14-16 for a minute - Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to you Father who is in heaven.
Natural light is important and significant in our world. I’ve thought of some functions of light and I’ll list them - while reading through the list, I thought about my role in bringing light to the world right now - for such a time as this. I invite you to join me. Think about your own life "in light of being light." LOL
We need light to live - Light brings life - We depend on it for food & energy
Light sanitizes and disinfects
Light illuminates the darkness - It exposes and reveals things hidden in darkness
Light brings clarity - it allows us to see the way
Without light there is no color - Light allows us to see beauty
Light coming in through our eyes actually turns on our brains - causes the release of hormones that affect our mood - it lifts our spirits
Is there a specific situation right now in which God is calling you to be the light of truth?
What holds you back from fulfilling your role as the light of the world?
Father I want to praise you for the sunshine you have given us on earth, and to thank you for sending Jesus to be the true light in our world.
Father you have called us to be your light in our circles of influence.
Give us opportunities to shine, Father - to bring life through your Word - to speak truth - to expose the darkness - to appreciate and share beauty - to lift spirits - to bring You glory through our words and actions.
*I used a Gospel Coalition study guide from Lifeway with Jen Wilkin.