Let That Light Shine

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

                             (Matt 5:14-16 KJV)

I have seen a few social media posts lately from younger people talking about where they hid to smoke their weed when they were still living at home.  The only thing I hid when I was a teen-ager was the light of a small lamp. So yes, indeed, I hid my light.

I was an avid reader. But, my parents were very strict about when lights out should be.  Lights out was at 8 pm. Sometimes on weekends, as I got older, I could stay up until 9 pm. That definitely curtailed my reading time. So I put a chair and lamp in my closet and shut the door so I could extend my reading time for at least another hour. I don't think my parents ever found out.

Sadly, in many countries the light of Christ is hidden or at the very least dimmed. The light who is Jesus the Christ cannot be as openly shared as it ought to be for fear of persecution and even prison or death. They meet in secret even know their lives and the lives of their families are at risk. Although, they cannot always share the good news with their lips; they can glorify our Father in heaven by living the good news; by loving their neighbors; by helping those in need. 

We are still fortunate in this country to be able to let our lights shine. But, many who profess to be Christians do not. They are afraid to be laughed at or persecuted and indeed that does happen all too often. Christians are mocked by those who have no clue what we actually believe. There are those who not only would dim the light of Christ they would put it out if they could. Thanks be to God they cannot.

Jesus was mocked. He was persecuted. He was executed for sharing the good news; for bringing into and being the light in the world. Many do indeed fear and hate the light because it means change. It means we will no longer be living in the darkness where we have been comfortable for so long. 

Consider the orchid.  It lies in the darkness for months without any growth; but, when it is brought back into the light of the sun it sprouts new growth and will bloom again. 

Christ is the light of the world and that light shines on and is in all who believe. Let that lie shine so not just you; but, those around you might blossom to the glory of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Sabbath; Remain Still

Scripture is pretty silent on any human activity during the day after the crucifixion of Jesus. It is silent because it was the Sabbath. Travel was limited by law. Work was curtailed. The Sabbath was and is a time of rest. It is a time to recount all that God has done for us.

And, how much recounting there was during that Sabbbath! 

The Priests and Pharisees were still worried about the man, Jesus, that was crucified the day before. They remembered that Jesus had said he would rise from the grave on the third day so they went to Pilate to have the grace sealed, just in case...

The followers of Jesus had lost their teacher to a horrible death the day before. They were grieving this Sabbath. They were in shock and in fear for their own safety. Oh, how their minds must have been racing as they recounted the past three years following Jesus and the events of the past week. Their hearts and minds may have been racing; but, it is was the Sabbath so they remained still. According to tradition they stayed in place until they were allowed to go out again on Sunday.

Today, is the Sabbath. It is a good thing to remain still and recount the happenings of the previous week. For many people today, it is unlawful to leave their safe places unless it is absolutely essential. It is an opportunity to take the time to reflect on all that Jesus has done and continues to do for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.