You Are the Light of the World

Light and Life

On July 16, 2023 I had the pleasure of serving at St Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Bellingham, Washington.  That day’s Gospel reading came from St Matthew 5: 14 – 19.  In the first two verses of this passage Jesus tells us this:

You are the light of the world.  A city sitting upon a hill is not able to be hidden.  Nor does one light a lamp and place it under a basket, but upon a lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  Thus, let your light shine before men, so that they may observe your good works, and glorify your Father in the heavens St Matthew 5: 14 – 15).

But there is also one who is a greater Light, and is the source of all light:

Therefore Jesus spoke again saying, “I am the Light of the world.  The one who follows me shall never walk in the darkness, but shall have the Light of Life (St John 8: 12).

St Thomas touches Christ’s wounds

Jesus’ Apostles and disciples walked most directly and intimately in his Light.  Apart from the Divine Light radiating from Jesus on the day of the Transfiguration (which only Peter, James, and John observed), the Apostles and disciples witnessed Christ’s Light by his works.  They saw Jesus raise the dead, heal the sick, and give sight to the blind.  Moreover, they witnessed his resurrection from the dead.  We have St Thomas’ words upon seeing his resurrected body and touching his wounds from crucifixion:  “My Lord and my God!” (St John 20: 29).  From these experiences St John begins his first letter:

That which was from the beginning, which our eyes have seen, which we beheld, and our hands have touched concerning the Word of Life.  And the Life was manifested and we saw it and we testify and declare to you the Eternal Life, who was with the Father, and was manifested to us (1 John 1: 1).

He and the other Apostles have declared who Jesus is.  He is God Incarnate.  He is the Light of the world.  He is Light and Life.  By continuing in the apostolic faith and Sacrament the faithful abide in him.  For example we have this:  “The one who is eating my flesh and is drinking my blood abides in me, and I in him” (St John 6: 56).  We bear within us the Light of the world, and it is him we shine forth to the world.

How, then, do we shine forth his Light to the world?  By faith’s good works!

Where are we to shine this light?  Everywhere!  When do we shine this light?  At all times!  To whom do we shine this light?  To everyone.  Shining his light does not require grandiose public displays.  Shining the light of Christ is best done in our everyday lives before those we know — especially in our homes.

The city on the hill is, of course, the Church.  Cities in the ancient world had no public street lights.  The light of the city came almost exclusively from domestic sources — lamps burning both inside and outside of homes.  The shining light came from personal sources, but when seen together made the city visible to the traveler in the distance.

Every Divine Liturgy begins its ending with this exhortation:  “Let us depart in peace!”  We depart back to our homes and to our little corners of the world to shine forth his light to the glory of our Father in the heavens.

In Christ,

Fr Irenaeus