MATTHEW 5:14-16
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Our Lord Jesus, in Matthew 5:14-16, uses a metaphor to teach us something very important. In this metaphor, He likens His disciples to light. This is what He says.
Matthew 5:14. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
If you are a Christian, Jesus is saying that you are the world’s light. What an enormous compliment! You see, it is said in 1John 1:5 that ‘God is light.’ Then Jesus says, ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12; 9:5). And here, we find that the believer is ‘the light of the world.’ This means that the disciple is what God and Christ are: light. This is not just a compliment. To be identified with God in this way is an enormous responsibility as well. Because whatever light is and does, the disciple is to be and to do.
We will look at this passage with these 2 questions in mind. Firstly, ‘What does it mean to be the light of the world?’ Secondly, ‘What does it take to be the light of the world?’