Be God's Light!
"You are the light of the world. A
city that is set on a hill cannot
be hidden."
Matthew 5: 14
The English Puritan leader John Winthrop delivered
a message to the colonists embarking from England
to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony in Boston
in 1630.
Drawing on Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14—
“A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden”—
Winthrop exhorted the colonists to let
their
light shine in the New World.
The “city” is to be a city of light, based on Jesus’s
preceding words, “You are the light of the world.”
It is a powerful image. The citizens of the
“city”
are to be the followers of Jesus Christ who are
to be the light of the world.
A “light of the world” implies the world is in darkness,
in need of the light of truth and salvation. Our mission
as followers of Jesus is to take that
light into the world
and illuminate every dark corner.
Consider part of the world you live in, your extended
family, your friendship circle, your workplace, and how
to illuminate your part of the world with the presence
of Christ. Ask God today to show you how to be His
light.
"The light of a holy example is
the gospel’s main
argument."
R. L. Dabney
