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 your Father who is in heaven.
– Matthew 5:14–16
Matthew 5:14–16 is a powerful picture that Jesus spoke. He spoke it not to a country or to a nation, but to his people, to his disciples, to the church. So, followers of Jesus, hear Jesus saying this to you and me together right now. You’re the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world, that is not intended to be hidden, not intended to be put under a basket. But it is intended to be put on a stand to give light to all in the house.
Rather than getting caught up in the divisiveness of the world, the church should be a light that points to Jesus.
Matthew 5:14–16 Reminds Us to Be a Light
So let your light shine before others. That people may see your life, the light of Jesus in your good works, in your loving, serving, caring for others in the way you speak to and about others, in the way that you relate to others, in every single way from in-person to social media and everywhere in between. And the way you think and desire and speak and love and serve and live. May your good deeds shine in a world where there’s so much darkness. In such a way that people might see your good deeds and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for Help from God
God, we pray that this would be true of us. I pray this would be true of my life. I pray this would be true of my family, of the church that I’m a part of. And I pray for this for every single person listening right now, help us to be light today. Help us to love and serve and shine today in ways that reflect your character, your truth, your grace, your mercy, your love, your compassion.
God, amidst all these issues around us, particularly in a presidential election here in the United States, God, so much darkness, God amidst the darkness of abortion. We pray that our good works. Our love for moms with an unwanted pregnancy, our love for children in the womb, and children once they are out of the womb. Our love for children in the foster care system, our love for children in need of adoption.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray to Be Light
God may good work shine from us as your church amidst the darkness of abortion. God, amidst poverty, oppression, racism. Different pictures of darkness around us, help us to shine. We pray that our lives would reflect your compassion, your love, your care, your provision in ways that show the poor, the oppressed, those affected by racism, the sojourner.
God, whoever is in need around us, may your love shine through us. They may see our good deeds and give glory to you in heaven. God, we pray, help us to be the light that you have called us to be as your church. Shining, not in a way that brings attention to us, but in every way, that brings attention to you as the good and loving and compassionate and saving God that you are. We pray that your church in our country would be a light that points to your goodness and resounds to your glory. help us to live out Matthew 5:14–16. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
