Daily Devotion For Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Good morning. Today is a solemn day in which on September 11, 2001, America experienced the worst Al-Qaeda terrorist attack. Over 3,000 of our citizens died that day with coordinated attacks: New York City: against the World Trade Centers, in Washington DC: against the Pentagon and one in a field in Pennsylvania when United Flight 93 crashed after the passengers stormed the cockpit to thwart the attack. If you were old enough, you probably remember where you were when these attacks happened. So, as we look at our devotional for today, let’s pause and give thanks to God we live in the freedom we do at the cost of thousands of lives since our declared independence on July 4, 1776.
We are making our way through the most famous and best sermon ever – Jesus’ Sermon On the Mount. We currently look at Matthew 5:13-16:
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (14) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; (15) nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (NASB).
Yesterday we looked at the “salt” part of this and today we are going to look at the “light” part of this. Just as Jesus said we are salt, He also said we are light. We have the mission to shine the light of Christ in this dark and sinful world that cannot see the light on their own. If we fail to do this personally and individually, then people will die in their sin in their darkness and go to hell forever. The questions we have to ask ourselves are these: Do we even care? Are we going to take our light and hide it under a bushel? I hope not. As it think of this, I am reminded of a story that pastor and author John MacArthur tells:
“Some years ago a magazine carried a series of pictures that graphically depicted a tragic story. The first picture was of a vast wheatfield in western Kansas. The second showed a distressed mother sitting in a farmhouse in the center of the field of wheat. The accompanying story explained that her four–year–old son had wandered away from the house and into the field when she was not looking. The mother and father looked and looked all day but the little fellow was too short to see or be seen over the wheat. The third picture showed dozens of friends and neighbors who had heard of the boy’s plight and who had joined hands the next morning to make a long human chain as they walked through the field searching. The final picture was of the heartbroken father holding his lifeless son who had been found too late and had died of exposure. The caption underneath read, “O God, if only we had joined hands sooner” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 239).
Southside, if only we would join hands sooner to be light in this lost, sinful, dark and dying world. The world is full of lost souls who cannot see their way above the distractions and barriers of the world and cannot find their way to the Father’s house until Christians join together as salt and light and sweep through the world in search of them. Our work is not simply as individual grains of salt or as individual rays of light but as the whole church of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that His disciples ARE salt and light. The only question is: are we tasteful salt and an effective light? Christ is our source to be salt and light. Look at the following verses:
- John 1:9, “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (NASB),
- John 9:5, Jesus said, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world” (NASB).
But now that He has left the world His light comes to the world through those whom He has enlightened. We shine forth the reflected light of Christ. That is Paul’s point in Ephesians 5:8, “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” (NASB). We are God’s salt to retard corruption and His light to reveal truth. One function is negative, the other positive. One is silent, the other is verbal.
By the indirect influence of the way we live we retard corruption, and by the direct influence of what we say we manifest light. These two are two of the most unlikely influencers to do this. God has changed us from darkness into light and from corrupted sinners to be salt to retard and preserve the corruption in this dark world of ours. This means, we cannot influence the world for Jesus Christ if we are worldly.
What I find interesting here is that Jesus did NOT say, “You are the light of Judea, or Israel or to the Roman Empire.” NO! Jesus said, we are the light of the world. This means that no matter how educated or enlightened someone says they are, apart from Christ, they are in spiritual darkness. Jesus’ point is that His disciples are to be visible, seen and ones who stand out like a lighthouse light at night or a headlight on an on-coming train at night. To Jesus, there is no such thing as “invisible” Christians. So, the question we must ask now is this: what “light” is Jesus talking about here? It is found in verse 16, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (NASB). Our light is our good works we do out of gratitude to Jesus Christ to others especially those who hurt, harm, insult, malign or ridicule us. Let me give you a bad example of this. New Testament scholar Douglas Sean O’Donnell tells this story:
“A few years ago a bold and aggressive Christian friend of mine told me about a time he was witnessing to someone on the train. The person who was being witnessed to wanted nothing to do with the gospel, my friend, or the combination of both. So, in frustration but confidence my friend put his face right in the face of this uninterested and now growingly indignant man, and he said to him, “Look me in my eyes! Can’t you see Jesus?” Now, what is the answer to that silly question? The answer is no. The world is not to look into our eyes in order to see Jesus, but they are to look at our hands, if you will. They will look there to see if we have anything to show. If we do good works, they’ll see them!” (Source: Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Preaching The Word Bible Commentary, “Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth,” p. 120).
What good works does Jesus mean? The good works He has commanded us to do in His Word through faith in grace to others. Our faith is the stimulus or catalyst for our good works. Hebrews 11:6a says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith” (NLT). This means our good works are only “good” if they are approved by Scripture. “Good works” such as loving our enemies, doing good to them and praying for them. When we do this, the world is then able to taste the salt and see the light. When we control our temper and anger, we influence others for Christ. When we trust God in economic bad times instead of worrying, this is attractive to this sinful world that exists in darkness.
Douglas Sean O’Donnel shares a personal story of how he came to Christ as the result of another boy who was salt and light:
“It was the summer of 1990. I had just graduated from high school, and I was selected to play basketball in the Prairie State Games, which is kind of an Olympics for Illinois. Most of the guys on the team were typical guys. We swore a lot, talked disrespectfully and immorally about girls, and (as superstar athletes!) were full of ourselves. But one guy on the team was noticeably different. His name was Marc Davidson. Marc never swore on or off the court. He only talked and acted respectfully toward girls. He treated everyone on the team, even the waterboy, with dignity and kindness. And he was humble, even though he was the best player on the team. In fact, he was voted the best player in the state of Illinois. Marc was a Christian. I knew this by the Bible he kept next to his dorm room bed and from the openness of his conversation, but also and most importantly by his godly behavior and good works. I became a Christian about a year and a half after tasting the salt and seeing the light of Marc Davidson. His behavior made it clear to me, as it settled during those months upon my conscience, what it meant to follow Jesus” (Source: Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Preaching The Word Bible Commentary, “Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth,” p. 122).
New Testament scholar William Barclay writes this: “A man’s Christianity should be perfectly visible to all men” (Source: William Barclay, New Study Bible Series Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 122).
Questions To Consider
- Would the people you work with, go to school with or your neighbors say you are a visible Christian? I didn’t say they know you go to church. There is a huge difference between being a church-goer or church member and a Christian.
- Would Jesus say you are a closeted Christian? Why or why not?
- If you were arrested and put on trial for being a Christian, would prosecutors have enough evidence to convict you in a court of law? Why or why not?
- Do you shine your good works both publicly and privately before others, especially to those who hurt, harm, slander, or ridicule you or your family?
- What would you say is the most difficult basics of being both salt and light in this world? Why?
Scripture To Meditate On: 1 John 1:7, “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. I am not going to hide it under a bushel. I am going to let it shine. Use me Jesus as Your light in this dark and sinful world. Use me to attract people to You through the good works You want me to do. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly