21 He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24 "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."
Jesus is clear - believers are to let their light shine before men – make manifest their gifts and graces - forever fueled by the motivation of mercy and love for others. Our spheres are to see our good deeds and praise the Father in heaven. He who gives the power gets the glory – the light within us is to point to the One who put it there. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches us just this:
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matt 5:14-16 (NIV)
“He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor.” Venerable Bede
“Someone asked 'Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?' It is more a question — Whether we — who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not — can be saved.” Charles Spurgeon
A light is meant to both shine and give direction. Light also dispels darkness, unmasking the hidden – bringing out in the open the concealed and secret. We do our fellow man and ourselves no favors when we hide the light of our words and deeds. In our age of tolerance we often muffle Truth in an effort to keep peace and not ruffle feathers. While we are not to be the “in your face” type arguing Truth to the lost neither are we to sit silent condoning wrong behaviors or thoughts by our lack of words and actions. Often we choose not to lovingly refute with Truth and mercy thinking our lack of words and actions to be Christ-like when in reality we are driven by fear or indifference or weakness or ignorance or a host of other wrong motivations. The Prince of Peace said on His first advent to earth he did not come to bring peace rather a sword:
34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'" Matt 10:34-36 (NIV)
Believers are to be conformed to the image of Jesus leaving the “aroma of Christ” everywhere in their wake. We are to radiate and point others to the proper path through His power. Our influence is to be evident like a city on a hill or a lamp upon a stand. I wonder - are our spheres a different place because we bring Jesus there? We carry around in our jars of clay this precious treasure. Do we allow others to see it? Scripture tells us:
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Cor 4:7 (NIV)
“To believe in the God over us and not in the God within us – that would be a powerless and fruitless faith.” Phillips Brooks
Lastly, Jesus basically tells us – “Use it or lose it”. Believers are often guilty of sitting in our “holy huddles” feasting upon God’s Truth and yet never pouring it out in our spheres - making the Gospel come alive through our actions or words. We are meant to be conduits of His love and grace not hoard it and simply sit, soak and sour. We are not to emulate the unsaved as depicted in the Parable of the Talents. Jesus was certainly not giving a high five to the man who buried his talent (to say the least). According to Jesus, the servant’s lack of faithfulness demonstrated his lack of true saving faith:
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" Matt 25:24-30 (NIV)