Let Your Light Shine

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” Matt. 5:16 






Many of us read that verse and zero in on “good works.” We want to see “good works” from them (the holier than thou people) but a studious breakdown of the verse reveals much more.
First of all, who’s speaking? JESUS!
Who is He speaking to? Jews.
Jesus’s entire earthly ministry was to prove to Israel that He was the hoped for and expected
M E S S I A H... their King, through the many miracles He did. Even John the Baptist, who was sent to announce the coming of the King, when he found himself in prison had to ask, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Matt. 11:3. And Jesus said, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” Matt. 11:4-5 ...but He must first go to the cross.

We call the four books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) The Gospels. But the Gospel for the Jew was that their King (and Kingdom) was in their midst. The Gospel now is that since Israel has rejected their King, salvation by Grace through faith now is preached to everyone., and that was accomplished in the writings of Paul, the Apostle SENT to the Gentiles.

So, our opening verse says, “Let your light so shine.” Who does “your” refer to? Me? ...You?
Again, Jesus speaks to Jews. I had no Light before hearing the Gospel of Grace. But the Jews had the Light ever since Exodus. They were chosen to be God’s people who would bring the Light to the world, But of course, they failed in their calling over and over again until God severed His dealings with them and sent Paul to the Gentiles. Even Peter finally accepted Paul’s writings as
S C R I P T U R E... “Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, (Hebrews) as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” 2 Peter 3:15-16. Peter was writing to the "Jews scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" 1 Peter 1:1

The admonition was, “Let your light SO SHINE before men...”
Who does the word “men” refer to? It refers to unbelievers, pagans, anyone who was not God’s. The Jew was too proud to share their God with Gentile dogs (Matt. 15:26). God wanted the world to see the righteous works of a holy people because, “God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.

How would “men” see their “light’? Through their good works from love. And how would "men" then react to such love and good works? By glorifying (worship, revere, exalt, praise, venerate, love) the Father, the Jews’ Father, Who is in heaven. That was Israel’s calling but they crucified their King, our Savior. What does Romans 11 say... “Through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. Now if their fall is riches for the world, and THEIR FAILURE IS RICHES FOR THE GENTILES, how much more their fullness! For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles.” Rom. 11:11-13