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Show BRIGHTEN THE CORNER WHERE YQU ARE Matthew 5: 16 light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your "Let your Father which is in heaven." Yesterday was a dark day is some part of the eastern United States and Southern Canada as well as here in Utah. So 50 million people were left in the dark, 1 0000 of them here in Utah. Traffic was jammed., trains stopped running, offices closed down, people had to walk, and the guessing game was started. In a nutshell, every body had come to expect power at will and lights all the time. Now that is was dark, everybody wanted to know why, if maybe terrorist was at it again. some Well, that is what the world is like without Jesus Christ and His Kingdom people. 1 In this text, Jesus had left the crowd and gathered His disciples for some intensive training on Kingdom participation. He called them up to the mountain, opened His mouth, and taught them: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; ad it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." In other words, God is the source of our light and our responsibility is to brighten the comer where we are. To communicate, we use all kinds of symbols. We sometimes ring bells to call for help or to family to dinner. We blow horns to warn people ofa passing vehicle or train. When I was growing up, we beat drums to communicate sickness and death. For travelers, the light house is a tool for communicating invite 2 where the route to safety is. I am told that tourist in New Mexico explore deep caves. Some of them reveal phenomenal sights. One such trip included a little girl and here even younger brother. At the deepest point of the cave, the guide turned off the lights for a moment of silence and meditation. It was pitch black and the little boy started to cry. To his comfort, his older sister whispered, "Don't cry. Don't worry. There is a man here who knows where the lights are and he can turn them on." Indeed. God is down here with knows where the them one." us and He light are, and He can turn Our summons is to take what we have and to use it where we are. God does not expect us to do what we are not prepared to do. The light he given to us is what He expects us to shine where we are. Once on a dark night a little boy and his father were walking aong a country road. has The stars and the moon seem 3 to have been asleep somewhere and it was dark. The boy lantern. He said to his father, "Dad, I wish the light would shine further. Then I carried a wouldn't We don't know what ve scare. might coming up ahead." "Son, the light shines only a little way ahead because it is close to us. But as long as we keep walking, the lantern will light up the road enough for us to walk on in safety!" be That' the way it is when we follow Jesus. He is the light of the world and is close to us. way and walk in safety. The path grows brighter and brighter: "But the path of the just is as the shining light, With Him we can that shineth more find and our more unto day." (Proverbs 4: 18) &lr( #t''' -r1..Q.""__ .',$ 17..ad ....u r{",..JS (,I", I> IN ""'f J.. y'" D I.(, e#t LJ_h I I 4 " the perfect 1V1or,.,t. ""\'v d. /'''',kI- • , . " I. , . " ' ( \ , , ., , , ' ;, .r, 5" . . |
