Sep 20 2019 Matthew 5:11-16

No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

I must admit that reading this passage, my brain started humming. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine”. Yes, I want to let my light shine. I don’t want to put it under a basket. I’d much rather make my little light useful, lighting the household. I want to be someone else’s light.

In me, there is a deep desire to help. I want to make someone else’s world a little better. And that’s largely a good thing. But there’s a danger that I read in this morning’s Scripture reading. Yes, the reading starts with being a light, not being under a basket, lighting up the house. And if that’s where it stopped, I’d be happy. But it doesn’t stop there.

It continues, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” So what Jesus is saying is that we are to do the good works, to be the light, so that others might give glory to God.

How often and how easy is it to stop just short of that last clause? How often do we do good works so others might see our good works? To see us? I’m not suggesting that the works are inherently bad, or that shining a light so others don’t trip in the dark is bad. On the contrary. Good works are good. But the danger for do-gooders, I think, is that we grow accustomed to that role, and we like being that person – the person who helps. If we’re not careful, it can become about us. We do good deeds so people see us.

Today’s reading boldly reminds me that I am to do good works so that people are pointed to God. People see God’s love and care in the world, not mine. I firmly believe that God’s love and light in us should be used to lighten the load, feed the hungry, house the unhoused, welcome the stranger. I move towards those goals, because I believe them to be what I’m supposed to do. 

This morning I’m thinking about how my actions might increasingly point others to God’s love and mercy and light. How can I be more sure that people see God’s love through my actions? How can I continue to do good, let my light shine, and remain clear that it’s God – not me – that people should see?

Perhaps one way is to pray. Before I step into a helping role, offer up a prayer to God. That I’m thankful that God’s given me light and love and mercy to share. That I’m eager to share that light and love and mercy. That I’m doing it solely because of God’s light and love and mercy. And that I hope others see God’s light, shining through me.

There’s a song by a modern-day Christian contemporary musician TobyMac, entitled “Steal my Show”. In the song, he basically prays that God will steal his performance. The chorus goes, “If you want to steal my show, I'll sit back and watch you go. If you got something to say, go on and take it away.” Today, I want to think about my own chorus.