“You are the light of the world,” said Jesus to his followers in today’s bible text from Matthew’s gospel.
Can you imagine that? Here was an ordinary group of ordinary farmers and fishermen, and even tax collectors in a tiny village in the first century Palestine. And Jesus, the son of God, was saying to them, “You are the light of the world.”
Such a bunch of extremely ordinary townsfolks being the light of the world? Where did it come from? Think about the context they were in. The Romans were expanding their power, conquering and colonising many surrounding nations, cities and towns. The Roman emperor was treated as a god to millions of residents everywhere.
In Israel alone, many Jewish high-ranking people and leaders acted like they, too, were Roman citizens and they were so proud of it. Basically, Roman emperors were their God.
Rome was the light of their world. Then, all of a sudden, the teacher of that tiny group of fishermen was saying to his followers: “No. You are the light of the world.” They themselves had never heard that before. Not even once.
At the time, it probably sounded like idle chatter. ‘You are the light of the world,’ Jesus said—and so they were. Now, do you want to hear something truly incredible? So are you. So are we.
Jesus says the same to us this morning that we are the light of the world. Let that sink in for a moment. Let alone ourselves, would our family members and friends think that we are the light of the world?
Quite a few of us have been deeply committed to serving this congregation for many years. In that sense, we could say we are the light of this church. But are you truly the light of the world? Are you the light of your workplace? Are you the light of your family?”
Many of you have seen photos of the giant statue of Christ standing on a high hill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is called “Cristo Redentor”—Christ the Redeemer. It has stood there for 94 years, and today, it is famous all over the world.
Because it is so famous, people often argue about it. Some say it is a religious symbol; others say it is just a tourist landmark for the city. There have been some very minor debates and protests near the statue, demanding the removal of the statue, because they claimed it has nothing to do with their city anymore.
Another story: Wauconda is a small village in Lake County in the state of Illinois, United States. For over 40 years, the town had placed two large, illuminated crosses on the city water towers during the Christmas season. Until a couple of decades ago when the town council received a threat of legal suit from the American Atheists society.
The society claimed that the town council had failed to maintain the separation of church and state. They claimed that those two large, illuminated crosses would obstruct a great number of non-Christian residents and visitors in their town. As the result, the council grudgingly had to take the illuminated crosses down.
But that’s when the Christian residents of the city took matters into their own hands. They decided to place lighted reminders of Christ on their own property. So, during the Christmas season all over the community, thousands of lighted crosses and nativity stars went up.
The Christian groups and individuals in the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil might have thought that the giant statue of Christ would represent their Christian faith to the world.
Likewise, those Christian residents in the small town in Illinois might have believed that their Christmas lights and images would represent their faith to the wider community.
Basically, I agree. But as we look at our reading from Matthew 5, we find a challenging truth. It is easy for people to look at a massive stone statue and think, ‘That is the light of our heritage.’ But a statue—no matter how big or beautiful it may be—cannot truly shine. It cannot love, it cannot serve, and it cannot share the Gospel.
People don’t come to know God by gazing at a distant statue on a hill. They don’t come to faith simply by admiring illuminated crosses. They come to know God when they see the light of Christ shining through you. Your life is the living representation of Christ to the world.
Take the massive statue of Christ in Brazil, for example. The Christians of that time created a historic monument, but perhaps they failed to turn their faith into a movement. This is why many theologians describe the early church in the first century not just as an institution, but as the ‘Jesus Movement’.
In today’s Gospel reading, we should notice that Jesus did not say, ‘You are the light TO the world.’ Instead, He said, “You are the light OF the world.”
There is a profound difference between the two. When we say something is a ‘light to the world,’ we treat the light as an object—a tool used for a task. But when Jesus says we are the ‘light of the world,’ He is defining our very nature. He is giving us a new identity. He isn’t just telling us what to do; He is telling us who we are.
Jesus said the same thing about himself in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” By telling His followers they are the same, Jesus is sharing His own divine identity with them.
Another reading from 1 Corinthians this morning reads, “We do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit. We have the mind of Christ.”
The point is, Jesus is sharing His own nature with us. He is calling us to be part of Himself. We are not just visitors bringing a lamp occasionally; we are the lamp itself, and the light will never be extinguished.
Why? Because this light does not originate from within us—it flows directly from God. The Creator of the universe is the source of our light. It isn’t about how you feel about yourself; it’s about how God views you.
This is good news. It shifts the burden of shining away from your own effort and places it on God’s encouraging grace. And when people see this light, they aren’t just seeing you—they are seeing God.
Every good intention, every act of compassion, every small kindness, and every hand offered in friendship serves as a signpost, directing people toward the Father in heaven.
Because of you and the way you live, the world will glorify your God in heaven. Your life is not just a tool for ministry; you are the ministry itself.” Every one of you here in this room is a ‘little Christ’ to the world around you. That is precisely who you are. Some of you might still grasp the fact that you are a little Christ. That’s your new reality, whether you agree or not.
That’s your Life. That is your calling. Amen.
