Matthew Ch. 5 v 14
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden
If you are in a room at night and someone switches the light off, you are in darkness. The reason you are in darkness is that the light is not shining. Similarly, if the world is in darkness, it is because the light is not shining. Who is the light?
As the Church, we cannot escape the reality that we are the light. Jesus told us that. Also, we can not escape the fact that our light is not shining. If our light was shining, the world could not possibly be in darkness.
As Christians, we tend to think we are OK, it is the world that is the problem. It is the world we are living in which is corrupt, evil and God-rejecting. Unfortunately, this just doesn’t tie in with the teachings of Jesus and neither does it tie in with the examples of history.
All my life, I have seen the world growing darker and darker and when I look back, I can discern that the light of the Church is growing dimmer and dimmer.
We look out on our world and wring our hands and wonder when it is going to start getting better. We would do better to examine the Church and see what the problem is there. The world cannot emerge from darkness until the light is switched back on. The problems in the world will never be resolved until the Church returns to God.
I do realise that many Christians will take offence at being told we have to return to God. They will say, “We have never left God”.
No? Read through the remainder of the “Sermon on the Mount” and contemplate it. Are you living it? I will be honest, I am not!
Ch6v19 Do not store up treasures on earth
Ch6v25 Do not worry about life
Ch6v33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
The idea is summarized in verse 24, You cannot serve God and Money.
The humble believer will bow his head in shame and admit that we are far too concerned with money. I know I am, and it needs to change.