Being a Light for Christ 为基督做光
Dexu Xia
You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14
Today's Scripture Matthew 5:13-16
Today's Insights In Matthew 4:16, Jesus quotes from the Old Testament (Isaiah 9:2) to point to Himself as the fulfillment of prophecy: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” He’s “the true light that gives light to everyone” (John 1:9; see 8:12; 9:5). Now that He’s no longer in the world, those who believe in Him “are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). As “children of the light” (1 Thessalonians 5:5), we’re called to shine our light into a dark world that desperately needs hope. We do this through the Holy Spirit, who guides and empowers us to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) instead of in the wicked ways of the world. He grows in us the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22-23) that draws others to God, the source of our hope.
oday's Devotion When schools around the globe sent their students home for health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic, their buildings and stadiums stood empty. While acknowledging many were experiencing greater afflictions from the virus, teachers sought ways to show their students they missed them and to encourage them to press on through a difficult time. Many schools initiated what they called the “Be the Light” challenge, in which they burned the empty stadium’s lights each night.
During His earthly life, Jesus issued His own kind of “be the light” challenge, saying that we who follow Him are to “let [our] light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16). His charge had a loftier goal than encouragement or moral support; instead, our willingness to reveal the light He’s put in us shows the watching world who God is. The way we live our lives, in both word and deed, reveals the hope Jesus gives us, making it visible to all those around us, like a lamp on a stand.
Jesus calls us “the light of the world” and challenges us to illuminate the paths of others with His light radiating through us when they’re walking a dark road. For those who don’t yet know the hope Jesus offers, sharing His light through the way we live can point them toward God as the source of all hope.
Reflect & Pray
In whom do you see the light of Jesus? How can you cast His light into the lives of others?
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving me hope. Use me, please, to show Your light in this world through the way I live.
By Kirsten Holmberg
你们是世上的光。——马太福音5:14
今日经文：马太福音5章13-16 节
今日洞见：在马太福音4章16节中，耶稣引用旧约经文（以赛亚书9章2节）来表明祂自己正是预言的应验：“那坐在黑暗里的百姓看见了大光；坐在死荫之地的人有光发现照着他们。”祂是“那光，是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人”（约翰福音1:9；参阅 8:12；9:5）。如今祂虽已不在世上，但那些信靠祂的人却成了“世上的光”（马太福音5:14）。作为“光明之子”（帖撒罗尼迦前书5:5），耶稣呼召我们把光照进这个极度渴求希望的黑暗世界。借助圣灵，我们要来完成这一使命；圣灵引导并赐予我们力量，使我们能“凭着圣灵行事”（加拉太书5:16），而非随从世俗的邪恶行径。祂在我们生命中结出“圣灵的果子”（22-23节），从而吸引他人归向神，祂我们永恒盼望的源头。
今日灵修：在冠状病毒疫情期间，全球各地的学校为了学生们的健康与安全而安排他们返家，致使校园建筑与体育场馆空空荡荡。尽管深知许多人正因疫情遭受着更为沉重的苦难，但老师们仍设法向学生表达思念之情，并鼓励他们在这艰难时刻坚持前行。许多学校发起了一项名为“作光”（Be the Light）的挑战活动：每当夜幕降临，他们便点亮空旷的体育场馆里的灯光。
耶稣在世寄居的时候，也曾发出过一种为祂“作光”挑战。祂教导我们这些跟随祂的人，当“把光照在人前”（马太福音5:16）。耶稣所发出的这一呼召，其目标远比单纯的鼓励或精神支持更为崇高；它意味着：当我们甘愿将耶稣安置在我们生命中的光彰显出来时，我们便向这注视着我们的世界显明了“上帝究竟是谁”。我们生活的样式，无论言语还是行动，都彰显了耶稣赐予我们的盼望，使这盼望向周围所有人清晰可见，宛如安放在灯台上的明灯。 耶稣称我们为“世上的光”，并呼召我们：当他人行走在黑暗的道路上时，我们要借着祂透过我们所散发的光芒，去照亮他们的前头的路。对于那些尚不认识耶稣所赐之盼望的人而言，上帝能借由我们的生活方式去分享祂的光，指引他们归向神，即一切盼望的源头。
反思与祷告 当你视察周围的人时，你从谁的身上看见了耶稣的光？你觉得我们当如何将耶稣的光照进他人的生命之中？ 亲爱的耶稣，感谢祢赐予我盼望。恳求祢使用我，让我借着自己的行事为人，在这世上彰显祢的光。 作者：Kirsten Holmberg