The Light of the World
It is the season of light.
Over the past week, we saw the flames of Hanukkah candles flickering at the descent of each evening. As Christmas approaches, lights twinkle on trees, illuminating the night. We witness the power of even the smallest glimmer despite great darkness.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14
You are likely familiar with this verse. Perhaps you grew up singing, "This little light of mine." Or you’ve heard teaching on letting your light shine. But what does it mean to be light?
When you think of light, what comes to mind? (Pause for a moment and ask yourself.) Maybe it’s a flashlight, a lightbulb or a lantern. In Biblical times, light was produced not with batteries or electricity – but by lamps. Specifically, oil lamps. These ancient beacons consisted of four elements: an earthen vessel, a wick, oil and fire.
We are a lot like these lamps.
Made of earth and dust, we each are a vessel that has the capacity to shine brightly. We each have a wick, our gifts and talents, unique things created in us to be ignited. We each also possess a fire, what people witness – the demonstration of what is "burning in us."
And then there is the oil. This is the fourth – and most crucial – element. Without it, a natural wick is immediately consumed and quickly burned up. To burn efficiently, effectively – and for an extended period – a lamp must have oil. The same is also true for us.
In ancient times, the primary source of oil was olives. Considered a superfruit, olives were used for many purposes: food, medicine and even skin care. If you've ever tried to eat a raw olive, however, you likely (and quite rapidly) discovered that this superfruit is not so super tasty. In their natural state, olives contain a powerful enzyme that activates your gag reflex. (In other words, they make you vomit.) It’s a crazy truth: a ripe olive is still a useless olive. Even though it is a superfood and has incredible potential and extraordinary possibility, it must somehow be processed to be useful.
For oil, that means a long and labor-intensive crushing process. During the day, olives are placed in a large, stone grinder and pulverized into a mash. This mash is then transferred into woven baskets, which are placed under extremely heavy stones controlled by a weight-and-pulley system. Throughout the night, the stones press the olives, slowly releasing the oil.
Interestingly, we are also a lot like the olive. In our natural state, even when it seems like we’re "mature," we must go through a spiritual crushing process to produce something of greater value in us. We may look nice on the outside, and even have great potential, but something must be done with us to make us palatable.
Our Messiah, Yeshua, powerfully demonstrates this for us. Even as the perfect Son of God, He endured immense crushing so that He might become the true Light of the world. On the night He was betrayed, He entered Gethsemane, which literally means "oil press." There He faced the most excruciating moments of His life: the betrayal of Judas, the scattering of His friends…and the turning away of His Father’s face as He took up our sins.
In this place, He, like the olives, was crushed and pressed.
We hear the echoes of Isaiah 53:5:
He was pierced through for our transgressions
(He fell to his knees, praying...)
He was crushed for our iniquities
(Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me.)
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
(Yet not My will, but Yours be done.)
He suffered all these things that heaven’s more glorious light might break through the world’s deepest darkness.
What does this mean for us?
Yeshua tells us that we, His followers, are the light of the world. This isn’t just encouraging word picture or kindly euphemism. "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die," writes Dietrich Boenhoffer. This is the cost of discipleship. This is a call to be crushed – a tall order that requires us to empty ourselves to become hope and healing to a broken and desperate world.
Many of us long to be light. But to be this kind of light, we need to be filled with oil. Our "wicks" – our gifts, our talents, our ideas, our solutions – are not enough. If we operate solely out of our strengths, we will be quickly consumed. Our light will be swiftly snuffed out.
But if we are infused with oil – the Spirit that comes by a life transformed through crushing – we will burn brightly AND with longevity. And this light will not be our light, but His, on display. The requirement, however, it steep: we must lay down our lives and dye to ourselves.
It is the only way to truly be the light of the world.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4
This is probably one of my favorite verses. The word translated "comprehend" is katalambano, and it carries rich meaning. Some translations use "overcome" or "suppress." The word more literally means to "lay hold of; to seize." A better translation might be, "the darkness could not grasp it." The picture is quite extraordinary: the darkness cannot wrap its proverbial hands around the light. It cannot grab hold of it.
That’s the power of light. It infiltrates everything. And it cannot be captured or contained.
You are the light of the world. That is what Yeshua said. He calls you and me to let our light shine…like a city on hill which cannot be hidden, like a lamp set prominently on a lampstand.
However it is that you’re celebrating this season, whether lighting the candles of the Hanukkiah or stringing the Christmas lights, my prayer is that you will be reminded of the power of light. And our call as believers to be a light, reflecting the One – the Brilliance of Heaven – who came crashing into the darkness and broke through the night to bring eternal hope, joy and peace.
May He produce in us even greater light.
And may those still living in darkness behold the One True Light through us.
*Adapted from 2023 Israel Firstfruits partner newsletter.
**While many celebrate Christ's birth on December 25, it is more likely He was born sometime around Sukkot or during another biblical feast. There are many reasons for this but that for another time. For the purposes of this writing, I want to emphasize the Light, not the theological or historical reasons to celebrate / not celebrate Christmas.
Michelle Lynn Nipp
I believe God wrote a wondrous story – His story – to capture the hearts and minds of all His creation. My passion is sharing this story! Through word studies, bible teaching and other resources, I want to see you experience the absolute awesomeness and wonder of history’s greatest story, the Bible.