Goodness without God

When we were camping years ago, those evening trips to the bathroom after dark meant carrying a flashlight.  Most flashlights pretty much shine a light directly in front of you so you can see where you are walking.  Some of the better lights allow the light to spread out more, which was always an advantage.

I don’t like walking in the dark without some form of light.  To do so increases the likelihood that I will miss something in the road, and these days when you are camping, who knows who or what you might run into?

As we continue reading today in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, today’s passage is about light.  Here Jesus makes what seems like pretty obvious observations:

If a city is set up on a mountain, it cannot be hidden; everyone will see it.

If you put a light under a bushel basket, it’s not going to give you much light, but if you set it on a lampstand, it will light up your house. 

Like camping, who is going to take a flashlight with them and put it in their pocket?  There are just some things that make sense and some that don’t.

We need to keep in mind that Jesus isn’t teaching those disciples on that mountaintop about light.  He’s using the light as a metaphor to describe what those listening that day (and us!) need to be doing.

If we have the light of baptism—meaning we have received the outpouring of grace from God through the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—we are given it to share, not to stuff it away somewhere in order to keep it all to ourselves.  That wouldn’t make any sense at all.

Just like a light used properly benefits those all around, we too, are called to bring light into the world, into the lives of others, to penetrate the darkness.

That light is Jesus.

In fact, in case the disciples on the mountain still weren’t sure what Jesus was saying, he says it straight out:

“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”

Notice, not only does he tell his disciples what to do with what they have been given, but he gives them (and us!) purpose as well.  Lots of people run around wondering what their purpose is in life, but we really don’t have to wonder.

Jesus tells us.

All the good that you do, allow others to see it so that God can be glorified.

That’s it.  Period.

As an aside, many people today are mistaken in thinking that as long as you are a good person, you don’t need God, but that’s not true.  While it is wonderful to be a good person, the underlying motivation for that goodness needs to be to give glory to God who created us. 

If we are not doing that, we will eventually discover that “Goodness without God” is like carrying around a flashlight in your pocket after dark—ultimately it doesn’t really make much sense.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com
janetcassidy.blubrry.net