Matthew 5

Welcome, LOVED and CHOSEN by God! I hope your day is as beautiful as it is here is Georgia. It is a little cooler than normal for this time of year but I really love it. I think I will love it a little bit more when we have a fireplace again. There is nothing cozier than having a fire crackling away while being curled up on the couch or chair.

As I was reading our chapter today I was thinking there is a lot of stuff in this one chapter of Matthew. today. Whew! There is also so many things I could comment on but today I am going to focus on one section.

Matthew 5:14-16 “¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Do you remember the song from long ago that children used to sing, “This Little Light of Mine?” It was a song taught at VBS weeks at church and Sunday School classes across America. Right now, more than ever before people need to see our light shine. They need to see a difference between the world and the Church as a whole. So many people become disillusioned with the church and figure why bother with following Jesus because they do not see a difference. They see hypocrisy, judgement, not welcome, and stay away. They do not see the light or feel the love love of Jesus.

I used to tell my Life/Sunday School class that at any time nine people are watching you. Your neighbors, your coworkers, and your church friends are ALL watching. That does not include those who watch that you may be unaware of. That was a statistic that I read many years ago so I am sure that the number has gone up over the years especially in the time of social media.

People are watching what we post, what we respond, how we treat others and they make a decision good or bad according to what they read or see in their quick scroll. What are they seeing?

When Alisha, my daughter, was still home we went to a Target store one weekend day. I went to buy some toilet paper which was mismarked. I brought the cashier back to the place where I had found the toilet paper to point out the discrepancy. I did not yell, but I was not nice either. I needed the cashier to understand my point that the price should be honored. I stood my ground. Later, as I reflected over what had happened, I realized two things; one my example in front of my daughter showed her that throwing a fit was okay as long as I go t my way. The second thing I realized that if that cashier would show up at me church the next week why would she want to be a part of something that did not show kindness? I lost my witness that day over toilet paper.

People are hurting. People are walking in fear. People are wanting something that does not look like the world. People are needing hope. People are needing love. What do they see when they see us? Are we smiling? Are we saying, “Hello?” Are we kind? Are we engaging? Do we only talk to the ones that we know? Are we making strangers feel welcome or are we treating them with suspicion? Do we get impatient with drivers, cashiers, and servers? Are we treating people with love? Are they seeing Jesus in us?

With some people who are in our space we get one shot at showing them the love of Jesus. We get one shot at showing them something different. For me, I am going to smile at as many people as I can. I am going to hug and pray for strangers, and I am going to love people because that is what I am called to do. How about you?