In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), Jesus told His disciples:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (5:14-16, ESV).
Oil Lamp in Nazareth. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Jesus, ever the Master Teacher, often used similes and metaphors to create vivid word pictures as he communicated spiritual and eternal truths. Jesus’s disciples are those men and women who have been illuminated by the Light of the World. They hear His voice and follow Him. They have the qualities enumerated in the “beatitudes” which is in the immediate context of our text above (Matt. 5:3-12). As such Jesus’ disciples are light in a world of darkness, pointing others to the way of Jesus and His Word, and ultimately the path to heaven.
Click photo for larger view.
Posted by Leon Mauldin 
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