Let the light shine

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven. -- Matthew 5:16

¹ “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." -- Matthew 6: 1-3

The disciples sometimes get a bit of a bad rap. We think they must have been exceedingly dumb because they didn't seem to understand much of what Jesus was telling them until He had been crucified, resurrected, and the Holy Spirit had come to live in them.

But...

On the one had they were told to let that ol' light out, shining for all the world to see. Then, apparently, they were told to keep that ol' giving secret.

So, what's it gonna be?

I believe what the difference is in these two teachings is the attitude of the giver, the one shining. Jesus is talking about why one gives, why one shines, why one is righteous.

If one is doing all that to be seen so that one can grow in the eyes of the beholder, well, that's not acceptable. If one is doing it to be seen so that He might grow in the eyes of the beholder, well, that's good.

The problem is, I feel, that the experience is so very similar. It takes discipline and years of maturity spiritually to see and make the difference, neither of which the disciples had at the time. What to do? Let the same Spirit that changed the disciples into apostles fill our being.

Then shine on, my friends, shine on.