You Are The Light

We recently did a study on the passage in Matt 5:14-16, where Jesus says that we are the light of the world. In that passage He says that we are to let our light so shine that man can see our good works and glorify our Heavenly Father. As I was thinking about that I thought of how ships would come near a shore line at night and look for the lighthouse to find safety for their ship and it's crew. By the word itself, a lighthouse consists of two things - a house and light. In many cases the house part of it was very ornate and the craftsmanship quite detailed. Now, when the Captain of the ship began to draw close to his harbor, he looked for the light. It really did not matter to him what the lighthouse looked like. He just wanted to see the light. He was far more concerned with how brightly the beacon broke through the darkened skies than he was with the workmanship. Now, when he was able to dock his ship and come to shore his interests changed considerably. As he walked along the coast and drew near the lighthouse he could then see the details of the architecture and admire the skill that it took to build so closely to the cliffs. At that point it didn't matter to him how brightly the beam of light that pierced the sky. Isn't that what Jesus was saying to us? First, we are to be that beacon of light that brings the weary travelers safely to shore so that they can then get a close look at what our Heavenly Father has done and glorify Him. Notice also that Jesus said "You are the light", not you are suppose to be the light. The question is how brightly do we shine and who is depending upon our light to guide them safely home?