Matthew 5:14-16 

“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.”  (ESV)

March 28, as you all know, is Easter, the biggest day on the Christian calendar. It is the day that defines our faith more than any other. Though many of us spend part of that holiday painting and hunting for Easter eggs and enjoying chocolate, deep down, we know this is a day about our commitment to God.

But what does that commitment mean? How do we let the light of our commitment to God “shine before others?” Last week, I discussed one sort of commitment: commitment to self-improvement. By letting God guide our motivations, we can commit to making ourselves the best Christians we possibly can be and thus shine as examples.

But that is not the end of our commitment. We are disciples of Christ, and the weekend of Easter—from Good Friday that saw our Lord crucified at Calvary to Sunday when he rose again—is perhaps the best time to consider where we stand on our commitment to that discipleship two thousand years later.

In the passage above, Christ lays out pretty clearly why He wants us to extend our discipleship to commitment not just to ourselves but to others: “That they may see your good works and give glory to your Father.”

Jesus, as ever, led by example, showing His disciples over and over again the sort of public-mindedness He had in mind. I don’t need to recount here all the examples of His concern for the poor, the downtrodden, and the forgotten.

Commitment to discipleship can take on many forms, from missionaries around the world to simple acts of kindness between strangers. Our city, and our nation, is indeed set on a hill. We cannot hide our faults and failings. And that’s how Christ wants it. We are asked not to hide, but instead to shine a light upon our struggle so that others can see our good works, our sacrifice and charity, our love and faith and humanity, in all that we do to make our city glorious. 

We are the light of the world, and we must act like it. So, I ask all of you to live up to that light, to let your commitment shine forth with good works. Let your discipleship of Jesus Christ show in all your actions, from the forgiveness of petty insults to the charity you do in your free hours. Always keep God in your thoughts and let that manifest in your actions.

We testify every day to the power of God when we let our better selves shine forth for all to see. This city on the hill of ours could use far more holding back from casting that first stone. Most of all, it could use more genuine faith and charity. “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you,” says the Lord later in the same chapter (Matt. 5:42, NIV).

In order to show our faith, we must commit, we must commit not just to God but to our city, our nation, and ourselves. We must be disciples of Christ by projecting Christ into our every action, testifying to His love and mercy by our own love and mercy.

There are commitments inherent in your discipleship. Remember that Christ also said, “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27 ESV). The crosses of our time—poverty, hatred, crime, and an angry, tired nation—are for us to pick up. That is the key to our discipleship. Let us try to live up to Christ’s example. 

Pittsburgh Followers:

For things to do around Pittsburgh in March and April, including a few Easter services, brunches, and special weekend events, check here: http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/events. I encourage everyone to get out and live life in the spirit of the season of resurrection and and renewal.