Saturday, March 29

Praise for the Lights Among Us

Saturday, March 29

Matthew 5:16

Here’s today’s verse: ”Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:16) This verse appears in the Catechism in the Lord’s Prayer. Where is “prayer” in this verse?

The Lord’s Prayer is also taught in the Sermon on the Mount from which Matthew 5:16 is also taken. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was introducing His ministry and key message. (Mt. 5:6 and related to it Matthew 5:48 and 6:33)

In those key verses Jesus says:

• • We are blessed when we hunger for righteousness – and implies that He will be that Righteousness which satisfies a hungry soul. (Mt. 5:6)
  • We must be perfect as the Father is perfect. (Mt. 5:48)
  • The Kingdom of God – once received – enables all other concerns we have to fall into their proper place. (Mt. 6:33)

These are the key truths related to the verses as shown above in order.

Scripture says the Lord is our righteousness, so only when we consume Christ by the gift of faith are we “satisfied.”

Once satisfied by Christ’s righteousness, we are also “blameless” as Christ is blameless. This is clear and absolute Gospel, attainable only by God’s divine bestowal.  And it is clearly taught in many places: Proverbs 28:10; I Cor. 1:8; Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Col. 1:22; II Peter 3:14; and my personal favorite, Jude 24.

The Kingdom is received as a child receives everything: Luke 18:17.   God – our Father and King–gives us the Kingdom in our spiritual poverty… and only when we have nothing but an empty hand. (Mt. 5:3)

Considering these key truths, where is “prayer” in the above verse in bold?

Matthew 5:16 is referenced only once in Luther’s Small Catechism: In the Lord’s Prayer, first petition: “Hallowed be Thy Name.” It appears under the question: “How do we keep God’s Name holy?” And the answer: “When we live according to God’s Word.”

God feeds our hunger with His righteousness and gives us His blamelessness.  He enriches us with His Kingdom in our beggar condition.  Because of His actions and love, we can hallow God’s Name – but only when we do the good Spirit-led things we do, by our satisfied soul, perfect spirit, and royal redemption – “in such a way” – that people see God, not us!  The Prayer is in the way we live out our satisfied, perfect, crowned life: always showing what Jesus did, and never what we did. God, help us hallow Your Name by shining the light on You!