Jesus tells His disciples that they are the “light of the world,” and that they are to let their light shine so that others may see it and glorify the Father (Matthew 5:14-16).  But Jesus also calls Himself the “light of the world” (John 8:12, 9:5).  How does this work?  If Jesus is the light of the world, how can He say that we are the light of the world as well?

The point is that the light of Christ that shines on us to save us in His love, then reflects from us in how we live, like the moon reflects the sun.  As Paul says in Ephesians 5:8, “You are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”  We shine our light, the light of Christ on us and in us, in sharing His love and His truth with others.  We are to “be the light,” and so bring Christ’s light to all in what we say and in what we do.

This song was written as the theme song for the 2024-2025 school year for St. John’s Lutheran School in Napa, CA.  The school’s theme for the year, “Be the Light,” is based on Matthew 5:16.